Compare Alice and Steve, Season 1 vs It’s Not Like That, Chapter 1

This is not presented as a family-friendly pick. Drug use, foul language, sexual situations, and adult relationship fallout make it a poor fit for younger or more sensitive household viewing.

Most viewers value the wholesome tone, limited profanity, restrained sexual content, and focus on family. Mature themes and a few moral objections mean it is not universally suitable for children.

Language is flagged as heavy and rough. Anyone avoiding frequent profanity should treat this as a clear content concern.

Profanity is minimal and generally viewed as refreshingly restrained, although faith-focused guides still note occasional swearing as a content caveat.

Random twists are one of the weaker ingredients for the most critical positive-mixed take. The show can feel like it chases sensation instead of letting its premise develop cleanly.

The changing relationships and twists keep the story lively and increase anticipation for another season.

The final episode is a sticking point for those who wanted the thornier dilemmas to keep their bite. One take felt the season lost momentum right when the consequences should have hit hardest.

The finale delivers an intense, tissue-worthy emotional experience, even though its romantic outcome divides the audience.

Believability is one of the most common complaints from detractors. The Steve-Izzy romance, quick plot turns, and some late-season choices can feel artificial rather than lived-in.

Grief, divorce, parenting, and faith usually feel messy, relatable, and emotionally honest. Negative responses question the pastoral behavior, consequences, and volume of issues packed into the story.

The cliffhanger did not land cleanly for one viewer, who liked the show overall but was left uneasy about the unresolved ending. It creates interest in another season without fully satisfying on its own.

The unresolved ending clearly points toward another season, though its payoff depends on future episodes following through.

The opener divides opinion: it introduces the friendship, funeral-night chaos, and the inciting hookup quickly, but some found it busy or poor. Others liked its rollicking energy and called the start a crackling setup.

The opening episode is repeatedly described as charming, compelling, and an excellent start, even when its exposition feels compressed.

The show has some critic-facing appeal as a sharp UK import that helps distinguish a streaming lineup. That praise is modest but clearly positive.

Strong critical notices reinforce the show's appeal beyond its enthusiastic customer audience.

The ending drew mixed reactions, from a turbulent but successful landing to frustration with an easy off-ramp, a ridiculous finish, or an unsatisfying cliffhanger. Closure depends heavily on how much chaos a viewer is willing to forgive.

The finale is the clearest source of frustration, particularly Lori's romantic choice and the last-minute reversal of the hoped-for pairing.

The writing is deeply split: admirers call it funny, emotionally alert, and bold, while detractors find it lax, overstuffed, or unwilling to fully interrogate the premise. Its best moments come from character pain rather than plot machinery.

Writing is repeatedly praised as beautiful, humane, and emotionally layered, with faith and family issues woven together naturally. A few critics call it sappy, shallow, or clichéd.

Alice often comes across as the richest character, with rage, hurt, selfishness, and flashes of growth all in play. Izzy and the central romance are more divisive, with several complaints that they feel underwritten.

The adults and children receive distinct emotional struggles that make most of the ensemble easy to invest in. Detractors found some children unlikable and wanted serious problems addressed more responsibly.

The six-episode pace keeps the show moving, but it often rushes the Steve-Izzy relationship and major emotional turns. Several found the briskness easy to watch but damaging to believability.

The premiere moves confidently for some viewers, but others felt it races through exposition and romance before the relationships have enough time to settle.

As a wrong-com or skewed rom-com, the show is polarizing but memorable. Fans enjoy its charm, sharpness, and uncomfortable comedy, while skeptics see tonal confusion and a premise that overwhelms the laughs.

It is widely seen as a welcome revival of warm multigenerational family drama, combining comfort-viewing appeal with contemporary emotional complications.

The generational politics are mostly used for comedy, especially around Gen X blind spots and younger friends’ reactions. It adds texture, but it is not treated as a major strength.

The girls' wrestling storyline may feel contemporary and inclusive to some viewers, but it was also criticized as propaganda.

The script earns praise when it pulls off uncomfortable set pieces and treats messy feelings honestly. It also gets marked down for uneven construction and a romance that does not always feel fully earned.

The script is praised as carefully thought out, with layered characters and emotional moments that serve more than the central romance.

The season is most interesting when it digs into platonic love, aging, loneliness, jealousy, and the cost of emotional avoidance. Critics split over whether it explores those themes deeply enough or lets them get buried under plot chaos.

Grief, faith, divorce, addiction, parenting, and second chances are explored with compassion and few easy answers. Some viewers found the sheer number of issues excessive.

The series has a wry, stylish feel, even in a review that did not find it especially funny. Its look and tone help keep the short episodes breezy.

Clean imagery and thoughtful framing support the emotional tone, including a restrained apparition device that keeps Jenny's absence visually present.

The central friendship-war hook can be sharp, funny, and emotionally observant, especially when Alice and Steve are tearing at each other. The biggest weakness is the Steve-Izzy romance, which several responses found thin, rushed, or contrived.

The intertwined family story is widely praised as heartfelt, relatable, and compelling, with strong balance between adults and children. Critics cite clichés, overcrowded issues, and disappointing late choices.

Sexual content is present as a central story driver, though one family-focused take notes that the actual sex stays behind closed doors. Another early-episode review found no visible sex or skin in the first two installments.

Sex is discussed or implied without graphic depiction, and several viewers praise the restraint. More conservative responses still object to dating and intimacy outside marriage.

Some behavior lands as emotionally chaotic by design, but a few plot turns feel too weightless or irrational. The career-destroying events and repeated bad choices made the character logic feel shaky for detractors.

Malcolm's choices are the main sticking point: critical viewers felt his behavior did not match the responsibilities of a pastor or attentive father.

The supporting cast often helps ground the chaos, especially Joel Fry’s Daniel, Marcia Warren’s Val, and the Dom-Rome subplot. Some found those side stories sweet or funny, while others thought they crowded the short season.

The younger cast often earns standout praise for warmth, realism, and emotional range, particularly Cary Christopher and Caleb Baumann. One hostile response disliked how the children were presented.

Overall enjoyment ranges from enthusiastic to hostile, but the positive side is strong: many found it funny, engaging, and hard to stop watching. The main turnoffs are the icky premise, loose plotting, and uneven romance.

The broad response is highly positive, with many calling it refreshing, comforting, and easy to enjoy. The harshest critics found it unrealistic, overstuffed, or not worth finishing.

The camerawork gets a specific nod for lingering on Alice’s face and letting Walker’s performance carry the emotional weather. The visual attention to her age and volatility supports the character work.

The picture is described as clean, steady, and professionally filmed, with clear visuals that avoid the murky darkness common in some dramas.

The friendship setup gives Alice’s rage a clear emotional engine for some viewers, and one take found the breadcrumbs traceable in hindsight. Others felt the show jumps through relationship milestones too abruptly.

The large ensemble is introduced clearly, while David's motives and parts of the marital history remain underexplained.

The strongest emotional moments come from Alice’s heartbreak, the damaged friendship, and the fallout for Daniel and Dom. Even some mixed reactions found touching scenes beneath the messy plotting.

Tearful, heartfelt moments are a defining strength, with grief and family scenes repeatedly described as moving, hopeful, and earned rather than manipulative.

Continuity is a concern where a major career-damaging event barely reverberates afterward. That lack of follow-through makes one big turn feel less consequential than it should.

A major drunk-driving crash is criticized for vanishing without a police report or consequences, creating a conspicuous break in narrative follow-through.

Interest in more episodes is real among the warmer takes. Several wanted or expected another season, especially because the core friendship and unresolved fallout still have room to develop.

Demand for another season is exceptionally strong, with many viewers explicitly asking for Season 2 and some wanting several more seasons.

The show works best when built around combustible set pieces, especially tense confrontations and dinner-party chaos. Its weaker stretches lean too hard on sudden reversals, loose construction, or farce.

The pilot wins viewers over despite a noticeable explainer-heavy setup that sometimes feels like conventional premiere groundwork.

The wrong-com premise stands out as provocative and uncomfortable in a way that can make the show feel fresh. Its age-gap spark and friendship betrayal give the season a strong hook, even when the execution wobbles.

The series often avoids an easy romantic resolution and can surprise viewers, but familiar child arcs, predictable tropes, and one strongly negative response limit the praise.

The show’s handling of blame and forgiveness is divisive. Stronger takes appreciate that it keeps messy people messy, while harsher ones feel Steve and Alice are not held to account convincingly enough.

Conflict resolution is usually presented as compassionate and constructive, but the drunk-driving crash drew sharp criticism for lacking police consequences or meaningful intervention.

The season is easy to keep watching thanks to short episodes, messy momentum, and strong lead chemistry. Several called it a breezy or single-sitting watch despite reservations.

Several viewers finished the season in two days or said they could not stop watching. Even a more critical response still watched the full run in hopes of a stronger payoff.

Humor is one of the season’s biggest draws, with many finding the feud, zingers, and social disasters very funny. A smaller group thought the comedy was only mild, dated, or too buried under discomfort.

Light banter, awkward family moments, and Foley's easy humor keep the grief-heavy story from becoming oppressive without turning it into a broad comedy.

Tom Kingsley’s direction is credited with grounding the more outlandish story beats in a naturalistic British feel. That steadiness helps the show stay human when the plot gets extreme.

Brad Silberling's direction is singled out for helping the slice-of-life material feel polished, emotionally clear, and impactful.

The unpredictability comes from the way Alice and Steve’s choices keep escalating. One positive take saw enough surprise in the season to make the characters’ fates feel genuinely uncertain.

Unpredictable choices and unanswered relationship questions keep viewers wondering what will happen next, supporting continued interest without turning the show into a thriller.

Nicola Walker is the season’s most consistent standout, repeatedly praised for turning Alice’s fury into something funny, painful, and magnetic. Clement and the broader lead work are mostly liked, though a few felt Steve gives Clement too little room.

Scott Foley and Erinn Hayes earn especially strong praise for vulnerability, warmth, and emotional clarity. One critic tired of Foley repeating the same tearful expression.

The six-episode length leaves some viewers wanting more room for character and relationship development. A longer run may have helped the Steve-Izzy romance and side stories feel less undercooked.

The eight-episode order frustrates viewers in opposite ways: one critic thinks the middle is padded, while another believes the season is far too short.

The show can win over viewers who are willing to try a strange, uncomfortable premise for the sake of sharp performances and chaos. Its must-see appeal comes from how conversation-starting the setup is.

Its warm, accessible style reaches beyond a strictly faith-based audience and resonates especially with families and viewers who have experienced grief or divorce.

The age-gap setup is the season’s defining controversy. Some felt the show handles the ick with care and uses it productively, while others found it inappropriate, evasive, or impossible to enjoy.

The restrained presentation suits many families with teens, but grief, self-harm, addiction, divorce, and other mature themes make it a questionable choice for younger children.

The dialogue has a sharp, comic edge when the show leans into banter, zingers, and awkward social collisions. Even mixed takes often singled out the writing’s individual lines and exchanges as a strength.

The strongest responses call the dialogue realistic and human, especially around grief and family conflict. One critic found it too close to sentimental or unnatural.

The season’s back half is where the structure takes the most heat. Some felt the show piles on complications and loses sight of its best ideas, even though fans still found the overall ride entertaining.

The middle episodes are the weakest stretch for pacing, with criticism that the season becomes low-key, uneven, and less compelling week to week.

The ensemble is widely treated as a major asset. Walker, Clement, Margalith, and the supporting players give the messy material enough charisma and emotional texture to keep the show watchable.

The cast is one of the clearest strengths, with customers repeatedly praising believable performances. A small minority found the acting poor or disliked specific casting choices.

Walker and Clement’s lived-in best-friend chemistry is one of the show’s strongest selling points. Their comfort, sparring, and combustible history make the feud more convincing than the age-gap romance for many.

Scott Foley and Erinn Hayes generate natural, lived-in chemistry that anchors the series, while the wider ensemble often feels like a believable interconnected family.

The show often works as a dramedy, blending comic revenge with hurt, grief, and friendship fallout. The darker emotions give the laughs more bite when the balance holds.

The series balances grief, romance, parenting, and faith with warmth and meaningful stakes. Its quieter, earnest style can feel too sappy or subdued for viewers wanting sharper drama.

Faith is usually praised as sincere, welcoming, and naturally woven into modern family life rather than preachy. A vocal minority rejects the inclusive Christian portrayal as inauthentic or overly progressive.

Parents appreciated the way the show encourages conversations about difficult issues, and one older viewer found its parenting lessons personally revealing.

The half-hour format is mostly a plus for easy viewing and bingeability. One critic, however, felt the short installments crammed in too many subplots.

The overall production is described as polished and well made, reinforcing the sense that this is a higher-quality entry in faith-oriented television.

The score is one of the few technical elements called out negatively. Soft romantic strings were seen as pushing viewers toward accepting Steve and Izzy more than the story had earned.

Included Prime access makes the series feel like an excellent value and worthwhile use of time. Its initial add-on placement was harder to justify for less enthusiastic viewers.

The limited violence is generally appreciated, with only school wrestling and bullying flagged as mild concerns rather than dominant content.

The interconnected households, church, school, and neighborhood feel fully formed quickly, making it easy to settle into the characters' shared lives.