Love Life
HBO Max
Season 1, Episodes 4-6
A while ago, I reviewed episodes 1-3 of Love Life and gave it positive ratings each, however despite how strong those 3 episodes are. I feel the show took a little downgrade in quality. Love Life is a series about a random person each season finding love in every episode. The first season is about the charismatic Darby Carter played by Anna Kendrick, as she grows with each relationship she experiences to find her soul mate. Spoilers ahead.
Episode 4
After hooking up with Danny Two Phones, Darby decides to go out and mingle some more, she then decides to be in a more serious, adult relationship with a man named Magnus Lund. Throughout their relationship, it felt very stale to me. There was barely any chemistry between Darby and Magnus. Their relationship starts out fine as usual, until 2 months after they moved in together, a few problems start to occur. After a dinner with her mother, Magnus tells Darby to watch her back and compares her to a magpie. Soon Darby’s friend Sara arrives and she discusses how her relationship with Jim is starting to fade away. Soon in the morning, Darby discovers that she was promoted at her work and excitedly wants to tell Magnus. In a turn of events, it turns out Magnus was fired and has been drinking all day, he starts treating Darby with disdain and regret. Magnus starts spending Darbys money on expensive money and begins messaging another girl. They fight, Magnus walks out but comes back the next day to promise Darby he’ll find a job. That entire day he never responds or contacts Darby. Darby finds out he’s been having issues with bills and that he’s in debt. He returns the next day and suddenly asks her to marry him. I felt everything in this episode felt too quick, there wasn’t as much charm or vibrancy as the episodes prior. A pro with the episode is the focus on Darby progressing in her career and becoming more mature.
Episode 5
Darby seeks a therapist to discuss her feelings in relationships, taking a break from Magnus’ story. I like that this episode gave a bigger picture to Darby’s character and her experiences. We see a younger Darby in High School falling in love but also leading into heartbreak. I like the focus of Darby having issues with rejection or feeling unloved, it gave a more emotional relatability to her character rather than the fun pop art personality we see prior. I think the episode is important as we see the choices Darby makes to feel loved. Adding more motivation and why she throws herself into multiple relationships. This episode laid the foundation for what would come in her future relationships and how it relates to episode 6.
Episode 6
This episode takes a more serious dramatic turn from the usual uplifting millennial feel. This episode starts out very slow. We see more focus on Sara and Jim’s subplot, which I guess can feel more engaging to those in long-term relationships, personally I felt they were a drag to the plot-line. A year later after the events of episode 4, we see Darby in a regretful dead-end relationship with Magnus. Magnus is emotionally manipulating her, still without a job and trying to spend her money. I felt tired watching these two together, however this episode does a good enough job conveying how toxic their relationship is. Even Darby is bored with the relationship later on which felt relatable to me watching this exact episode. Throughout the episode we see Darby catching up with her old high school fling who is a professional lawyer, he offers to try to help Magnus’s situation of debt but lays it down bluntly that Magnus simply doesn’t have a case. Magnus storms out, and declines Darbys offer to help calm him down. As I was watching this very episode, I predicted to myself. “She’s definitely going to cheat on Magnus and hook up with her old fling.” Surprise! I was right. Darby decides not to tell Magnus about her hook up, and decides her and Magnus needs to break up. Magnus threatens to kill himself to emotionally blackmail her, but he fails. While the relationship felt bored and tiresome. I absolutely love Darbys development into becoming a stronger woman and not having to deal with being emotionally manipulated in a toxic relationship. These last 3 episodes were great dealing with Darbys character, but it feels like she’s the only one really carrying this entire show from the rest of the mediocrity presented in the episodes.