Each week, the God-heavies at Valentine, Inc unite two destined souls who the Fates decree at risk to be parted forever.

This week’s episode tackles a new bag: a divorced couple divided by money, murder, and an illicit sisterly affair!

The Soulmates

Alexandra and Peter are a delightful married couple who own a boutique bookstore.  Conglomerate Hellman & Cole, a thinly veiled Barnes & Noble, convinces them to sell their store and work for the chain, eventually leading to tight suits, long hours and the dissolution of their marriage.

The Problem

Alexandra will eventually be promoted above Peter who, for some reason, will sleep with Alexandra’s (slutty) sister.  In a completely unnatural continuance of events, Alexandra will then kill Peter with her car in a hissy fit. 

The Plan

Phoebe, communicator to the Delphic oracle, embraces the opportunity to pose as Alexandra’s office temp.  She’s enamored with the day to day monotony of the human rat race.

She surrounds Alexandra with mementos of her happily married past which sends the fated couple down nostalgia road…which leads straight to sexual office shenanigans.  Unfortunately, this violates the company’s fraternization policy (but apparently not any other behavioral codes).  Alexandra quits so Peter won’t be fired.  She actually quits while unnecessarily claiming to be a sex addict – likely for comic effect. 

Alexandra considers opening another bookstore but can’t because of the financial market so the Valentine team plants an invaluable first edition copy of, ironically, The Art of War, in her book collection.  Unfortunately, Peter refuses to join her because he’s afraid of the realities of mortgage payments and day to day living.

The Team ups the game by bringing in the couple's favorite author to remind them of their past connections.  Unfortunately, Alexandra hooks up with the author!  It takes an impassioned intervention from Danny/Eros to show Peter the heartlessness of his current conditions and bring him back to Alexandra.
 
The Internal Drama

Ex-hubby Ray/Hephaestus threatens to leave Grace/Aphrodite since she can’t divorce her war mongering current husband Ari/Ares for fear of her life and because he has a (myseterious) deal with her father. 

She takes a chance to riskily ask for a divorce but Ari/Ares won’t let go of the ultimate arm candy trophy.  She threatens him with a neverending orgasm (yes, seriously) and in return he threatens the the life of Kate, the human romance novelist of the Valentine team.  This sends Grace/Aphrodite into an overprotective spiral that puzzles the rest of Valentine Inc.

Ari/Ares wants Ray/Hephaestus to build him an aegis (a shield – originally for Zeus) to protect him from the Adamantian Blade forged by Gaia, the ultimate Mother Goddess of Earth, which has been stolen from Hades’ vault.  Ray/Hephaestus refuses to work with Ari/Ares since he resents the God of War for stealing away Grace/Aphrodite.

The Cliffhanger

Ray/Hephaestus builds a flawed aegis!  Will it lead to Ari/Ares death?  If Phoebe can tell the suit is broken then why can’t the God of War?

The Outlook

The show continues its track record of “nice guy” and “flawed female.”  Thankfully, they switcheroo the roles halfway through the episode which, while confusing, was a welcome change.

While Alexandra and Peter share the sin of materialism in the sale of their bookstore, there’s the question of whether true soul mates would ever be driven to the kind of betrayal that involves sibling bed hopping and murder. 

The star crossed lovers are still the show's weakest point but the mythology is beginning to show promise.