If you love getting drawn into the ins and outs of people’s messy fallouts, you need to watch new Hulu Original series Alice and Steve, available exclusively on Disney+.
The six-part comedy-drama is created and written by Sophie Goodhart, who’s known for her work on Sex Education, Rivals and Slow Horses. Plus, it boasts a stellar cast, with Nicola Walker (Spooks, Mary & George), Jemaine Clement (Flight of the Conchords, Avatar) and Yali Topol Margalith (A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder) starring as main characters Alice, Steve and Izzy.
There are some pretty hot debates at the heart of the story, so read on to learn more about the opposing sides and decide who you agree with in this complex tale of flawed characters and moral dilemmas.
What’s the central controversy in Alice and Steve?
At the start of the series, Alice’s whole world implodes when her lifelong best friend, Steve, sleeps with her 26-year-old daughter, Izzy.
Their once rock-solid friendship is upended and tested to the max as Steve and Izzy begin to pursue a relationship, despite Alice’s fierce disapproval. But instead of accepting the situation for what it is, she sets out to get her revenge.
Is Steve really a villain?
It may feel easy to instinctively side against Steve for his betrayal of Alice’s trust – not to mention their own romantic history and the 26-year age gap between him and Izzy. But the story deliberately complicates things by highlighting the genuine feelings that underpin their relationship.
The series also raises the question of whether two fully grown adults should be free to make their own choices, regardless of how awkward the situation becomes. In other words, should best friends always come first, or is it alright to make an exception in the case of true love?
Should Izzy be more loyal to her mother?
Izzy is by no means a passive character in this story. In fact, she’s the one who reveals the relationship with Steve to Alice. From that moment, she only becomes more determined to pursue it – even forcing it on Alice at times, despite the distress it causes her.
While Izzy’s approach may be seen as unfair and disloyal to her mother, you could also argue she is an independent young woman with every right to decide who she dates, even if those choices upset the people she loves.
The story also sees her caught between two people who are hugely important to her, and as Margalith pointed out in a recent interview, Izzy’s grown accustomed to having Alice’s unwavering support in everything she does. So, in some ways, she’s only following her mother’s advice to go with her heart – much to Alice’s dismay.
Is Alice’s response appropriate?
Naturally, no one is going to be happy about their best friend starting a relationship with their daughter. But Alice goes to some rather extreme lengths to punish Steve for his betrayal, begging the question of whether her attempts to regain control of the situation ultimately make matters worse.
She uses every tool at her disposal to end his relationship with Izzy, from threats and begging to sabotaging his career. Unfortunately for her, Steve’s more than ready for the attack, and their previously perfect friendship soon devolves into an all-out feud that even scares Alice’s husband, Daniel (Joel Fry).
But instead of presenting her actions as simply right or wrong, the series thrives on these uncomfortable moral grey areas, leaving you as the viewer to decide if you agree with – or at the very least understand – her behaviour.
What’s next for Alice and Steve?
With the final episode ending on a rather spectacular cliffhanger, fans are already speculating about the possibility of a season 2. While nothing has been confirmed yet, Goodhart has said she’s already got a good idea of how the second part of the story would play out, if it gets the green light.
So, who knows, there could be even more ethical conundrums for you to get stuck into in the not-so-distant future.
Watch Alice and Steve in full now, exclusively on Disney+. Sign-up from £4.99 a month.
