Weekend Watch: The One And Marvel Studios Assembled: WandaVision

Imperfect matches and a making of

Image Credit: Netflix

Welcome to the latest edition of Weekend Watch, in which I recommend (or occasionally warn against) movies or TV shows I’ve been checking out. This week, DNA testing to find your true love and how Marvel made its latest foray into TV.

The idea of finding your perfect match through scientific knowledge is not exactly a new one in science fiction – and the concept has been utilised at least once recently, via last year’s Soulmates. Here, Misfits and Future Man creator Howard Overman adapts John Marrs’ 2019 novel into a series that mixes the heartbreak and frustration of the matching process with a procedural police drama. It’s not always a comfortable fit, but in the end, it’s watchable. The One is set in a world where a couple of scientists (Dimitri Leonidas’ James Whiting and Hannah Ware’s Rebecca Webb) discover that a certain set of genetic and pheromone markers can help you find your perfect match. They spin it into a successful company, but not without cutting a few corners, and that leads to trouble. Rebecca in particular is ruthless (and unapologetic) in pursuing her ambitions. Elsewhere, there is police officer Kate (Zoë Tapper), who matches with the alluring Sophia (Jana Pérez), who decides to fly in from Barcelona to meet her. Hannah (Lois Chimimba) and Mark (Eric Kofi-Abrefa), meanwhile, face trouble in their marriage when Hannah tracks down Mark’s match Megan (Pallavi Sharda), which inevitably leads to a meeting. 

In the early going, The One tends to wobble a little on the script level, dumping huge amounts of exposition with little care for subtlety (witness Rebecca and investor Damian, played by Stephen Campbell Moore, trading barbs about her company as though they’ve stepped off the set of a soap opera). But once it settles into a mixture of romantic drama and conspiracy thriller, it largely finds its gear, the cast growing on you as their stories begin to intertwine. 

Overman and his writing team might not always find the same depth as, say Misfits managed and The One may not totally exploit the concept with just eight episodes to tell its story, but there’s enough to keep you engaged. Background tension comes from the soaring divorce rate triggered by the matching technology, as people ditch the partners they plumped for when ideal choices show up on the site, which means the government considers cutting off the company’s DNA supply. 

And, as the various storylines expand, some flourish, while others fade into cliché (I’ll leave you to discover which ones for yourself). The One never re-invents the wheel when it comes to this sort of sci-fi drama, but it has enough to keep you watching.

The One is on Netflix now. I’ve seen all eight episodes of Season One.

Image Credit: Disney/Marvel

I love a good making-of. Part of the reason I have the career I do is that I can’t resist peeking behind the scenes of movies and TV shows. So, naturally, this new Marvel docuseries is right up my alley.

If you’ve spent the last few weeks glued to WandaVision, then you might be glad to know that Disney is continuing on its recent tradition of Making Of Series. Don’t go expecting an awful lot of deep examination – this, as is standard, is mostly the cast and crew talking about their work, while exclaiming how much fun they’re having. It does at least offer some moments looking back at Paul Bettany’s first experiences with the MCU (where he voiced Tony Stark’s drily sarcastic AI, Jarvis) and covers pretty much every aspect of how WandaVision was produced. 

Highlights? Definitely exploring the ‘50s and ‘60s sitcom eras, with the shot-in-front-of-an-audience episodes the period-authentic low-fi effects. Sitcom theme composers Kristen and Bobby Anderson-Lopez are also a wealth of information as to how the Oscar-winning duo cooked up the various songs that kick off the eras. I was a little disappointed in no dissection of the best song from the show – “Agatha All Along”, but they’ve talked about that elsewhere. 

And, as ever, Bettany is a delight in interviews, self-deprecating and charming as he covers everything from costume issues to thinking he was going to be fired when initially called in to learn about the show. Olsen is also fun, gleefully explaining her love of flying and her own sitcom history. It’s not exactly revelatory stuff, but there are some nuggets of info to be found.

If you’re after my review of WandaVision itself, head here. 

Marvel Studios Assembled: The Making Of WandaVision is on Disney+ now.