Channel 4 viewers have criticized their new romantic drama Alice & Jack for a lack of character chemistry after its debut on Valentine’s Day.
The six-part series, starring Academy Award-nominated actor and producer Andrea Riseborough with Domhnall Gleeson in a ‘will they, won’t they?’ 15 years long between the main characters.
Its story has drawn comparisons to Netflix’s One Day, which was filmed at the same time, but appears to have had a harsher reception, including for its “atrocious sound quality.”
One viewer wrote: ‘Alice & Jack are not good at all. The protagonists have no chemistry, the story is lukewarm and the setting is forced.’
Alice (Riseborough) is a high-strung person who works in finance, and after sleeping with Jack (Gleeson), a shy and gentle scientist, the couple can’t shake their mutual obsession.
Channel 4 viewers criticized its new romantic drama Alice & Jack for a lack of character chemistry after its debut on Valentine’s Day.
The six-part series, starring Academy Award-nominated actor and producer Andrea Riseborough with Domhnall Gleeson in a ‘will they, won’t they?’ 15 years long.
Someone commented about X: ‘Alice and Jack… slow, boring or no chemistry. Choose your option’
All episodes of Alice & Jack were released for any binge-watchers who wanted to spend Valentine’s Day with a new romance, but many who tried took to X to express their disappointment.
They wrote: ‘Just saw Alice and Jack. So they have sex twice in a few months and are obsessed with each other to the point that he ends up in therapy? There is no chemistry (sic) between them. Am I missing something??????…
‘Alice and Jack… slow burn, boring or no chemistry. Choose your option…
‘@Channel4 I’ve watched 20 minutes of Alice & Jack and to be honest it was more than enough! I thought it was terrible!
‘However, I have watched the full 14 episodes of “One day” on Netflix, which is excellent. Are you trying to get on the similarities train?…
‘Alice and Jack. It lasted eight minutes. Talented artists (and they are) can’t redeem tedious shit. And the sound quality was atrocious, as if they needed any more downsides.’
While the specific comment about sound quality was isolated, many had difficulty investing in the protagonists.
The show also stars actress and comedian Aisling Bea as Lynn, Jack’s new wife and mother of his son.
Despite the loud reaction, there were also many delighted with the series.
Alice tells Jack that she wishes him and his family nothing but happiness, then tells him that she can’t face life without him and that Jack lacks the spirit to flatly reject her advances.
Even though many were frustrated by the dynamic, there were still many delighted viewers, who said: “There must be something wrong with me, I absolutely loved Alice and Jack…
‘Alice & Jack are beautiful and melancholic…
‘@Channel4 Do you love #Alice and Jack but you’re not sure why?…
‘Alice and Jack. C4. Hooked.’
While the entire series has already been released on demand, for those watching one episode on TV at a time, it continues at 9pm on Wednesdays and Thursdays for another two weeks.
All six episodes were released on demand on Valentine’s Day, but episodes air on Channel 4 every Wednesday and Thursday.