Soulmates - General Discussion

[Jadzia]

I liked a few episodes in this series but several of them were tedious and almost laughably bad. It seemed like a decent premise with a lot of interesting stories to share so some of the episodes seemed like a waste. I would have liked to have seen same-sex soulmates explored more. We did see in the show that some people were matched with the same sex, but what would happen if you were straight (or thought you were) and your soulmate is the same sex? (Or vice versa?) I think that would have been an interesting storyline. 

Also these people were all attractive. What happens if you had no attraction for your soulmate? Would you give it a go anyway? And cheat with someone you are attracted to? That would have been a good idea for an episode.

[racked]

I was hoping for more a Black Mirror vibe with focus on the technology and insight into the future. I still liked most episodes but I think the concept has better potential than this show accomplished. 

I have a pet peeve with shows that generically want to indicate we are in the future - they all use clear glass tech. I can’t imagine ever wanting a clear iPhone or tablet - anyone can see what’s on my screen from the other side and it’ll make fingerprints that much more obvious. Plus it makes it harder to see what’s onscreen when it’s transparent to whatever surface it’s placed against. Stop doing this shows. 

[AnimeMania]

1 hour ago, racked said:

I have a pet peeve with shows that generically want to indicate we are in the future - they all use clear glass tech. I can’t imagine ever wanting a clear iPhone or tablet - anyone can see what’s on my screen from the other side and it’ll make fingerprints that much more obvious. Plus it makes it harder to see what’s onscreen when it’s transparent to whatever surface it’s placed against. Stop doing this shows. 

I could easily see this being the new normal for phones, it would be prefect for something called Augmented Reality (AR) where you look through the phone screen at a street and it could tell you all the names of the stores that are on that street with arrows pointing to each one. Great for pointing your phone at someone and making them have cat ears and whiskers while they are talking or more useful, someone is talking in a foreign language and subtitles are scrolling by in real time. It would be minimal effort to snap on an opaque back cover for privacy and an opaque front cover to prevent scratches.

[racked]

1 hour ago, AnimeMania said:

I could easily see this being the new normal for phones, it would be prefect for something called Augmented Reality (AR) where you look through the phone screen at a street and it could tell you all the names of the stores that are on that street with arrows pointing to each one. Great for pointing your phone at someone and making them have cat ears and whiskers while they are talking or more useful, someone is talking in a foreign language and subtitles are scrolling by in real time. It would be minimal effort to snap on an opaque back cover for privacy and an opaque front cover to prevent scratches.

Having it as an option sure, but that’s not how it’s used on these shows. It’s always the default way to show “future tech” from people who can’t really envision future tech. But this show really stays away from making the future different at all. I guess it’s not really about that but still. 

[ElectricBoogaloo]

Critics' Choice Award nomination!

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION - Betsy Brandt

[AnimeMania]

There is a show on Netflix with a similar premise called "The One" being released on March 12. It has a much darker tone. Here is a trailer.

 

[CarpeFelis]

Just watching episode 2 and it brought up a major peeve of mine:

”He thinks I’m only with you for your money and his connections.” “He aaid that?” “Inferred.”

And this guy is supposed to be a college professor?! A college professor should know better than that!

WTF is wrong with writers these days? I see this mistake made all the time in movies, shows, and books. They seriously don’t know the correct word would be “implied”, not “inferred”? The speaker implies, the listener infers.

Edited July 21, 2021 by CarpeFelis

[CarpeFelis]

On 10/12/2020 at 9:51 PM, AnimeMania said:

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

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.

As soon as she told him someone she loved had gone off with a college professor I knew it would turn out to be him, and that’s exactly where I thought it was going to go.

[AngieBee1]

On the whole I liked the series, but as with anthologies quality is catch as catch can. I liked bit of the first episode, hated the second, but episodes 3 through 6 were pretty great.  

[DanaK]

On 7/24/2021 at 5:45 PM, AngieBee1 said:

On the whole I liked the series, but as with anthologies quality is catch as catch can. I liked bit of the first episode, hated the second, but episodes 3 through 6 were pretty great.  

It was definitely a mixed first season. I love the premise but the execution needs some work. We'll see how the second season goes, though with Covid, that likely won't be until next year, if not later

[DanaK]

Canceled, reversing second season renewal https://tvline.com/2023/02/24/soulmates-cancelled-season-2-amc-sci-fi-anthology-drama/

Doesn’t surprise me given all the turmoil and renewal reversals at AMC Networks. And of course it being forever since the first season was broadcast

[Catfi9ht]

I found this show by looking through JJ Feild's filmography (Nathan in the last episode) and watched the entire series today.

I hadn't heard it advertised at all so I had no idea what it was about. This show isn't about "the test" but what would the world be like if this technology existed? Would people use it? How would people use/abuse it or others? Kind of like how The Leftovers wasn't about The Rapture but what would change in the world if The Rapture happened?

I thought the episodes got progressively better with episode 5 (the suicide grifting cult) being my favorite. The steady intensity and underlying dread that episode had throughout kept me riveted. 

I noticed this show was co-created by Brett Goldstein (Roy Kent on Ted Lasso who also writes for said show). I'm guessing his three year commitment to Lasso is why the renewal was cancelled.

Since it's an anthology show, it could easily get picked up later, but I doubt it will since it doesn't seem to have had a large audience. 

I'm glad I watched it. If anything, it was a unique idea that was worth exploring and had some talented actors in it.

 

[AngieBee1]

Quote

noticed this show was co-created by Brett Goldstein (Roy Kent on Ted Lasso who also writes for said show). I'm guessing his three year commitment to Lasso is why the renewal was cancelld.

AMC needed to cut costs so they reneged on several renewals of shows - SOULMATES was a budgetary sacrifice. Goldstein is has another series he co-created and writes for SHRINKING on Apple+ so his TED LASSO commitment isn't an issue.


J.J Feild was fantastic in his episode. He deserved a Critics Choice Awards nomination like Betsy Brandt did for it.


For me the strongest episodes were Ep. 3 and onwards. Would love to have seen what other stories they could have come up with.