Directed by Shannon Alexander, Alphabet Soup is a six-part documentary series chronicling the emotional highs and lows of queer dating in New York City. The show captures the unfiltered and unscripted realities of hookups, heartbreaks, and hopeful connections among LGBTQ+ singles and couples as they navigate one of the world’s most complex dating scenes in the world. Just a warning: This show gets nuts.
In the first episode, we meet several singles looking for love or something like it. Troy, a former star in Australia, shares his long-distance history with Jamaican Ray Anthony, who now lives in New York City but remains married to a man in England. Trying to figure out his relationship with Ray Anthony, Troy also goes on a date with Nova, a 20-year-old Navy veteran who is transitioning and rebuilding her life and new self. Their connection fizzles after a lengthy text exchange and a single date that lacked chemistry. Meanwhile, Shalimar, a hyper-expressive dancer, attempts to connect with Kiykiy, a more grounded Virgo who finds Shalimar too feminine for his taste. Shalimar’s invitation to his show goes unanswered after Kiykiy decides he’s not interested based on his photo alone.
Episode two explores how some connections shift, deepen, or dissolve. Troy and Ray Anthony rekindle their relationship and explore the idea of forming a throuple with CeCe, an exotic dancer who presents two personas—CeCe the “w***e” and Cam the “businesswoman.” Their experiment quickly unravels when CeCe finds Troy and Ray Anthony too clingy. Nova and Shalimar test out a romantic date but ultimately realize there’s no spark. Shalimar, who had been thinking about someone else the entire time, moves on to Atari, a non-binary person he becomes romantically involved with after one night together, even though Atari doesn’t initially return the attraction.
Nova, a transitioning Navy veteran, brings strength and vulnerability to Shannon Alexander’s Alphabet Soup, set against the glow of her expressive personal space.
“…the emotional highs and lows of queer dating in New York City.”
Kiykiy sets his sights on a date with Ray F., a Brazilian man who dreams of having kids and building a life with a husband. Nova and Saturn also attempt to date but run into multiple complications: they’re both bottoms, Saturn isn’t attracted to Nova, and a texting mishap reveals that he had been messaging the wrong person. The entanglements and mismatches highlight just how unpredictable and fragile dating in the queer community can be, even when intentions are pure.
Alphabet Soup brought me way back to all the hours I spent watching MTV’s Real World and Road Rules, except here we’re focused on the LGBT participants. As a straight man, I can relate to the desire to find that special someone…and all that drama along the way. Yet, somehow, the drama in Alphabet Soup is ramped up to eleven. Man, I thought it was hard finding love as a straight man in Los Angeles. Shannon Alexander’s New York queer series, in comparison, shows how easy I had it.
MTV made this kind of series feel sensationalistic…and staged. In Alphabet Soup, Alexander gets up close and personal with the series’ participants. Although we never go on the actual dates with the participants, Alexander presents both sides of the same coin, as the date is revealed through the participant’s testimony, and everyone brings a unique level of insight to share their feelings and philosophies about dating. I found Kiykiy’s honesty about ghosting Shalimar to be oddly refreshing, as Kiykiy has no time to waste. Man, that kind of candor stood out.
Ultimately, I prefer my documentaries to feel genuine, honest, and authentic. Alphabet Soup delivers in spades. Though I may be far removed from the queer community, there is still much to relate to once you strip a few flamboyant layers away. Now, add weeding through what feels like way too much material, Shannon Alexander’s storytelling sense is compelling and incredible.
Alphabet Soup is messy, wild, and absolutely captivating. Shannon Alexander pulls back the curtain on queer dating in NYC. Even if you’re not part of the LGBTQ+ community, the raw vulnerability, awkward moments, and emotional truths are universally relatable. Dating is hard, period. Watching these New Yorkers put their hearts on the line feels both brave and deeply human.
Alphabet Soup is viewable on streaming on Peacock and Amazon Prime.
"…messy, wild, and absolutely captivating."
