Saagar Kote
AMC’s ‘Soulmates’ is set in a near future where technology reaches new heights. At the crux of the narrative is a unique product developed by a company called Soul Connex. The technology, using the soul particle, allows people to take tests and find their soulmates, no matter where they are in the world. The Soul Connex app allows people to match with their soulmates, irrespective of their marital or relationship status. The series explores the stories of different individuals in the style of an anthology, with each episode narrating a different story. However, the Soul Connex technology is a common element in all the stories, making it a world where individuals are spiritually connected.
The show navigates ideas of love, connection, technological domination, human fragility, and the nature of truth. As different individuals use the technology, it presents them with deeper questions about themselves. At the end of the narrative, Caitlin finds herself in a difficult spot, having to either accept her reality in a dangerous situation. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Soulmates Plot Synopsis
In the near future, Nikki, a married woman, gets ready to take the “Soulmate” test at a clinic. One month earlier, she was approached by a friend named Jennifer, who told her she was taking the test for the Soul Connex app, which brings soulmates together. Nikki starts to obsess over the idea, despite a good relationship with her husband, Franklin. Nikki starts to get insecure about her marriage to Franklin after seeing others finding their soulmates and finally decides to take the test, but finds it difficult to go through with it. She returns home and tells her husband that she loves him, but Franklin shockingly says that he has actually taken the test and met his soulmate elsewhere. Months later, Nikki is with another man and Franklin is with another woman, but they still seem to have romantic feelings for each other.
A married man and a professor named David Maddox is approached by Alison Jones, who tells him they have matched on Soul Connex. David initially refuses to converse with her, but goes on a date with Alison later and sleeps with her. During a lecture, the screen displays some private pictures of David’s genitalia, and the whole tale turns upside down. It is revealed that Alison’s real name is Jodie Lamb and that she’s the sister of Chloe Lamb, a student from fifteen years ago, whom David sexually assaulted. David confronts Jodie, who says that her sister killed herself because of him and his manipulation. Since David has evidence that could prove Jodie’s fraud, she mellows down. Eleven months later, David’s assault video is made public during a lecture, and his life comes crashing down.
Libby and Adam are a married couple who openly experiment with extramarital casual sex, but the rule is that it can only be for one night. Things get complicated when Libby finds a match on Soul Connex with Miranda. Adam tells Libby not to sleep with Miranda, as that would mean something more intimate than casual sex. Miranda breaks up with her boyfriend and later sleeps with Libby. The two of them find a genuine connection, which troubles Adam, who tells his wife to choose between him and Miranda. Three months later, Miranda and Libby are in a relationship. However, the relationship is messy, and Libby realizes that Adam is her true soulmate, despite what the app says. Adam tells her he took a test and matched with a British woman named Tyra. Later, Adam, Libby, Miranda, and Tyra pursue a relationship.
Jonah and Mateo meet in Mexico and get intimate after dancing at a party. Jonah steals Mateo’s passport and money. When the latter threatens the former, Jonah says he will return the passport. However, they need 3000 dollars to retrieve the passport, which leads them to a wild night of gambling and other games, where they lose some money. The two men ultimately steal the passport from drug smugglers. Jonah asks Mateo to stay with him as the two of them develop a deeper bond. The two get intimate, and Mateo leaves to find his soulmate on Soul Connex. However, Mateo later chooses not to go away and comes back to reunite with Jonah.
Kurt is in a grief group after his soulmate, Heather, dies. He is recovering from suicidal thoughts and finds it difficult to let go of thoughts about his match. He meets a woman named Martha at the grief sessions, who has also lost her soulmate. The two hook up, and Kurt becomes part of a group that believes suicide is a legitimate way to be with your departed soulmates. The Church of Righteous Transition welcomes him, and Martha is also in the suicide group. The two decide to become friends in death and kill themselves to be with their soulmates. Kurt and Martha get close just before the night of the planned group suicide. However, they decide not to kill themselves and give love a chance, and be life buddies instead of death buddies.
Soulmates Season 1 Ending: Why Does Caitlin Kill Doug?
Caitlin matches with Nathan on the Soul Connex app, which leads her to break up with her boyfriend Doug, who is dependent on her for housing. Nathan says he is terrified of women and feels lonely, which is why he took the test. The two kiss in an isolated alley and find a connection physically and emotionally. Nathan shows further interest in Caitlin and takes her on a second date. Later, Caitlin takes Nathan to her place, where Doug still lives. He is shocked to see Nathan and refuses to leave the place. Caitlin forces him to move out of the house, and Doug leaves. Days later, she gets a call from Nathan late in the night, and he asks her to come to his place, where he wants to show her something. She is shocked to see Nathan getting intimate with another woman at the house, but he shockingly kills her in front of Caitlin’s eyes. He deliberately kills the woman in front of Caitlin to show her his truth.
Caitlin doesn’t tell law enforcement anything, and Nathan visits her house. He says he is a serial killer and that there have been others in the past he has murdered. He wishes to be with her by being truthful. She begins to feel guilty about being matched with a serial killer. She goes to the police station to report the serial killer, but struggles to tell the truth, still having romantic feelings about him. She then kills a man who tries to bully her in the isolated alley. Three months later, Caitlin is still in a relationship with Doug but has thoughts about brutally killing him. She fantasizes about killing Doug, revealing her hidden side. She realizes that she, too, has a violent side to her like Nathan, and these thoughts cause chaos within her. She shares her thoughts with Doug, but he doesn’t show emotional maturity.
She gets a message from Nathan saying he misses her, and she replies saying she misses him too. Nathan reveals that he actually saw her kill the bully and also enjoy the act of killing. The idea of a soulmate becomes more complex here as the violent parts of the two are connected. When she returns home, she sees that Doug is missing. Hearing Doug’s scared voice on the phone, she rushes to Nathan’s place, where Doug is held hostage in an isolated room. She starts to cry, and Nathan tries to comfort her, trying to calm her down and convince her to kill Doug. She is able to kill Doug in front of Nathan, and the two of them kiss. Ultimately, Caitlin kills Doug because Nathan helps her find her truth. She accepts that she has a violent side. She finally gives in to her desires and murders a human being.
Do Caitlin and Nathan Get Together? Why?
Nathan and Caitlin forge a complicated relationship after matching on Soul Connex. What begins as an innocent quest to find a soulmate soon descends into chaos and brutality. After realizing the truth about Nathan and learning about her own violence, she kills Doug in front of Nathan. This initially looks like the beginning of a relationship between Nathan and Caitlin, two killers in love. However, a shocking twist brings their relationship to an unexpected place. While kissing Nathan after killing Doug, Caitlin brutally stabs him to death. What Nathan thought was her act of love soon led to his end. Although the narrative makes it feel like the two of them were meant to be together as two serial killers in love, Caitlin has other plans in mind.
She presumably realized that Nathan would have some kind of control over her and would not let her be truly free. She might also have realized that Nathan would persuade her to kill more people. Though the show doesn’t explicitly reveal Caitlin’s state of mind, it can be presumed that she decided to kill Nathan for the sake of an independent life. In conclusion, Caitlin, despite finding a true connection with her serial killer soulmate Nathan, decides that she doesn’t need anyone else to influence her.
Will Caitlin Continue Killing?
Months after killing both Doug and Nathan, an independent Caitlin goes on a date with another man, where she tells him that Nathan helped her understand herself. The man happens to be a doctor, too, and Caitlin says she is attracted to doctors. Though the show ends at this point, multiple possibilities converge in the life of the violent woman. The idea of a soulmate is put to the test by Caitlin during her relationship with Nathan. Now that she is free to pursue her desires, it is possible that she might meet and kill other dates. While it is possible that she may stop killing after Nathan’s incident, the narrative doesn’t make it explicitly clear whether or not that’s the case with Caitlin. It can be presumed that Caitlin will no longer look to find soulmates on the app, as Nathan is already dead.
One of the biggest clues given by the story is the way she interacts with her date at the very end of the season. She tells her date that she is attracted to doctors. This possibly means that Caitlin’s mind is already more dangerous than initially assumed. The fact that she pursued a doctor after killing one shows that she might intend to find more about him or possibly kill him. In conclusion, she has learnt the art of killing from Nathan, which will be put to use by her against other dates and individuals in the future.
Does Soul Connex Guarantee a Perfect Match?
The core of the series is the mysterious phenomenon of the Soul Connex technology and app. It exists in the near future and gives people the chance to find their soulmates, irrespective of distance and nationality. The series as a whole is a commentary on human fragility and the desperation to hold on to things. The narrative doesn’t give a strictly conclusive answer about whether or not Soul Connex guarantees a perfect match. On the contrary, it actually creates more chaos than happiness. In the case of Nikki and Franklin, they both find new lovers, matched by the technology. However, towards the end of their story, they still seem to have romantic feelings for each other. This indicates that Soul Connex is not always right about matches. In David’s story, it actually works against him.
The technology is not always safe or reliable, and the matchmaking results could also be fake. The fact that Jodie possibly faked her match with David proves the point. One of the more positive reflections on Soul Connex is the heartwarming story of Libby and Adam, who stay in love while also finding their soulmates. This is one scenario where Soul Connex actually makes an almost perfect match based on personalities. Mateo and Jonah’s love story proves that real connections inspire people more than technological matchmaking systems. The most powerful example here is the story of Kurt and Martha, who actually become each other’s soulmates without the technology. They lose their matched soulmates, which brings them together.
They realize that they are probably real soulmates and decide against dying. Soul Connex actually makes a powerful, nearly perfect match in the lives of Caitlin and Nathan, but the former doesn’t accept it. Ultimately, Soul Connex is a complex technology that studies human behavior, but it doesn’t guarantee a perfect match. In conclusion, the narrative drives home the point that digital love cannot be seen at the same level as genuine human connections.
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