'Dimension 404' Recap: 'Matchmaker'

​Written by John Edward Betancourt

THIS IS THE EMERGENCY SPOILER ALERT SYSTEM...YOU ARE ADVISED TO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK...

Anthology style storytelling has always had a special place in my heart. It may be because I  enjoyed a steady diet of ​The Outer Limits and Tales from the Darkside growing up, but seeing a complete story unfold before my eyes in a short period of time is something that utterly captivates my imagination. So when one of my colleagues on this site, Bri, let me know that Hulu had fired up a new anthology series, I jumped at the chance to dive in and enjoy the wonder of ​Dimension 404.

If by chance you're fan of this style of series as I am, the good news is, it doesn't take long to settle in and enjoy this show since the pilot episode, 'Matchmaker', is a perfect blend of The Outer Limits and The Twilight Zone, and thankfully it adds its own twists to the mix so its not a total 'clone' of the classics. Now the plot for this particular story introduces us to a love lorn man named Adam who is desperate to find his one and only, and after some serious prodding from his roommate, Adam tries out the dating site; 'Make-A-Match' in order to find that special someone and wouldn't you know it...it works like a charm. He's introduced to Amanda, who meets his every need down a tee and well....when all is said and done, let's just say the old saying, 'if it seems too good to be true,' comes right into play.

Granted that kind of simple plot seems like it has no place within the confines of a show that compares to The Twilight Zone, but despite the spoiler warning above...I really don't want to reveal the twist that comes with Adam's plight because it's the kind of thing that needs to be experienced to say the least. Because it is downright brilliant and extremely Sci-Fi and in line with an anthology series of this style and design. But what I do want to discuss, is the sheer amount of thought that went into this particular tale. Because despite its light-hearted moments, and awesome science fiction twists and turns...this story does a phenomenal job exploring several key things; our need to be loved and desired and how hard it can be to go on when we are rejected by someone we care for, and...how technology has completely changed the dating landscape. 

Because holy cow...we get quite the in-depth look at the pain that comes with heartbreak and you feel for Adam when it arrives at his doorstep because you can completely and utterly relate to the man on a personal level, and to see that kind of humanity present in a script such as this is simply beautiful. But really...the technology aspect, ends up being quite the lovely little piece of social commentary because let's be honest, dating apps and dating websites have removed the thrill of dating to a certain extent. We in essence shop for our potential mates now, and are happy to remove them from our feed if they don't meet our particular criteria and this episode puts that strange change to dating front and center and even offers up an honest solution to the matter that isn't out of this world or silly.

This story simply speaks to the fact that hurt is part of the game, and pain is part of love and whether we like that aspect of it or not, there's no such thing as a perfect mate, only someone who ignites something special in our heart, and we need to go out there...live our lives and take our lumps until we find that particular person, and finding a moral lesson in this tale is something I simply did not expect. But it's clear now that Dimension 404 is interested in telling a different kind of story, one with weight and gravity and for those reasons...I'm hooked and ready to watch another episode and really, if you need any other reason outside of quality storytelling and depth to watch this show, I did forget to mention the fact that the legendary Mark Hamill is your narrator/guide to this strange universe and that alone is worth the price of admission. Until next time.

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