S01.E08: Episode 8

[helenamonster]

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Flashbacks reveal dark secrets of Ben's death. Megan seizes a chance for revenge. Rebecca's happily ever after suffers a heartbreaking blow.

 

[Enero]

I guess I’m still the only one commenting on this show as I binge watch it. Lol

Rebecca and James are scum, but she is the worst kind. And once again she destroys another life with her mess. She didn’t deserve Matheus or the happiness being with him would bring.  I’m sorry he died though. 

I guess Meghan is now going to cause trouble by doing a match for Hannah.

That’s what’s disturbing about “the one” matchmaking. People get a match and because it’s a DNA match, it’s believed to be irrefutable and is marketed as the only true match the person will ever have. As a result, some feel like their match belong to them and only them and will go to extremes to be with that person ie divorce, pulling what Hannah is pulling and maybe even worse. 

I wish they would’ve done a better job at matching the couples who were “matched”cause I felt like none of them had the chemistry that “the one” should have. Some of the over the top actions of those matched would’ve made a lot more sense if I could at least see and feel the chemistry between them and their matches.  Also, did they ever follow up on Rebecca’s threat to the politician about her daughter’s match? I think the political angle of the story was dropped entirely. 

Though overall, I found this entertaining I don’t know how good a 2nd season would be. Upon reflection I found most of the character’s action served the plot more than being an organic action based on the situation the character was in. I would’ve liked to have understood how the company was launched with all that stolen DNA information. How did they explain where they got the DNA info from? I don’t think this was ever addressed. 

I don’t know if I’d be interested in watching another season with Rebecca ruthlessly killing people and ruining lives without getting her competence. 

[Melina22]

18 hours ago, Enero said:

I wish they would’ve done a better job at matching the couples who were “matched”cause I felt like none of them had the chemistry that “the one” should have. Some of the over the top actions of those matched would’ve made a lot more sense if I could at least see and feel the chemistry between them and their matches.  

Hey, good point! Now that you mention that you're right. I initially thought Rebecca had great chemistry with her supposed match, but he turned out to be gay. I thought the police woman's chemistry with the siblings, especially the brother, was very poor. 

18 hours ago, Enero said:

I don’t know if I’d be interested in watching another season with Rebecca ruthlessly killing people and ruining lives without getting her competence. 

Same. She ended up being a lot more murder-y than we ever imagined. 

I was happy Hannah and her husband ended up together, until Megan went all Fatal Attraction. I actually don't want to see that. 

Finally, in episode one, I saw the guy with the Match Made in Hell sign and thought "Chekhov's protestor!" Guess I was right 😁

[Enero]

33 minutes ago, Melina22 said:

I was happy Hannah and her husband ended up together, until Megan went all Fatal Attraction. I actually don't want to see that. 

Yeah I didn’t understand Megan’s behavior. First she goes Fatal Attraction when Hannah ghosts her.  Now she’s trying to destroy Hannah’s marriage. I could understand her initial response to Hannah cutting off the friendship without an explanation, but then when the latter went off on her and said she didn’t like her that should’ve been the end of her trying to understand. She should’ve stuck by her f*ck you. That’s what I would’ve done. Instead she reaches out to Mark to try and understand why the friendship ended and he unrealistically engages her inquiry. This was an example of the characters acting in ways that made absolutely no sense. Even Hannah doing a match on Mark who clearly adored her made no sense and the show failed to show why she was so insecure about their relationship that she’d do something so extreme. 

Anyway, though Mark used Megan to see what it’d be like to screw his match (which was trifling), I too was glad that in the end he CHOSE his wife. Though clearly feeling something upon learning Megan was going back to Australia (which I don’t think she is) he did not go and see her which was a nice surprise as well. 

[TrininisaScorp]

My husband and I binged this one, and while it was very bingeable and fun, I too do not know if a second season feels good.  Rebecca is a cold blooded murderer and user and James is her enabling sap.  She seems to lose only by forfeiting the people she wants to have, but sees no other consequences.  Watching a bad guy win over and over gets tedious.  The actor playing James was somewhat endearing and then I quickly kept remember what he has let happen over and over again. 

I didn't put together that Sam was still clinging to life and Rebecca shoved him into the Thames anyways until we saw it in this last episode.  I also appreciate that while she hides well in plain sight, it doesn't take a lot for people (Sam's sister, Matheus) to quickly hear info and put together that she is indeed shady af.   I felt so sad for Matheus.  He could have been living his best life surfing in Tenerife, and here he is getting stabbed by a dude (who was both already unhinged and newly driven) who was pissed about The One. 

Lying ass Sofia, man.  I just don't know how I trust someone that seems to lie and switch around her life so seemingly easily.  I am intrigued that the brother may indeed be another match for Kate.  In general, I really liked Kate and I appreciated that she is the good guy to Rebecca's bad guy.  Cool seeing these smart women going toe to toe. 

I was screaming at Hannah the entire time.  Her piss poor decision making put her in an unenviable position, and puts Mark in one too.  I actual liked Meghan at the beginning, but her seemingly singular focus on "you're my match so fuck the rest of your whole life" did not endear me to her. Another great ethical question when someone can just test someone else like Hannah did with Mark and Meghan did with Hannah.  

I think the best thing about the show is that conversations my husband and I had as we were watching. It's an interesting moral quandary. What would you do if you are married?  Or if you end up with someone who is kind of a terrible person?  Or if your match dies before you get together?  I think our biggest discussion is what the match means?  Like you are match on attraction and compatibility of chromosomes and pheromones, but is that all that constitutes true, enduring love?  

[ribboninthesky1]

The 1st episode piqued my interest.  And normally, I pay no attention to the credits, but once I saw Julian Murphy and Johnny Capps as producers, I knew this show would be a plot-holely mess and adjusted my expectations. 

I was more sympathetic to Megan than I expected to be. Hannah was annoying, so if her match shows up and blows up the marriage, oh well.  I assumed Megan might have left it alone if Hannah hadn't popped up to say, "sorry, my bad, best of luck to you!"  Girl, what? I can guarantee she wouldn't have been wishing Megan good luck if Mark had chosen Megan. 

James is even worse than Rebecca.  Because at least Rebecca seemed to know she wasn't a good person.  That said, I wish Ben had lived to blow it all up for them. Would have been a different show, of course. 

Kate was kind of dumb, professionally and personally.            

[CarpeFelis]

On 3/15/2021 at 1:00 AM, TrininisaScorp said:

I was screaming at Hannah the entire time.  Her piss poor decision making put her in an unenviable position, and puts Mark in one too.  I actual liked Meghan at the beginning, but her seemingly singular focus on "you're my match so fuck the rest of your whole life" did not endear me to her. Another great ethical question when someone can just test someone else like Hannah did with Mark and Meghan did with Hannah.  

I think the best thing about the show is that conversations my husband and I had as we were watching. It's an interesting moral quandary. What would you do if you are married?  Or if you end up with someone who is kind of a terrible person?  Or if your match dies before you get together?  I think our biggest discussion is what the match means?  Like you are match on attraction and compatibility of chromosomes and pheromones, but is that all that constitutes true, enduring love?  

It seemed odd to me that at Hannah’s birthday party, Hannah pointed out a guy to Megan and then said he was married, and Megan said she wasn’t interested in blowing up anyone’s marriage. So is this “match” thing supposed to be so irresistible that she just had to?

On how the genetic match works: let’s imagine for a moment that it’s real. All it could possibly guarantee is attraction and maybe the feeling the people in the show had of “don’t I know you from somewhere?” IOW, instant infatuation, but that ain’t love. Some basic “wiring” is built into us - some babies are laid back and others are anxious, for example. But genetics can’t predict the life experiences that also factor into shaping a personality. I can imagine meeting someone and having incredible sexual chemistry, but finding their personality repellent once you really get to know them, or wanting completely different things, or living too far apart and moving to be together isn’t possible for some reason. I also find it pretty farfetched that there would be only one potential match out there for any given person, or that being with anyone else would be such a horrible thing.

As far as the moral quandary: if you’re really committed to your spouse, why even bother being tested? Unless my husband died, I sure wouldn’t. It would just be asking for trouble.

[AnimeMania]

They had one nude scene and they wasted it on that, I would have given them a higher score if they would have chosen any of the other characters in the show.

[MJ Frog]

On 3/15/2021 at 4:00 AM, TrininisaScorp said:

I think the best thing about the show is that conversations my husband and I had as we were watching. It's an interesting moral quandary. What would you do if you are married?  Or if you end up with someone who is kind of a terrible person?  Or if your match dies before you get together?  I think our biggest discussion is what the match means?  Like you are match on attraction and compatibility of chromosomes and pheromones, but is that all that constitutes true, enduring love?

Yes, this. I really could have done without all the thrillery, murdery stuff if only they would have explored these issues -- issues that the other incarnations of this idea, Soul Mates, and Timer (highly recommended), have glanced up against. The first episode of Soul Mates managed to do a pretty good job of taking a look at how this might actually play out in the real world, with all the attendant consequences, particularly the conundrum of love outside the "perfect match". Is a love that includes things like a deep knowledge of the other person and shared experiences any less powerful or valid than what amounts to really great chemistry? I can certainly say from my own experience that great chemistry does not always equal great love. This is why I love the married couple, despite all their crazy -- they defy the whole match thing. What they have is its own kind of special, and worth keeping. That's the stuff, that's where we really find out what romantic love is, and isn't. And the crazy things people do in pursuit of it.

On 3/15/2021 at 4:00 AM, TrininisaScorp said:

Lying ass Sofia, man.  I just don't know how I trust someone that seems to lie and switch around her life so seemingly easily.  I am intrigued that the brother may indeed be another match for Kate.  In general, I really liked Kate and I appreciated that she is the good guy to Rebecca's bad guy.  Cool seeing these smart women going toe to toe. 

I really really don't like Sofia. She is a lying liar and a serial cheater. I mean, she's pretty I guess, but I do NOT understand the appeal. I want so much better for Kate than this woman. Kate is formidable, and good, and on an altogether different level.

[ZeeEnnui]

On 3/15/2021 at 1:00 AM, TrininisaScorp said:

I think the best thing about the show is that conversations my husband and I had as we were watching. It's an interesting moral quandary. What would you do if you are married?  Or if you end up with someone who is kind of a terrible person?  Or if your match dies before you get together?  I think our biggest discussion is what the match means?  Like you are match on attraction and compatibility of chromosomes and pheromones, but is that all that constitutes true, enduring love?  

THIS is what I was thinking about throughout the show. Because it was based in DNA and science it felt like people were willing to upend their lives for their "match." I think Hannah's mentioned to her friend that one of the reasons she tested Mark was because her friend's husband dumped her for his match. Relationships are completely blown up because "well, I've found my match so peace out?" There is a definite attraction -- maybe its the DNA? -- but we've all had the experience of being physically and emotionally connected to someone; that doesn't make them "the one." Rebecca's beard's match died, but he clearly found someone that he could be with, so it's not like "The One" completely eliminated organic love matches for people. But imagine drinking the Kool-Aid, and thinking that if your match died you'd be alone forever? That's fucking bleak. The point you make about being matched with a horrible person is shitty too. I felt bad for Matheus - he wasn't a bad guy, and was matched with Rebecca who is a ruthless monster, and he died. Yeah, true love my ass. How about Kate? Her lying girlfriend is no catch. Even if you're madly attracted to that person, someone as smart as Kate has to know that someone like Sofia will lie and cheat on her again. You can't trust people like that - no matter how good they are in bed, and its obvious that Kate did have a connection to the brother who seemed like a nice enough guy. The One convinces people that this is it, and they don't think rationally about their happiness only that this is what is meant to be. I love that at the end we realize there is a flaw in the system -- not everyone gets just "one" because that's how life works!

I wish I could be happy that Hannah and Mark decided to defy scientific testing, but DAMN that girl is one chipper bunny boiler, and I would have tossed her quirky ass to the curb for her betrayal. Hannah brought all this misery on herself, and I couldn't feel an ounce of sympathy for her. Mark adored her, and had no interest in finding his "one." Her insecurity caused all of this. While I think Megan went overboard about Mark -- again this is where being matched makes people act out of character -- I can't blame her for going scorched earth on Hannah. When someone fucks you over like that, I can see how someone might want revenge (not that I condone it, but as I said, I don't care for Hannah).

On an entirely superficial side note, I thought the guy that played James was really hot, and it was such a bummer that after Rebecca nearly had his knees blown off and he got beatdown by her bodyguard, he still came crawling back. What is the toxic friendship version of being whipped?

It annoyed me that Kate's partner took a bribe, gave Rebecca the bloody tee shirt AND that was the end of it. If there is a second season is Kate going to learn about this betrayal? 

One of the things that I really appreciate about British shows is that they don't overstuff their seasons - you get less episodes, and more focus on the plot. If this is the end of the show, then I enjoyed the ride and the debate that it sparked with friends. But if they wanted to bring it back for another season, I'd be down to watch because I really want someone to grab Rebecca by her ridiculously oversized pant legs and give her a much needed beatdown. 

Edited April 1, 2021 by ZeeEnnui