Parents' Guide to Soulmates

Soulmate's intriguing conceit, the availability of a scientific test capable of connecting you with your one true love, feels a lot like the jumping off point for one of Black Mirror's twisty tales. And much like many of that anthology series' future-tech-focused stories, this sci-fi drama introduces the good that can come from such a discovery, before taking some very sharp, very dark turns. The big difference is Soulmates sticks with the same driving idea over the course of its entire run, but pokes and prods it from a variety of angles. The result is a crop of compelling, standalone stories that explore the effects of this perfect partner-matching experiement on those who reap its benefits, but also suffer its consequences.

A revolving cast of characters, as well as some smart mining of different storytelling styles and genres, lends each episode a unique feel, despite the familiar core at each chapter's center. And while "the test" and other cool, not-so-distant-future trappings provide some fun, sci-fi flavor, the series is far more focused on the characters -- and their increasingly complex relationships -- than flying cars or robot butlers. In fact, its most notable strength is its ability to toss this massively life-altering wrinkle into otherwise relatable scenarios. Like any anthology series, Soulmates self-contained stories don't all hit the mark, but its lesser offerings are outshined by those that'll continue creeping through your mind long after the credits have rolled.