What if every human being had a soulmate thanks to DNA compatibility? This is the premise of The One, a new Netflix series released on the platform on March 12. Is the promise of science fiction only kept? Like the French series Osmosis, this British series bets on love as a kind of genetic fatality. It would then only take one hair to find your ideal partner. Consisting of eight episodes, The One is adapted by Howard Overman (Misfits), from John Marrs' 2017 novel Soulmates. The story, however, differs greatly from the original work, being more of a free adaptation than a pure and hard copy and paste. During this first season, we follow Rebecca Webb (Hannah Ware), charismatic founder of The One. Geneticist, it is with a friend, James (Dimitri Leonidas) that she made the crazy bet to base the search for an ideal partner on DNA compatibility. There would then be one and the same person for each human being, and that person could be on the other side of the planet. This discovery then totally upsets the sentimental conquest, even ridiculing dating applications. 
A promising concept…
Undeniably, the initial idea is excellent and raises thought-provoking questions, in which a majority of people could identify. For example, even if we are happy in love, should we go to meet the one who is made for us according to genetics? Or would it not be better to let the chance of a meeting? In the first episode, the scene is set in a current – and at the same time, slightly futuristic – context. What makes the idea all the more interesting is that the genetic match is perceived as a threat that the British government itself would like to neutralize. Indeed, divorces are on the rise, since some leave their spouse for their "genetic" love. Curiosity or quest for perfection, to test The One is to take a risk. In addition, The One is surprising because the series turns out to be much darker than it seemed at first. Quickly, the London police find a corpse in the Thames. There is also a dystopian and oppressive side. We note the recurrence of a man, in front of the headquarters of The One, brandishing the sign "a match made in hell". 
But unfinished?
Despite the potential of the original idea, the theme of love according to genetics remains underexploited. The scenario is then lost in too many plots. Some are sometimes much less engaging than others, such as the one around the couple Hannah (Lois Chimimba) and Mark (Eric Kofi-Abrefa). If the police plot is well conducted, The One does not go to the end of its ambitions. The science fiction spirit that attracted us so much, is unfortunately quite absent. However, the series manages to highlight the excesses of such a concept. This possibility would further open the door to infidelity, which would lead to breakups and divorces. Thus, we can define The One more as a dystopian thriller than as a science fiction series. However, love according to genetics does not always seem to be enough for the happiness of the protagonists who face many obstacles. Sometimes we associate one benevolent being with another, manipulative, which can create asymmetrical couples. Other times, life puts obstacles in the way of these up-and-coming couples. On the other hand, the possibility of a mistake in the matches is almost never mentioned. Finally, the last scene seems to presage a second season: this one is a real cliffangher. Originally, The One was conceived as a mini-series in the image of the Lady Game. Little publicized, the series The One is nevertheless in the Top 10 in France. This could eventually lead to Netflix ordering a second season.
