Lifestyle
‘Alice and Steve’ might be a mess — but it’s also too fun to stop watching
In Alice and Steve, Jemaine Clement and Nicola Walker play long-time friends who turn on each other after he gets involved with her 26-year-old daughter.
Lara Cornell/Disney+
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Lara Cornell/Disney+
I grew up watching episodic shows on network TV, nearly all of them formulaic but some indelibly great. Then, like everyone else, I moved into the days of what my colleague David Bianculli dubbed Platinum TV, where series like The Sopranos and The Wire and Fleabag aspired to something higher. What both these eras had in common was that their shows were carefully crafted — they had an internal logic, and a tone, that held them together.
In recent years, though, there’s been a proliferation of shows that, possibly obeying some algorithm, care less for coherence than sensation. They lurch among tones, from cuteness to sentimentality to meanness, stirring in random plot twists along the way. Bouncing all over the emotional map, these shows depend on compelling actors and a few memorable scenes to make us overlook their loose construction.
A great example is Alice and Steve, an entertaining but sometimes exasperating six-part British comedy on Hulu about two 50-something best friends who turn on each other after he gets involved with her 26-year-old daughter.
While the premise is juicy, it’s also a tad yucky, and I mainly tuned in because its title characters are played by performers Jemaine Clement from Flight of the Conchords and Nicola Walker, whom I’ve raved up on this show more than once.
The series starts poorly with Steve and Alice going on a cutesy bender after a friend’s funeral. Now, I always hate drunk scenes, which are an invitation to overact. As Clement and Walker bray their lines, we learn that Steve’s a divorced celebrity hair stylist who can’t find a girlfriend while Alice is a clothes designer with a doting younger husband, nicely played by Joel Fry, a sweetie-pie of a teenage son — that’s Tyrese Eaton-Dyce — and, of course, that 26-year-old daughter, Izzy, who has inherited her mother’s willfulness. Played by Yali Topol Margalith, Izzy kickstarts the plot by flirting with Steve. Predictably, he succumbs.
Almost immediately, they think they’re in love. While the weak-willed Steve wants to hide their romance — he knows it’s inappropriate — Izzy just blurts out the facts to her mom. Alice flips. And from hereon out in this series where the women are as alpha as the men are hangdog, Alice drives the action. Betrayed and violently angry, she’ll do whatever it takes to break them up — no matter who gets hurt. Her antics unleash Steve’s own malice. We’re in Beef territory.
At its core, Alice and Steve hinges on the way that platonic friendships are often richer and more powerful than romantic ones. It’s a fascinating subject, which may be why I found the script by Sophie Goodhart so frustrating. I wanted her to dig deeper. While the show’s got some very funny bits — Alice’s sharp-tongued mother is a blast — it’s often annoyingly lax.
If Steve really does the hair of Charli XCX, how come he’s a clueless older guy whose pop culture references are Willie Nelson and Woody Allen? If Izzy truly adores her mother as she claims, why does she keep rubbing her relationship with Steve in her mom’s face? Halfway through, one character nukes the other’s career, but this life-shattering event has no real weight: It’s barely even mentioned for the rest of the series.
That said, Alice and Steve is worth seeing for scenes like the one in which Steve spinelessly sells Izzy out or the lacerating discussion between Alice and her husband when he fully grasps that he adores a woman who views him as a reliable but dull concierge, not a man she likes hanging with. Most touching of all may be the lovely sequence when Alice, wise for once, smooths a romantic crisis between her son and his would-be girlfriend, a pair who are the show’s emblem of hope. For once, we understand why people love her.
While most viewers will find Steve more likable than Alice — the show takes pains not to make him appear predatory or creepy — the role doesn’t give Clement a whole lot to do except play variations on shambolic dread and discomfort. The show gets its galvanizing zing from Walker, a beloved star in England with amazing, luminous eyes. Her Alice is the kind of complicated, volcanic heroine that you don’t see in movies and rarely see on TV, one who shows her apocalyptic rage freely and in many different forms.
At least once in every episode, something would lead me to say, “Man, is this show a mess.” But that wasn’t a deal breaker. I kept watching. After all, life is messy, too.
How to enter your Sporty Spice era.
Getty Images/quantic69/Olga Kurbatova/Anastasiia Zvonary/Photo Illustration by NPR
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Getty Images/quantic69/Olga Kurbatova/Anastasiia Zvonary/Photo Illustration by NPR
Reality dating and professional sports are not as different as you’d think.
Brittany is in her Sporty Spice era – she watched the NBA playoffs, she’s following World Cup games, and she’s watching the New York Liberty play their WNBA season. These games are daily – and so is the reality dating show Love Island. And she noticed that the two formats are not very different at all. Defector.com staff writer and co-owner Kelsey McKinney came to the same conclusion – so the two of them discuss why these games of athleticism and love can bring us together… and why they get valued differently in our culture.
For more episodes on sports and reality TV, check out:
Get rich or die trying: how sports betting is changing our love of the game
Is this the end of reality TV?
The ugly truth of America’s expensive homes
Support Public Media. Join NPR Plus.
Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluse
This episode was produced by Liam McBain. It was edited by Neena Pathak. Our Supervising Producer is Cher Vincent. Our Executive Producer is Barton Girdwood. Our VP of Programming is Yolanda Sangweni.
As the nation marks the 250th anniversary of its founding, NPR asked students all around the country to reflect on the moment and to make podcasts about the American experience and what “life liberty and the pursuit of happiness” means to them.
We received more than 700 entries, including many conversations with immigrant parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles about why their family decided to move to the United States. Others scored high-profile interviews with veterans, government officials and even Gloria Steinem.
We listened to reenactments and retellings of histories like the Battle of Monmouth, the Stonewall riots, the Underground Railroad and a special presentation on President Theodore Roosevelt’s pets. Other podcasts take place in the present, including one in which students report on civics education in their school.
Our team chose a handful of winning entries and honorable mentions from fourth graders, middle and high schoolers. Here they are, in alphabetical order:
Winners
Abridged
Students: Grace Kepka and Angelika Garrett, Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring, Md.
Teacher/Sponsor: Kyle Wannen
High schooler Grace lives in Takoma Park, Md., one of the handful of cities in the United States that allow 16 year olds to vote in all local elections. In her podcast with her friend Angelika, they discuss the power of the youth vote, and how voting rights encourage residents to learn about their government and be more politically active in their communities.
Civics in Our Schools
Students: Izabella Anthony, Benjamin Baigel, Bridget Castellon, Rile DeLeon, Maxwell Gibbs, Daniel Hernandez, Malcolm Johnson, Sylpa Kafle, Mason King, Kyle Li, Maximus Lin, Emmerson Quinn, Ariella Schoenfeld, Owenize Udevbulu and Dara Widzowski, Hewlett Elementary School in Hewlett, N.Y.
Teacher/Sponsor: Jaime Harrington
“Here’s the surprising truth. Many Americans, even grownups, don’t know the basics of how our country was founded or how our government works.” In Civics in Our Schools, a group of fifth graders voice their concerns about the lack of good civics education and discuss what they can do to be better citizens.
Leaving Greece
Student: Livie Courser, Wickliffe Progressive Elementary School in Upper Arlington, Ohio
Teacher/Sponsor: Shelly Hughes
Livie interviews her grandfather about his move from Greece to the United States. “How did it feel to immigrate to the U.S.?” she asks. “Very hard. Very very hard,” he responds. He shares with his granddaughter why he took the risk, and how his move to the U.S. allowed him to work hard at a factory, dream big and eventually open up his own restaurants.
Researching the Underground Railroad
Students: Travis Bozeman and Oliver Heering, South Douglas Elementary School in Douglasville, Ga.
Teacher/Sponsor: Thomas Bruno
“Did you know around 100,000 slaves escaped using the Underground Railroad?” In a deep dive into a slice of history they learned from school, fourth graders Travis and Oliver report on the Underground Railroad. They present their research in the podcast, and weave in the expert interview they scored.
The American Dream
Student: Makayla Cheung, Mercer Island High School in Mercer Island, Wash.
Teacher/Sponsor: Lauren Schechter
In her podcast about her father, Makayla explores how different everyone’s American Dream is. Case in point, her dad moved from Hong Kong to the United States because of his talent in running. He tells Makayla he had a hard time adjusting at first and understanding his coach. But cross country, he says, didn’t require too much communication, and the sport gave him confidence and a way for him to find community and connect with other people.
The Journal
Student: Violet Maxinoski, Carmel High School in Carmel, Calif.
Teacher/Sponsor: Shelley Grahl
In an interview with her daughter Violet, Sandi Maxinoski revisits stories from her journal from the years she served in Iraq. She describes being in “cities fractured by bombings, checkpoints, smoke and uncertainty,” then returning to the United States where she felt an “intense amount of security” being able to walk down the street without the fear of something blowing up. Through these conversations, Violet discusses how the “life, liberty and happiness” she’s gotten used to shouldn’t be taken for granted.
Welcome Home, Grandpa
Student: Ursula Koestner, Roslyn High School in Roslyn Heights, N.Y.
Teacher/Sponsor: Matthew Vogt
“The Vietnam War destroyed more than it saved, even decades after its end,” high schooler Ursula says in her podcast. “My grandfather remains one of its victims despite returning home alive.” In her moving podcast, Ursula shares her family’s story and explores the generational trauma and lasting impact the Vietnam War has on veterans.
Honorable Mentions
America the Beautiful
Students: Pareena Gupta and Vidushee Bala, Amador Valley High School in Pleasanton, Calif.
Teacher/Sponsor: Stacey Sklar
America: The Ups and the Downs
Student: Alana Burwell, The Waldorf School of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pa.
Teacher/Sponsor: Anyta Thomas
America’s New Favorite Sport-Girls’ Flag Football
Students: Josephine Barry-Kao and Malcolm Barry-Kao, Lowell High School in San Francisco, Calif.
Teacher/Sponsor: Jacqueline Moses
An Intro to Differing Perspectives
Student: Waylon Heikinen, Ingomar Middle School in Franklin Park, Pa.
Teacher/Sponsor: Heath Gamache
Becoming American
Students: Karolina Zientek, James Gearhart, Andrea Vezmar, Troy Murray and August Hutchison, Greenwich High School in Greenwich, Conn.
Teacher/Sponsor: Lukasz Zientek
Before You Drop A Track: America’s 250th Anniversary
Student: Lukas Boulom, Public Academy For Performing Arts in Albuquerque, N.M.
Teacher/Sponsor: Su Hudson
Dawg Talk | Are we equal now?
Students: Makenna Aniszewski, Trinlee Leitner, Nagamoshitha Manivannan, Nethra Prabhu, Vaishnavi Tiwari and Sophia Van Dorn, Otwell Middle School in Cumming, Ga.
Teacher/Sponsor: David Miller
Democracy for Everyone or No One
Student: Jeju Daisy Ahn-Miles, Punahou School in Honolulu, Hawaii
Teacher/Sponsor: Christine Ahn
Everything Given Forward
Student: Lara Leon, Mountain View High School in Mountain View, Calif.
Teacher/Sponsor: Tom Chang
Fifty Stars, One Banner
Student: Naina Dhillon, Khan Lab School in Palo Alto, Calif.
Teacher/Sponsor: Emily Lindsey
Freedom’s Shore
Student: Dipa Chéry, The Kinkaid School in Houston, Texas
Teacher/Sponsor: Olen Rambow
From One Immigrant To Another
Student: Afomia Lemma, St. Mary’s Lynn in Lynn, Mass.
Teacher/Sponsor: Tiringo Endalamaw
Hope and Resistance
Student: Zinnia Bender, North Fork High School in Hotchkiss, Colo.
Teacher/Sponsor: Clara Pena
How Is My Life Like In US
Student: Yicheng Sun, Rectory School in Pomfret, Conn.
Teacher/Sponsor: Andrew Barker
Life of a Soldier
Students: Della Axelband, Peyton Johnson, Lily Epstein and Lilly Murillo, Jupiter Middle School in Jupiter, Fla.
Teacher/Sponsor: Sireesha Rutter
More Than A Photograph
Student: Josie Sloan-Westmoreland, The Learning Community School in Swannanoa, N.C.
Teacher/Sponsor: David Bird
Moving From Country to Country
Students: Ida Buerckert, Daniella Cubas, Ayano Enishi and Anastaiia Koshyk, Irving A. Robbins Middle School in Farmington, Conn.
Teacher/Sponsor: Alysson Olsen
Picketts Charge
Student: Zoe Snyder, Susquenita High School in Duncannon, Pa.
Teacher/Sponsor: Terrance Shepler
“So What??”
Student: Caroline Harris, Marin Academy in San Rafael, Calif.
Teacher/Sponsor: Kelly Kurtzig
Somewhere Over the Rainbow
Student: Lark (Miles) Jackman, Public Academy For Performing Arts in Albuquerque, N.M.
Teacher/Sponsor: Su Hudson
Teddy Roosevelt and His Pets
Student: Abbott Mearns and Keaton Rainwater, College Place Middle School in Lynnwood, Wash.
Teacher/Sponsor: Colindra Connolly
The Battle of Monmouth: A Twist on History
Students: Leonardo, Zinna and Kaiden, Marlboro Middle School in Marlboro, N.J.
Teacher/Sponsor: Tara Meara
The Freedom to Fail
Students: Abraham Coher and William Pan, Polytechnic School in Pasadena, Calif.
Teacher/Sponsor: Aliya Coher
The Government Exodus: Why Federal Workers Resign
Student: Anna Su, Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring, Md.
Teacher/Sponsor: Kyle Wannen
The Name I Chose Polly Bemis (September 11, 1853 – November 6, 1933)
Student: Jubilee Sung, Imaginate Ink in Irvine, Calif.
Teacher/Sponsor: Clarissa Ngo
The Pig and Potato Podcast
Student: Petra Rouhana, Maryvale Preparatory School in Lutherville, Md.
Teacher/Sponsor: Deirdre McAllister
The Small Pond of Peace
Students: Noam Dekel, Ronnie Dekel, Ian Rodriguez, Leonardo Leon-Espinoza, Singary Fofana, Ashly Arboleda-Osorio, Olumide Martin and Salma Elshaarawi, P.S. 333 Manhattan School for Children in New York, N.Y.
Teacher/Sponsor: Karin Patterson
to be united as citizens
Student: Josh Langlois, Cloverleaf Home Education in Highlands Ranch, Colo.
Teacher/Sponsor: Tony Winger
Two Worlds, One Dream
Student: Allayar Maratov, Rectory School in Pomfret, Conn.
Teacher/Sponsor: Andrew Barker
What is Home?
Student: Siobhan Allen, The Hewitt School in New York, N.Y.
Teacher/Sponsor: Jonathan Sabol
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