Tinder and online dating is about as difficult as navigating a 3,000-level college course with no notes.
Now, imagine trying to use dating apps for the first time as a single 30-something-year-old woman who has her mom living with her, and her only close friend is her sister who’s married with a baby.
That insanity is the life of Olivia (Carly Craig), the star of YouTube Red’s new premium series “Sideswiped.” The romantic comedy series follows Olivia, as she tries to turn her life around and start dating again after learning that her eggs are drying up while getting a pap smear.
Part of what makes Olivia’s life so unorthodox is the fact that her mom Mary (Rosanna Arquette) lives with her. Based on what we gather from the storyline, Mary’s husband of 34 years died of a heart attack while playing golf and didn’t leave much in his will for her.
Thus, until she gets back on her feet and to keep from being alone, Mary decided to live with Olivia. Olivia gives her mom a set allowance every week to be more “independent.” However, Mary mostly uses the money for clothes rather than saving up for her own place.
Olivia’s confidant and only friend throughout the series is Jayne (Chelsea Frei). Jayne Tyler is Olivia’s married sister who has a one-year-old daughter at home.
Although Jayne frequently says she loves being a stay-at-home mom, throughout the series we watch as she struggles with figuring out her identity. From the start of the show, we find that Jayne feels like her husband doesn’t look at her the same since giving birth, and like she has nothing interesting to add to conversations except for facts about her daughter.
The premise of the show begins in the very first episode when Olivia’s mom feels that romance is missing in their lives and creates a Tinder profile for Olivia. Jayne then invites one of the new matches to the bar on Olivia’s birthday. The date goes from bad to worse when her date catches her peeing in the men’s restroom.
At the end of the date, in a drunken stupor, Olivia goes on a swiping frenzy and swipes right on every profile totaling 252 matches.
After the haze leaves her the next morning, Olivia decides she isn’t going to ignore these new potential matches, but she instead decides to go on at least one date with all of them.
What makes the show so charming and could be the sole plot of the show alone are the trials and tribulations of an older woman trying to date online. She finds herself having dating issues that people of all ages can relate to such as getting bored of constantly introducing yourself, finding out about a match’s sketchy past and the general worry of someone just being a complete weirdo.
Watching Olivia navigate dating, as well as unintentionally figuring out more about herself, is already a great program. What makes this series so entertaining, though, are the side plots of her mother and her sister.
Olivia’s mother, Mary, is trying to get herself back in the dating game as well, but she’s dealing with slightly different issues. For Mary, her struggle is attracting men she feels aren’t too old and staying attractive to the masses despite her age.
Sadly, her most successful and age-appropriate date is with rockstar Rick Springfield who happens to still be attracted to his ex-girlfriend.
Jayne, on the other hand, is the only one in a successful relationship with a child, which should mean she is the happiest. However, the new baby has not only changed Jayne’s body, but also the intimacy level between her and husband Jim (Craig Frank).
As Olivia takes notice of the fun and exciting things she missed about dating and relationships, Jayne is realizing along the way how much of the spark is missing from her marriage.
This charming program is currently rated TV-MA, and all eight episodes are available on YouTube Red. The series will appeal to anyone who loves to hear about dating struggles and has had a few mishaps of their own.
The first full episode is available for free on YouTube, and the rest of the series can be watched once you subscribe to the premium service.
