Netflix's The One - TV Show Review [SPOILERS]

Imagine being able to find your “one true love” as easily as using a dating app like Tinder, for example. Rebecca and her science partner James discover a way to use genetics to find the perfect match. When Rebecca realizes just how this discovery can change everything, she decides to betray her best friend. However, she appears to be unaware of the chain reaction of destruction she has put into play. Whether or not Rebecca was completely unaware is hard to tell. Once you get to know what she is like as a person, for me, she became the prettiest ugly person I’d ever seen in a TV show. And reminds me of the saying, “beauty is only skin deep”.

While this TV series's concept is interesting, most people probably won’t believe in the science behind it. Subsequently, this could be a reason why viewers were put off. Hannah Ware, as Rebecca Webb, is semi-believable as the scientist-turned-genetic evangelist who is the focus of the show. She’s calculated, cold and manipulating.

For a person who dedicates all their time to marketing this scientific wonder, Rebecca comes across as someone who wouldn’t know the first thing about love if it hit her in the face. Perhaps that’s how scientists are, kind of like surgeons? Focused entirely on the facts. It’s a little too satisfying watching how much she suffers as a result of her selfish actions. But it’s also quite disturbing to see the people closest to her slowly getting caught up in the maelstrom of lies and betrayal.

There’s also a layer of political power struggles going on behind the scenes of Rebecca’s scientific breakthrough. Consequently, it becomes the beginning of a downward spiral for her and her science and business partner, James. James does whatever he can to distance himself from her when the crap hits the fan. However, Rebecca is always one step ahead. She has no qualms about pulling whatever strings she needs to pull to get what she wants. This includes harming the people closest to her.

Rebecca is very aware of her vulnerable position throughout the show, whether politically or otherwise and proves she’s a lot more than just a pretty face. In some regard, it’s hard not to admire this character for her gutsy power plays and no-holds-barred approach towards her “frenemies”. However, that aside, she’s just a nasty piece of work. Credit goes to the writing team; she’s a character you’d love to hate.

Once the cat-and-mouse part of the show begins, it seems less believable that any of this could happen in the real world. Rebecca is a well-written and fleshed out character, but she leaves the other supporting cast and characters too far behind. James, played by Dimitri Leonidas, seems to be Rebecca's true North, who attempts to warn her that she is consistently stepping over lines that shouldn't be crossed. Unfortunately, Rebecca's greed and self-preservation for everything she insists she has done for society blind her from any other path forward. As a result, people get "caught in the crossfire" of her mind games and ruthlessness.

In the political power games behind the business they started, Damien, played by Stephen Campbell Moore, is another character I expected to challenge Rebecca in its political power games. But he was smart enough to walk away instead of allowing himself to be manipulated by Rebecca. And in doing so, he avoided any of the backlashes that followed her.

Netflix can be a little “hit and miss” with their original content. And while The One isn’t the worst TV show to stream on Netflix, it lacks the depth to be anything more than a show you’d watch with nothing else to do.

Score: 2.5/5

Originally reviewed by Julie Gray for Now Showing NZ.

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