Brett Goldstein is a very popular person right now. His work in front of and behind the screen on Apple TV show Ted Lasso has gained rave reviews, and the odd award or two. But Ted Lasso isn’t the only project he has been working on, having also co-written six episodes of new anthology series Soulmates with William Bridges. Bridges’ previous work includes both Stranger Things and two episodes of Black Mirror (the excellent “USS Callister” and the disturbing “Shut Up and Dance”), the latter forming a great starting point for this collaboration. Similarities between Soulmates and Black Mirror are blindingly obvious, but instead of exploring entirely new stories each episode, here they are all connected by ‘The Test’.
In the year 2023 scientists discovered the soulmate particle, and now members of society have the opportunity to take a simple test to find out who their ‘perfect’ person is. Over the course of six episodes the show analyses a variety of different scenarios and explores the effects that taking, or not taking, the test has on a host of different characters. Each episode tackles a different topic or perspective, giving the viewer a fresh set of conundrums for themselves to analyse. It follows the same interactive structure of Black Mirror, but thankfully doesn’t match the same bleakness as the conclusions of most of those stories. That is not to say that all the characters get a happy ending, it’s just not quite as cutthroat as the other show.
Although not strictly connected to one another directly, watching Soulmates in episode order is necessary as each builds upon information gleaned from the previous one. Show opener Watershed is a vital watch as it neatly acts as the viewer’s conduit into the world, handily covering all the basics of the test and its controversies. The story follows Nikki (Sarah Snook) as she wrestles with whether or not to take the test in light of realising her marriage to Franklin (Kingsley Ben-Adir) is stagnating. Surrounded by a world full of newly united soulmates, she can’t help but wonder if there’s someone better for her out there. It’s a classic case of the grass appearing greener, but it is a scenario that many in long-term relationships have likely mulled over at some point or another.
Once the world, the test, and its repercussions have been set-up, Soulmates shifts the story and tone for episode two, The Lovers. Told within the framework of a thriller, The Lovers sees college professor David (David Costabile) sought out by his soulmate Alison (Sonya Cassidy). Having initially ignored the results after meeting his wife, David is suddenly drawn to the new woman in his life, but she may or may not be hiding a dangerous secret. Exploring the dangers of dating strangers, The Lovers presents some very interesting ideas around trust and honesty within relationships.
Episodes three and four, Little Adventures and Layover are the two lighter stories within the show, and also happen to be the two standouts of the series. Little Adventures faces couple Libby (Laia Costa) and Adam (Shamier Anderson) with an interesting dilemma when Libby takes the test and discovers that her soulmate is actually another woman, Miranda (Georgina Campbell). There’s a lot of modern dynamics of relationships and the different ways that they can function are investigated here; it’s great to see these stories out in the world for audiences to consume. Similarly, Layover looks at another same sex soulmate coupling, though from a more traditional analysis of can a test really determine who you love? Starring Bill Skarsgård and Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Layover is a chaotic black comedy love story of Mateo (Skarsgård) and Jonah (Stewart-Jarrett) whose one night stand leads to dire consequences for them, and hilarity for the viewer.
As the episodes begin to dwindle, the stories take on a much more serious tone. The penultimate entry, Break on Through, journeys through the morose scenario in which the person someone has been paired with has already passed on. It is this situation that Kurt (played by Stranger Things’ Charlie Heaton) and Martha (Malin Akerman) find themselves in. Unable to cope with the unimaginable sense of grief and loneliness, each finds themselves drawn to a church that promises them salvation. It’s an icky tale of cults and manipulation and is easily the closest in tone to the darker Black Mirror instalments. Final episode, The (Power) Ballad of Caitlin Jones, is a stark story that ventures into the horror arena as downtrodden Caitlin Jones (Betsey Brandt) discovers her perfect match is masking a terrible secret. There’s a wry humour laced through the episode so it isn’t all doom and gloom, but it doesn’t quite manage to tie off the show as neatly as Watershed began it.
As each new episode aligns itself with a different style and tone, morphing into the most concise way to tell its story, there’s the opportunity for everyone to find at least one that they will enjoy. Whether many will warm to all episodes equally is less likely, though that’s a common problem for any anthology. On the flipside, a positive to the anthology format is that you can easily dip in and out of it. Soulmates doesn’t create that same compulsion to binge watch it as other shows competing on the market, meaning you can savour the viewing experience without forgoing the enjoyment. Having a world rich with possibilities and scenarios to delve into, a second series of Soulmates is rumoured to be on the way, making now a great time to discover the show for yourself.
Soulmates Season One
Summary
A well written collection of stories that challenges the audience with the question of whether they would take the test Soulmates has plenty going for it to be worthy of your time.
Soulmates is available to own on DVD now.
