where to watch: Amazon Prime
when to watch: When you want to cry happy tears
you should note: this series was developed by John Carney, who is behind the movies Sing Street and Once, as well as Begin Again, which I absolutely adore.
tl;dr: “Modern Love” ultimately decides to take an idealized, movie-version look at love, but it’s still heartfelt, charming, and thoroughly engaging
I’m so sorry this post is late! As I was writing it, I found I had a lot more to say about “Modern Love” than I had ever imagined.
Maybe it’s because of who I am and what I’m going through in my life right now, but I found this series pretty profoundly moving. Of course, some episodes were far more moving than others. But I think overall, the series managed to accomplish its goal almost until the very end—more on that later.
Before watching the series, I was skeptical. A TV show that takes real-life personal essays and stories of love, and fictionalizes them? A TV show that hopes to tackle what love in the modern era means? It seems ambitious. It seems like it would be easy for the series to fail.
But for the most part, it doesn’t. Although, full disclosure, I haven’t read all of the essays these episodes are based on.
Though I’d say every episode is worth watching, not all of them are equally good. Episode 2 stood out. If you only watch one episode of the series, I’d say watch that one.
Of course, it was my favorite for obvious reasons. It was the most Rom-Com-y. It had the most complete story. But the story almost made me cry, and the fact that nearly all of it is true just made it better. I found that in that episode, the relationships, the emotions, the love felt so real. Maybe it was just perfect casting, but in thirty minutes, I felt as connected and invested in the characters’ relationships as if I had spent an entire movie with them.
Below is a quick rundown of my thoughts on each episode.
Episode 1: When the Doorman Is Your Main Man
This was a lovely first episode for the series. It was charming, heartfelt, and it reassured you that this series would explore types of love beyond romantic. The dynamic between the main character and her ever-present, loving doorman Guzmin was exceptionally sweet.
Episode 2: When Cupid Is A Prying Journalist
See above. This episode made me cry. It felt epic. Don’t skip.
Episode 3: Take Me As I Am, Whoever I Am
This may have been the most ambitious episode. Highly stylized, Anne Hathway plays Lexi, a young bipolar woman who imagines her life as a musical. This means extras shopping in the supermarket break into dances, and she sings a couple of times. The episode isn’t perfect, but it is memorable and definitely stands out. I encourage you to watch it.
Episode 4: Rallying to Keep The Game Alive (Written and Directed by Sharon Horgan, i.e., a woman)
If I had to pick a least favorite episode, I’d say it was this one. Granted, it may be because the premise is so foreign to me—it’s about a married couple with two grown children. But to me, there was just something missing from the relationship between Tina Fey and John Slattery. Their relationship didn’t feel like a loving marriage gone stale, it felt like it had always been stale. I don’t know, something seemed to be missing. And the resolution felt like it was trying to be complicated, but really it was just lazy. If you skip this episode, you’re not missing much.
Episode 5: At the Hospital, an Interlude of Clarity
This episode was a beautiful meditation on the nature of dating. Two people are on their second date. But when Rob has to go to the ER after cutting his arm, he suddenly finds himself having to be entirely honest and vulnerable in front of this woman he barely knows. The episode provides a glimpse into what happens when we get straight to the heart of it. I say watch it.
Episode 6: So He Looked Like Dad. It Was Just Dinner, Right? (Written by Audrey Wells, Directed by Emmy Rossum, i.e., two women)
I was not a fan of this episode. Several times I had to pause it and scream into my pillow because the main character, Maddy, was so cringey, and the situation was just so bad. You can probably imagine from the title of the episode itself. But, it was ultimately entertaining. I wouldn’t say it’s not worth watching. I read the original essay, and the essay made sense to me. But the show went beyond it, and in my opinion, beyond the realm of what a reasonable human being would do or expect. Sure, Maddy is messed up. But doesn’t she have any common sense? Any dignity?
Episode 7: Hers Was a World of One
I found this episode to be really really sweet. It got wrapped up a little easily, but it was still genuinely enjoyable. And it was probably the most unique context of love in the series. And if you watched Season 2 of Fleabag, well, here’s your chance to see Andrew Scott, aka Hot Priest, again. It’s worth watching.
Episode 8: The Race Grows Sweeter Near Its Final Lap
This episode was a massive let down.
The main story of the episode is very moving and made me cry. But when it feels like the protagonist’s story is getting resolved, and the camera begins following a ratty red van, I encourage you to stop the episode. Because what ensues is a cheesy romantic wrap-up montage that is entirely unnecessary. It adds nothing new and cheapens the stories in the last 8 episodes. This is why I said the show doesn’t fail almost until the end. Because the end fails a little bit.
in conclusion
Okay, so this post is suuuuper long, and I apologize for that. But this series made me feel a lot. I highly recommend it. Just know that this isn’t the complicated, profound, messy look at love you might have wanted. John Carney chooses to go pretty Hollywood idealism. Ultimately, the series is more escapist than authentic. But that doesn’t make it bad.
For this series, in particular, I’d love to hear your thoughts! Did it live up to your expectations? What should have been done differently?