What I’m Watching: Modern Love (Season Finale)

Modern Love: Season 1, Episode 8 “The Race Grows Sweeter Near Its Final Lap” (B)

I unfortunately learned after watching an episode or two of this show that the finale would bring back all of the characters, something I probably would have rather not known simply because it might have been a treat to see them all as a surprise. That said, it did seem apparent that this episode’s new content, while sweet, wasn’t going to fill the entire half-hour, and instead served as an endearing introduction to a montage of happy moments that brought us back to the plotlines that we saw featured before. I like Jane Alexander, and she was a strong actress to anchor a look at an older woman meeting an older man and enjoying some time together before he died. I’m not sure if or where I’ve seen James Saito before, but he was great as Kenji. After their story wrapped up with his funeral and her trying to find joy in memories of him, we got to see everyone else again, with only the most recently-featured storyline being allowed to move forward rather than just rehash what we know. It’s been a fun ride if not always a vital one, and obviously it went over well enough with audiences that it will be back for a second season. Some of these installments were very worthwhile, and I’d be up for trying a second season if we saw more of the strong storylines like those featuring Tina Fey and Julia Garner. It’s certainly a great excuse to cast a wide array of actors.

Season grade: B
Season MVP: Julia Garner as Maddy