Whirlwind romance, grief, and a walk down a dark path in Soulmates.

Love might be viewed by some simply as a convenient name given to chemical reactions in our bodies that are useful to our species in order to procreate. Well that may be true, but where’s the romance in that?

The Soulmate’s ‘Test’ continues to try to put square pegs in round holes in the second half of the first series, as the myriad factors and feelings that contribute to everlasting true love are thrown into the mix in satisfyingly eclectic stories.

The humour and romance is found in ‘Layover’, with Mateo and Jonah’s unlikely adventure, as the latter throws every curve ball possible at Mateo to derail his efforts to fly to his Columbian soulmate… who I also doubt will be enough for him! It’s a cross between a high-stakes heist and a farce at times, with some fantastical elements sprinkled that add to the fun rather than detracting from the chaos and drama our boys live through. Who will Mateo choose? This is the most charming and romantic of all the series, and it left me all warm and fuzzy.

Flipping the tone a full 180 for ‘Amici in Vita’, the question this episode tackles is: what happens if your soulmate is dead? Before you even knew them? Are you still worthy of love? There is, sadly, more verisimilitude in this instalment as vulnerable Kurt and Martha fall foul of a nefarious and cruel cult scam. They don’t mean what I think they mean, do they? Oh yes they do. It’s another look at the seedier side of humanity as the depths of grief and loss are explored. Our soulmate-less pair encounter heart-stopping drama and unexpected hope that’ll have you holding your breath until the last moments.

Staying with that seedy side of humanity for the series finale, ‘The (Power) Ballad of Caitlin Jones’ and Soulmates saves the darkest and possibly best for last. When your soulmate turns out to be A Not Very Nice Person, what do you do with that?

I was confused while watching the first part, but do stay with it as it comes together. There seems to be no clear reason why the universe would want a handsome, confident doctor like Nathan to be with a mouse of a woman like Caitlin. The path of their courtship is not a smooth one, until Nathan drops a deeply disturbing bombshell on Caitlin and then it explodes. What transpires is absolutely not what was expected. I like being surprised by good storytelling, it’s rarer that you’d think and when it happens in a gripping, multi-layered narrative, I’m even more impressed. As a female viewer, you may see some sadly relatable, some very unsettling and also some darkly euphoric moments. I’ve added 2 whole points to the score just for the final 15 minutes.

Verdict: You can’t scientifically define love, or put it into a neat box, even in a world where that’s allegedly possible. A profound exploration of this most unfathomable of human emotions in a thought-provoking series. 9/10

Claire Smith

Soulmates season 1 is available now from Acorn