What I’m Watching: Love Life

Love Life: Season 2, Episode 7 “Suzanné Hayward and Leon Hines” (B+)

I had suggested that there might be other romantic possibilities for Marcus or Mia, and while that was true to a degree, this episode’s title was about another couple, one whose relationship narrative was very formative for how Mia views romance. I liked the casting of Kimberly Elise and Blair Underwood as her separated parents, whose decision to start seeing each other again when Mia was an adult had her confused and irritated. Traveling home to pack up all the things that her mom didn’t want to keep because she was going to lose the house was an activity that she probably would have been better off doing with Marcus as he had offered, because her conflicting emotions resulted in her opting to kiss her Task Rabbit Akil even after she initially told him that she had a boyfriend. The guilt that ate away at her was the undoing of a relationship that was otherwise going quite well, but there was no coming back from the aftermath of that surprise party. Expressing that, if he had known her at all, he would never have thrown it was bad enough, but shouting “don’t propose” was far too reminiscent of “We Broke Up,” a great movie with William Jackson Harper in a similar role. Ending the relationship because of this was a dramatic move, and now it makes sense that there are three episodes left. Though she didn’t have much to do, it was fun to see Darby again and to remember that these worlds are connected.