Disney+ #5 Show Has 83% on RT, but Don't Be Fooled by the Score – It Doesn't Deserve Your Attention

The new Disney+ series Alice and Steve has cracked the streaming service's top five and earned an 83% score on RT. Produced by Clerkenwell Films, the studio behind the hit Baby Reindeer, and written by Sophie Goodhart, known for her work on Sex Education, the show has an intriguing premise.

However, the final product is chaotic and overstuffed with storylines. Ultimately, it's superficial – a project that doesn't quite know what it wants to be.

What Is 'Alice and Steve' About?

Alice and Steve are best friends with an unbreakable bond. Yet their friendship collapses overnight when 50-year-old Steve starts dating Alice's 26-year-old daughter, Izzy.

The new couple insists that genuine feelings have blossomed between them, but Alice is consumed by rage. She is determined to tear the lovers apart at any cost, especially since she and Steve were once lovers themselves.

'Alice and Steve' Is an Awkward Attempt at Taking on Too Much

The main problem with Alice and Steve is that the writers failed to settle on a genre and struggled to control the sprawling narrative. In just six short episodes, everything happens at once: Alice schemes to drive a wedge between the lovers, Izzy grapples with her own issues, and Alice navigates a marital crisis.

The result is a series that feels like an attempt to cram too many incompatible items into a single box. The chaotic storytelling makes it difficult to focus on the central conflict, which is also written superficially.

While the creators' approach of avoiding taking sides leaves room for debate, it rings hollow without deep analysis or compelling dialogue.

We never quite understand why Steve and Izzy chose each other in the first place, nor do we see much evidence of a strong bond between them.

'Alice and Steve' Had the Potential to Be a Compelling Drama, but Failed at Every Turn

Alice and Steve could have been a rare example of a series exploring the complexities of an adult platonic relationship between a man and a woman – it could have stood alongside worthy projects like Platonic.

However, that potential remains unrealized. The best scenes are those in which the old friends-turned-enemies clash and set about making each other's lives miserable. Watching Nicola Walker and Jemaine Clement in these scenes is delightful – they perfectly capture how a long-standing bond can give way to resentment.

However, these flashes of brilliance are too few to keep the show afloat. Furthermore, the show never commits to a stance on whether such a relationship should be condemned or embraced.

Ultimately, Alice and Steve turns into a comedy-drama that is afraid of its own edge and unwilling to go all the way.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'Alice and Steve'?

• Alice and Steve has 80% from critics and 83% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

• On IMDb, the series has a score of 6.8/10.

Where to Watch 'Alice and Steve'?

Alice and Steve is available to stream on Disney+ and Hulu.