Unforgotten actress Nicola Walker takes on the lead role in the new Disney+ series, a revenge comedy that has become a hit among audiences. The show, titled Alice and Steve, launched on Monday (June 8) evening, and fans have already watched the entire series in one sitting.
Plot and Characters
The six-episode series charts the titular longtime companions whose three-decade friendship evolves into an intense feud when Steve, portrayed by Jemaine Clement, starts a relationship with Alice's 26-year-old daughter. Nicola Walker heads the cast, displaying her comic prowess as the bold, impulsive and eccentric Alice, who takes extreme measures to end Steve's relationship with her daughter, Izzy.
Described as an outrageously witty wrong-com, Alice turns to drastic tactics to undermine their romance, but unfortunately for her, Steve is fully equipped for confrontation. The synopsis adds: What begins as a perfect friendship devolves into an all-out feud. A hilarious, messy, and complicated exploration of friendship, family, and love, Alice and Steve is an anti-romantic comedy that asks the question, how far would you go for love or revenge? Will Alice forgive Steve? Will Steve and Izzy make a relationship work? Amongst all the questions hanging in the balance, one thing is certain; their lives will never be the same again.
Audience Reactions
The programme has proved popular with audiences, who have wasted no time broadcasting their reactions online. One fan called it a great watch, while another enthusiast commented: I loved the wicked humour and friends to enemies about turn. Emotional warfare is funny and the love/hate between these two is epic. Meanwhile, another praised Jemaine's performance, observing: Loved this show, hoping to see more of Jemaine Clement. His deadpan delivery is brilliant to watch. Another fan begged for a second series, posting: Just binged the entire season, please tell me there's a season 2!
Critical Reception
Yet the comedy has divided critics. Radio Times described it as poignant and funny in its four-star assessment. The Guardian branded the icky comedy as dated and wrong in its two-star critique, while The Telegraph mirrored this view, awarding two stars and declaring that the heart of the show is just too icky to ignore.
Walker's Decision
Discussing her choice to accept the new part, Nicola previously revealed to HELLO!: I love all of the women I've played. Then, when Alice came through, I thought, well, I haven't really played someone like her. That was the main draw. And the writing is so incredibly good. It was a bit of a no-brainer, actually.
Alice and Steve is available to stream on Disney+.
