Alice and Steve: A Messy Yet Intriguing Comedy

Alice and Steve stars Jemaine Clement and Nicola Walker as long-time friends who clash after he begins a relationship with her 26-year-old daughter. This six-part comedy on Hulu navigates through the lives of two 50-something best friends entangled in unexpected circumstances. While the premise creates intrigue, it also presents discomfort as Steve’s involvement with Alice’s daughter unfolds.

Set in the era of television characterized by groundbreaking shows like The Sopranos and The Wire, Alice and Steve stands out for its entertaining yet sometimes frustrating approach. Recent years have seen a surge of shows prioritizing sensation over coherence, often relying on charismatic actors and standout moments to compensate for narrative inconsistencies.

Initially, the series stumbles with a poorly rendered scene of intoxication at a friend’s funeral. Clement plays Steve, a divorced celebrity hair stylist struggling to find a partner, while Walker portrays Alice, a clothes designer with a devoted younger husband and a challenging teenage son. Izzy, Alice’s willful daughter, is played by Yali Topol Margalith and becomes the catalyst for the plot when she flirts with Steve.

Their romance quickly escalates, despite Steve’s apprehensions about its propriety. Izzy, on the other hand, does not hesitate to inform Alice about their relationship, leading to chaotic dynamics. The resulting fallout sees Alice taking decisive action to disrupt the couple, igniting Steve’s own darker tendencies in the process.

The show’s core theme explores the complex dynamic of platonic friendships, often richer than romantic ties. This concept, though enticing, doesn’t fully deliver as expected, leaving viewers desiring more depth from the script by Sophie Goodhart. Although it features some humorous moments, inconsistencies arise, like Steve’s outdated pop culture references that clash with his role as a hair stylist to contemporary stars.

Midway through the series, a character sabotages another’s career, yet the severity of this event seems underplayed as it’s hardly addressed afterward. Nevertheless, the series has redeeming scenes, such as Steve’s betrayal of Izzy or the heartfelt discussion between Alice and her husband about their relationship dynamics.

One memorable sequence sees Alice resolving a romantic dilemma for her son and his potential girlfriend, bringing a moment of clarity that reveals why people cherish her. The series portrays Steve as more amiable than Alice, avoiding any depiction of him as sinister. Clement’s portrayal of Steve is limited to portraying variations of unease, while Walker’s performance gives the show its vitality.

Nicolas Walker’s portrayal of Alice, a complex and intense character, offers a rare depiction of a fiercely emotional heroine who exhibits her anger in various ways. Each episode had moments of chaos, yet this didn’t deter continuing viewership. After all, life mirrors this inconsistency.