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“Soulmates” premieres Monday, October 5th at 10 pm on AMC.

AMC’s ‘Soulmates’ Is Smartest When Not Trying to Be ‘Black Mirror’: TV Review

A 6 episode anthology series on AMC, already renewed for a 2nd season. 

"What would it mean if someone is 'destined' for you?

Would the relationships before count for nothing?

Does true love equal true happiness?"

What if there were a scientific test that could accurately identify the person you'd love most in your life? In the not-too-distant future, this is a possibility.

Episode 1: Watershed     Airdate: October 5, 2020

Sarah Snook (“Succession”) and Kingsley Ben-Adir (“High Fidelity”) as Nikki and Franklin, a couple that’s been married since they met in college and quickly — perhaps too quickly — became each other’s everything. 15 years later, they’re living in a world in which they have to go to a new soulmate wedding every weekend, Nikki finds herself helplessly furious at the fact that her stable marriage has become a relic. She was happy, she thinks. But now, as seemingly everyone around her starts taking the test and finding their ideal partner, she can’t be so sure. The ensuing hour, anchored by a terrific Snook performance, is painful and revealing, finding pockets of devastating insight tucked away in the dark corners neither Nikki nor Franklin have addressed in years. The soulmate test is the instigator, but the intimate drama of them poking the tender bruise of their marriage is as real as it gets.

Episode 2: The Lovers    Airdate: October 12, 2020

Episode 3: Little Adventures    Airdate: October 19, 2020

Explore the already nebulous world of online dating and open relationships which, yes, both still exist in this world brimming over with paired-up soulmates. Libby (Laia Costa) and Adam (Shamier Anderson) get a jolt when Libby’s soulmate turns up — and, despite her always identifying as straight beforehand, is a woman. The complex give and take between Libby, Adam and Miranda (Georgina Campbell) takes all their wants and needs seriously, and the ways in which they resolve their conflicts proves a refreshing surprise.

Episode 4: Layover    Airdate: October 26, 2020

Follow Mateo (Bill Skarsgård) and Jonah (Nathan Stewart-Jarrett) as they race through Mexico to find Mateo’s stolen passport so he can get on an early flight the next day to meet his soulmate, a handsome finance advisor who promises a stable life of normalcy that Mateo may or may not actually want. The episode, written by Evan Placey, doesn’t even need its central high stakes chase (nor the frankly stereotypical depiction of Mexico as a backdrop). Skarsgård and Stewart-Jarrett are so charming together as two wayward souls finding each other that they could easily fuel an entire romantic comedy film all their own.

Episode 5: Break on Through    Airdate: November 2, 2020

Episode 6: The (Power) Ballad of Caitlin Jones    Airdate: November 9, 2020

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This is an interesting concept and the first episode did the drama and the tragedy of it really well.  Would you take the test if you were already years into a marriage?  If you had kids?  A life?   Is it actually better to be with someone who is your soulmate or A relationship you have to build from the ground up?  Episode 1 dealt really well with a woman in a mid life crisis and the idea that maybe she picked the wrong guy.   The tragedy was that even if she decided not to see who her soul mate was her husband took the test as well.  It was a very bittersweet ending that should have been a happy one to finding your soulmate. 

Edited by Chaos Theory
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Did the Lady have a job? The Lady spent very little time with the kids and the things that they did together didn't really include the kids. It was like the kids were looming large, but not really a factor.

The Lady said that finding your soulmate is selfish, especially if you are deeply connected to other people. If you have family, a spouse, children, are you willing to upend their lives to make yourself happy. Sometimes the person you are soulmates with are not in the same country. What if you don't even speak the same language? What if your soul mate is happily married (why would happily married people take the test, maybe they took it years ago) and you are not. What if your soulmate is the same gender as you, dead, in prison, a very horrible person, or extremely famous. Would an extremely famous person be willing to settle down with a single person or would they enjoy playing the field. I don't think this show would be skillful enough to tackle these weighty subjects in an enlightening and entertaining manner. There are some interesting possibilities that can be explored, but I don't think they will be able to get there.

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The first episode was pretty sad.  The wife didn't seem to have a job and kept thinking the soulmates were 100% happy all the time.

Finding a soulmate seems too easy and you really don't have a foundation. Her brother married a stranger after 3 weeks,  who was already in a relationship.

I felt bad for the wife, who realized what she had way too late.  I wonder if people are obligated to partner with the soulmate, or can they just say "I'm good"?

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I wanted to like this more than I did.  I didn't realize that each episode was going to be a different couple.  I think it's a really interesting premise with so many questions but having only one ep per couple doesn't really give enough time to flesh things out.  I'd also like to know more about the people that created the test and why?  Is the test Global?  Do you only have one soulmate and if so what if they don't take the test (or are dead) so you take the test and then you're told  - "hey, we found your soulmate they're perfect for you except that whole not alive thing" - what do you do then?  

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Wannabe Black Mirror gone horribly wrong.

But it asked an interesting question.  Is your soulmate someone you feel chemistry with?  Or is your soulmate someone you build a relationship with?

Franklin and Nikki were married.  Both wanting something "more."  But what is that more?  BTW, what is the long term success rate of Soulmates?

Another thing.  If you were TOLD by research that someone was your soulmate, maybe you'd put more effort in the relationship. because you knew this was "it" and there was no one better.

@AnimeMania had some interesting questions, but I think the show asks the question, if this test provided you with your ULTIMATE soul mate, what would you do to be in such a relationship?

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1 hour ago, Neurochick said:

Another thing.  If you were TOLD by research that someone was your soulmate, maybe you'd put more effort in the relationship. because you knew this was "it" and there was no one better.

 

I think that's the point they made with the brother. He'd never tried to stick it out before, but this time, he did, because he believed there was no better option for him out there. 

There are so many interesting things to explore about the premise. If done well, it could be fascinating. And if they explore the questions you asked, it could be fascinating. The acting was great, anyway.     

I had to watch this, as I don't believe in "soulmates," even though twenty-seven years ago, I, a flighty serial monogamist who didn't want to get married, looked up in a store, saw a man staring at me, dumbstruck, and I had the same immediate thought he'd had a second earlier, "Oh, there you are."  Hit me like a speeding truck. Got engaged after our third date and married three months later  All these years later, we're still goofy over each other. I think it's partly because, though we're aligned politically and morally, we are otherwise completely opposite in a way that works.  I'd love to see them explore how different partners in a happy relationship can be from That's something I'd like to see explored. You meet your soul mate and they're living a life you can't see yourself being part of. Or you can't relate to them at all. Moving to another country or leaving your marriage are big disruptions, but I'm thinking of all the different ways and reasons strong, loving relationships fail and picturing all kinds of stories they could tell.  

In the real world, someone would start a movement against soulmates and there would be conspiracy theorists, etc. Some people would make money from opposing the testing. I wonder if they'll include anything like that. The show's got me thinking, anyway.   

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On 10/6/2020 at 11:53 AM, AnimeMania said:

Did the Lady have a job? The Lady spent very little time with the kids and the things that they did together didn't really include the kids. It was like the kids were looming large, but not really a factor.

The Lady said that finding your soulmate is selfish, especially if you are deeply connected to other people. If you have family, a spouse, children, are you willing to upend their lives to make yourself happy. Sometimes the person you are soulmates with are not in the same country. What if you don't even speak the same language? What if your soul mate is happily married (why would happily married people take the test, maybe they took it years ago) and you are not. What if your soulmate is the same gender as you, dead, in prison, a very horrible person, or extremely famous. Would an extremely famous person be willing to settle down with a single person or would they enjoy playing the field. I don't think this show would be skillful enough to tackle these weighty subjects in an enlightening and entertaining manner. There are some interesting possibilities that can be explored, but I don't think they will be able to get there.

People have done this for hundreds of years without a sci-fi test telling them who their "soulmate" is.

On 10/6/2020 at 7:36 PM, I Want My MBTV said:

I wanted to like this more than I did.  I didn't realize that each episode was going to be a different couple.  I think it's a really interesting premise with so many questions but having only one ep per couple doesn't really give enough time to flesh things out.  I'd also like to know more about the people that created the test and why?  Is the test Global?  Do you only have one soulmate and if so what if they don't take the test (or are dead) so you take the test and then you're told  - "hey, we found your soulmate they're perfect for you except that whole not alive thing" - what do you do then?  

Nikki's friend's soulmate was in Argentina, so yes.

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On 10/7/2020 at 2:49 PM, Neurochick said:

Wannabe Black Mirror gone horribly wrong.

But it asked an interesting question.  Is your soulmate someone you feel chemistry with?  Or is your soulmate someone you build a relationship with?

Franklin and Nikki were married.  Both wanting something "more."  But what is that more?  BTW, what is the long term success rate of Soulmates?

Another thing.  If you were TOLD by research that someone was your soulmate, maybe you'd put more effort in the relationship. because you knew this was "it" and there was no one better.

@AnimeMania had some interesting questions, but I think the show asks the question, if this test provided you with your ULTIMATE soul mate, what would you do to be in such a relationship?

Nikki's brother spoke about this. He said he and his soulmate/new wife were having arguments but he was dedicated to working it out with her, as opposed to his previously short-lived relationships, because he knew she was "the one" for him.

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Soulmates Episode 2: The Lovers    Airdate: October 12, 2020

SoulmatesSonyaCassidyBB-678x381.jpg

It started out very good and immediately turned into one of those crazy woman revenge stories. I didn't really like it because am not sure why this is related to Soul Connex except to prove that the concept of Soulmates might be a bunch of hooey. Women who hate a man with every fiber of their being need to stop getting revenge on the guy by sleeping with him. I would have much preferred to see that the woman was soulmates with the professor or if they needed a devious twist, found out that the woman was soulmates with the professor's wife and she ruined the professor's life, by setting him up with the student, so she could take her shot with his wife. The episode really didn't fit in with the theme of this anthology.

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14 hours ago, AnimeMania said:

I would have much preferred to see that the woman was soulmates with the professor or if they needed a devious twist, found out that the woman was soulmates with the professor's wife and she ruined the professor's life, by setting him up with the student, so she could take her shot with his wife. The episode really didn't fit in with the theme of this anthology.

Agreed. I didn't like this one, either. Maybe I need to rewatch, but given the context of the show, this episode seemed like a one-off. Unless the point was to show us how flimsy the Soul Connex servers are that they can be hacked. Everything else was blah.

I thought that the woman she was in love with was David's wife as well. 

 

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Really didn’t like this one at all. Other than showing the technology could be used to manipulate someone it just fell flat. I didn’t need another typical stupid “revenge” story. So many more interesting places they could explore in terms of this soulmates concept. And since this is only the second ep I think they ran the risk of viewers losing interest due to the weak cookie cutter element of this story. 

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22 hours ago, Lovecat said:

I thought it was going to be the father-in-law who set David up to lose both tenure and his wife.

Same here. He made no bones about the fact that he did not like David, and was granting him tenure only because of his daughter. 

And honestly, as much as I'd like to get revenge for my sibling, I don't know about going as far as sleeping with ol dude. Also, how did she know he was up for tenure to show up right then? 

But I digress, this episode didn't really do anything for me. I liked the first episode better when it was about the actual relationships and the questions that the test being up in an already established couple.

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On 10/13/2020 at 9:56 PM, Lovecat said:

I thought it was going to be the father-in-law who set David up to lose both tenure and his wife.

Which is, I think, unethical. The nepotism I mean.

Edited by Starchild
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Episode 3: Little Adventures    Airdate: October 19, 2020

I thought this was a much better episode, since I didn't have to constantly wonder what this had to do with Soulmates. The married couple seemed to already realize that something was missing from their marriage since they were already seeing other people in an open marriage. Now that they found their Soulmates, they can finally close their marriage. The new people pushed them to be more assertive and fulfilled in their lives at work and at home. I guess this was a positive result since everyone seems to be happier in the end.

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On 10/14/2020 at 8:09 PM, nekilarose said:

But I digress, this episode didn't really do anything for me. I liked the first episode better when it was about the actual relationships and the questions that the test being up in an already established couple.

I would have ended the episode the same way, except as Crazy Woman drove away, a Mac truck T-bones her car, showing that revenge is never sweet.  The End.   

Edited by Neurochick
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(edited)
22 minutes ago, Neurochick said:
On 10/14/2020 at 8:09 PM, nekilarose said:

But I digress, this episode didn't really do anything for me. I liked the first episode better when it was about the actual relationships and the questions that the test being up in an already established couple.

I would have ended the episode the same way, except as Crazy Woman drove away, a Mac truck T-bones her car, showing that revenge is never sweet.  The End.   

I would have had it end with Crazy Woman's wife finding out that she cheated on her with a man. The wife gets a divorce and takes the kids. The Crazy Woman's life is just as ruined as the professor's. Confucius says “Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves.”

Edited by AnimeMania
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I didn't mind episode three, but I was really interested in learning about friend soulmates.  I think I heard someone say something about how Soulmates are all-around soul mates (or something to that effect), which tells me that they will always be romantic.  Which, I think is kind of a bummer.  

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I hated episode 2.  

I wish TV and film writers stopped writing these revenge fantasies.  Why?  Because a great number of them wind up as school or workplace shootings where someone who feels (or who maybe was) wronged comes to take "revenge." 

In real life, some people can be nice but others can be toxic.  Bad things happen.  Sure I have wanted to take revenge on someone, but looking back on it, I'm glad I didn't.  I agree that the episode should have ended when the woman's life herself was ruined, just as bad as she ruined the professor's.  Sure what HE did was wrong, but what SHE did was wrong too.

 

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Episode 3 was pretty interesting with the couple in an open marriage, plus the wife's soulmate was a woman, which they were clearly not expecting. It didn't seem like anything was going to work out, but in the end, everybody involved figured out how to make it work in a rather interesting manner

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Episode 4: Layover    Airdate: October 26, 2020

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What a load of garbage, who dances to YMCA today, let alone in the future. Seems like they should be more traumatized after killing 5 people, in a small town, 3 of which were crooked cops. I would think they would be more worried about retaliation from the police, criminals, fortune tellers and from stealing the bikes. It is amazing that Mexico still has crappy Volkswagen Taxis in the future. I was kind of hoping that the two main characters would have been blown up in the warehouse as well, they did get the death card.

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1 minute ago, Quiet1 said:

It didn't seem to fit into this show at all. Seems like the show is telling us don't find your soulmate. It isn't worth it and will ruin your life. 

I think that's a good point.  

On so many dating shows, you hear participants talking about "finding my soulmate."  So here is this way to find your soulmate, to find what so many want.  Is it worth it?  And that's the question of the show.  

3 hours ago, AnimeMania said:

Seems like they should be more traumatized after killing 5 people, in a small town, 3 of which were crooked cops.

Well, two of those people were going to kill them.  Strangely enough I liked this episode.

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On 10/27/2020 at 2:40 PM, Quiet1 said:

It didn't seem to fit into this show at all. Seems like the show is telling us don't find your soulmate. It isn't worth it and will ruin your life. 

Have we seen any matches where it all ends well? Possibly the poly couple, but even that involved including others into their relationship. Episode 4 was another example of personal choice over the test results. Matteo had his match, but chose to stay with Jonah (Jonas?) instead.  

 

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I have to say I am enjoying this show. I love the idea that in this story, the "soulmate" is theoretical and never seen and that real life attraction wins out. I despise the idea that we have a "soulmate" out there who is the only person who will fulfill all our needs and desires. We may have one, several, many or, gasp, none throughout our lives. I don't. And never have had. And, guess what, I am happy, confident, and not looking for one. I would be way too cheap and lazy to go all the way to Colombia to meet a soulmate. Heck, I am too lazy to date someone outside my county! I don't want to drive too far. 

So I am entertained by the stories being told here...except the second one, that was lame.

Edited by Red Bridey
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Another story that didn't need the "soulmate" angle at all. Could have easily been told on any other show. And in less time. I like Bill Skaarsgard but he seems to be more compelling as a weirdo/alien/monster than just a neurotypical human being. Or maybe comedy isn't his thing?

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Episode 5: Break on Through    Airdate: November 2, 2020

A kind and passionate man is horrified to learn that his soulmate has already passed away, and he finds comfort in the Church of Righteous Transition, an organization founded on the promise that they will help those whose soulmates have died.
Credits: Charlie Heaton (Actor), Malin Akerman (Actor), Steven Mackintosh (Actor)

soulmates-main.jpg

Soul Connex really needs to secure their data. Everybody seems to be able to access any data they want from their mainframe. There would be dozens of scams that could be perpetrated if anybody can gain access to their files.

I still have no evidence that people would be more happy with their Soulmates or just think they would be because of the Placebo Effect. 

Next episode is the season finale.

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I hate hate hate depictions of vomiting (hey, I had cancer in the 1970s when you got an anti-nausea pill you probably couldn't hold down and puked for 3-5 days), but "Stop puking in my hair" was funny. 

This show's been kind of a disappointment, but I like that it makes me think. "What if my soulmate died" is a thing I've heard people say. I liked that this had a happyish ending, once they get some Zofran in 'em or something.  

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So could the Reverend be charged with anything given he helped/forced/enticed a bunch of people to die? I guess other than helping people to commit suicide (assuming that's a crime in this show), they seemed to be there of their own free will, but at the same time, he was preying upon some pretty vulnerable people. I kept going back and forth as to whether the two guest stars would end up together alive or dead. Glad to see they made it out alive

I'm somewhat iffy on the show given the wildly different episodes (but it's an anthology so it can do that), but at the same time, when an episode interests me, like this on, it's pretty interesting

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1 hour ago, DanaK said:

So could the Reverend be charged with anything given he helped/forced/enticed a bunch of people to die? I guess other than helping people to commit suicide (assuming that's a crime in this show), they seemed to be there of their own free will, but at the same time, he was preying upon some pretty vulnerable people.

If they can charge Dr. Kevorkian, I am sure they can find something. I am sure that not reporting a dead body and leaving the scene of a crime is possible. They also took the assets to the two people they thought were dead, but survived, this would be probate fraud.

It seems strange to me that people would only have one soulmate, what about all the people who are close to being your soulmate like 99% or 98% your soulmate, I am sure you would be extremely happy living your life with any of those people. You would think the Soul Connex people would give you a list of people so you could choose someone in the same country or who speaks the same language, or has the same religion, etc. One and done, shouldn't even be an option for a soulmate. 

I would be interested in seeing an episode where they explained how the test works. It would be cool if it was reading/mapping your subconscious. They show you images of thousands of people really fast, play different types of music, images, words, and various stimuli and grade your reactions and see how closely they can match the other testees.

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I agree, I would love to see the mechanics of the soulmate matching system. There is zero possibility that a rural bowl-haircut farmer boy would ever be attractive to a gorgeous world travelling adventure junkie, so other than being nice people, what would be the basis of "soulmated-Ness" (yes, I made that up)? It's an intriguing concept to me, and I've been enjoying the stories and the glimpses of the Future. This story just goes to show there's always scamming going on.

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Episode 6: The (Power) Ballad of Caitlin Jones    Airdate: November 9, 2020

Caitlin has waited years for her soulmate match. Her dreams come true when she's matched with a handsome doctor, Nathan. But can Caitlin trust this stranger, even if he is her soulmate?

SM_106_JA_1217_0055_RT.jpgSM_106_JA_1217_0424_RT.jpg

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Finally a story that can only happen with the whole "soulmate" angle. Psychologically, some people would definitely consider their lives to be over if their soulmate were dead. And if that was the case, what kind of judgement could be passed on them, in a world that often says "love is everything"? Who are we to say that they could find someone "lesser" and still be "almost as happy"? And naturally these vulnerable people would be open to manipulation and fraud.

Does anyone else think that Travis was murdered by the cult (probably after being forced to give his handprint to get his money), or is it just me?

I guess the finale is based on the question "What if your soulmate was an asshole?", and that's valid for the premise of this show. As for next season (if there is one), so far all soulmates we've seen have been age-appropriate, so I'd be interested in "What if your soulmate was in a nursing home?" or "What if your soulmate is a baby?"

On 11/3/2020 at 5:05 PM, AnimeMania said:

It seems strange to me that people would only have one soulmate, what about all the people who are close to being your soulmate like 99% or 98% your soulmate, I am sure you would be extremely happy living your life with any of those people. You would think the Soul Connex people would give you a list of people so you could choose someone in the same country or who speaks the same language, or has the same religion, etc. One and done, shouldn't even be an option for a soulmate.

But that would kind of spoil the premise. Because it's not all that different to the world we already live in, where you might be able to be imperfectly happy, if you choose a person who is "compatible enough."

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1 hour ago, Starchild said:

"What if your soulmate is a baby?"

You would be an irresponsible parent if you let your baby sign up for online dating.

1 hour ago, Starchild said:

But that would kind of spoil the premise. Because it's not all that different to the world we already live in, where you might be able to be imperfectly happy, if you choose a person who is "compatible enough.

It might be a good selling point if they find that happily married naturally formed couples are 89% compatible, you should be perfectly happy with any soulmate higher than that. Since they have people from all around the world, that shouldn't be that hard to find.

So far the TV show hasn't convinced me that the soulmates chosen by the computer are the real deal or are just very compatible.

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53 minutes ago, AnimeMania said:

You would be an irresponsible parent if you let your baby sign up for online dating.

It could be a boon to those still engaging in arranged marriages. Knowing from birth who your kid should marry. 

I'd also like to see stories of good, decent people having to make choices when soulmates are outside societal norms, mentally or physically challenged for example. 

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2 hours ago, Starchild said:
3 hours ago, AnimeMania said:

You would be an irresponsible parent if you let your baby sign up for online dating.

It could be a boon to those still engaging in arranged marriages. Knowing from birth who your kid should marry. 

Most arranged marriages benefit/strengthen the two families in some way and are not based on love. This seems like it would be counterproductive, unless you are hoping you will get a wealthy/influential family. It seems easier just to hand pick the type of family you want and groom your child for that position.

There is no indication of the parameters of the test. A baby may not be capable of understanding or answering the (questions/inputs) that the test might require.

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22 hours ago, Starchild said:

As for next season (if there is one)

AMC renewed it ahead of the first season premiere. Deadline reported it back on August 7. That's assuming of course things don't get thrown off course by the pandemic

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18 hours ago, AnimeMania said:

Episode 6: The (Power) Ballad of Caitlin Jones    Airdate: November 9, 2020

She changed from somebody who cared about others, to somebody who only cares about herself.

This was a strange episode.  I didn't like it because it was a very black/white episode.  You're either a doormat or a killer? 

Maybe the question is, was she always a killer inside?  Was the doormat persona a mask?  Was that the real Caitlin at the end?

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That finale was really creepy and bloody. Does the ending mean she’s going to be as bad as her soulmate? I guess she is if she’s free in spite of killing both guys

I'm confused about who she shocked (to death?) in the alley. I thought that was her roommate, or was it just a creeper?

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1 hour ago, DanaK said:

I'm confused about who she shocked (to death?) in the alley. I thought that was her roommate, or was it just a creeper?

Just a creeper who chased her into the alley.

It almost seemed like she changed from a Liberal to a Conservative.

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