There is an honesty to Alphabet Soup that grounds this six-part docuseries on Prime Video and Peacock. Documentarian Shannon Alexander captures the dating life of a closeknit clique of New Yorkers, who just happen to be gay, bi, trans-gender, and non-binary. Inviting audiences to get up close and personal as they search for connections in this metropolitan melting pot. Grounded by an unflinching honesty to dating that comes through in the care and consideration of their recollections, Alphabet Soup has no time for pretence. Finding warmth within the words as this community share universal truths everyone can identify with.
Wherever audiences stand on their sexuality there is something undeniable about Alphabet Soup. This group of eclectic characters, each in full control of their self-expression are living a life without boundaries. Conformity does not apply, even if their relationship problems sound familiar. Nova is ex-military, unfettered, and sweet-natured. Unruly, overtly sexual, and unpredictable in the company of others, they remain an enigmatic. A force of nature in effervescent contacts, they personify everything liberating about this lifestyle. However, beneath the glitz and glamour is someone who has battled more than most for their identity.
Other connections within this community include Troy and Ray, who seem savvier, and express themselves with fewer whistles and bells. Their relationship feels more grounded, even though they both exercise their rights to keep things open. From the outside, promiscuity might be an easy label to use in relation to this docuseries, but Alphabet Soup deserves better. Although there is one person among them who is HIV positive, he acknowledges his choices and lives his life, giving him a unique perspective on relationships.
Image Courtesy of Shannon Alexander
Like all the best documentaries, Alphabet Soup cuts to the heart of the human experience. At our best we are forgiving, compassionate, and new experiences. Irrespective of our sexuality, these common characteristics teach us to acknowledge those things in others which create common ground. Through an intimate portrayal of this small community, Alexander exposes this universal truth that will bind together any audience member who chooses to tune in.
Alphabet Soup celebrates the similarities that shape every human relationship, even if some choose to question that commonality. What this film succeeds in doing is peeling back the curtain on a New York that has rarely been revealed with such candour. Sexuality is no longer something confined by ignorance or prejudice, but a means of self-expression to be embraced by a society which is inherently fluid. Diversity, individuality, and inclusion are human traits like any other, and Alphabet Soup celebrates that.
Audiences will keep coming back not because of perceived differences, but everything about this series they identify within themselves. Everyone is trying to find their way in this world, and forging a forever connection is sometimes all it takes. If audiences walk away from this series learning only that, then Alphabet Soup will have made a difference.
Alphabet Soup is available now on Prime Video and Peacock.