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

Love Life: Season 2, Episode 10 “Epilogue” (B+)

Who says people can’t have a happy ending? It’s nice to know that both of this show’s existing seasons went out on a positive note, which is especially refreshing given the rollercoaster nature of Darby and Marcus’ love lifes. It was also fun to see Darby again in an appropriately brief context, running into Marcus to offer a bit of commentary about how things do eventually work out. I enjoyed the opening with Ola’s musical play that had Mia giggling like crazy since they were both pretty sure that it was all about Marcus and his apparent sexual deficiency. The denial of that fact by Ola wasn’t all that comforting, and fortunately its effects didn’t linger all that much, instead leading to Mia encouraging Marcus to write a book and him casually proposing. I like that we got a quick fast-forward to a year later when she was pregnant, and that the expected problems, like Marcus not being able to finish his book and the nanny judging him because he always said or did the wrong thing, were troubling but ultimately not insurmountable. Encouraging Mia to quit her job before she threw up in the Uber was supportive, and it was especially sweet that he decided to surprise her with a five-day childless trip to the Bahamas. Ending with the two of them just being together on the plane and having fun reclining in the seats and talking about their futures was endearing. I’d be happy to get to know new characters in a theoretical third season of this show, and it’s been great to spend a bit of time with Marcus and Mia and everyone else.

Season grade: B+
Season MVP: Jessica Williams as Mia

What I’m Watching: Love Life

Love Life: Season 2, Episode 9 “Marcus Watkins” (B+)

I feel like so many shows about the present moment introduce the pandemic into their plotlines without much warning, and in the same manner that this one did, suggesting that Marcus was very excited about what 2020 might bring and experienced considerable disappointment when that wasn’t the case. His latest relationship was a particularly bad fit for pandemic living, and I could definitely relate to his horror at Anjali pretending that she had sanitized her mat and that she was paying any attention to what things she was touching. Breaking up with her was the right move, though it wasn’t too good for him to be alone when George Floyd was murdered and his company started coming to him to rubber-stamp their message of solidarity to the Black community. His reaction was absolutely understandable, and that scene showcased the uncomfortable way in which many white people have tried and failed to express concern and sympathy, which in this case resulted in Marcus deciding this all just wasn’t worth it and quitting in an emphatic and furious manner. After he wasn’t receptive to Mia’s phone call when she reached out to him, attending his sister’s wedding and seeing her genuine happiness was a positive catalyst to encourage him to reach back out to her and for them to reconnect in such a warm and wonderful way. It looks like they may actually make it, though there’s still one whole episode left which may involve some more obstacles before their storylines are closed.

What I’m Watching: Love Life

Love Life: Season 2, Episode 8 “Yogi and Kian” (B+)

It was probably for the best that Marcus didn’t have any contact with Mia in the aftermath of their breakup last episode aside from a rambling voicemail, but he did see another ex in a surprising context. Kian was understandably nervous to reveal that he was dating Emily, but Marcus’ expressed frustration with the fact that Kian might have always had a crush on her wasn’t very well-founded given that he was the one that actively broke up that relationship by building an emotional connection with someone else. The two of them seeing each other when she came to save them and pick them up was an interesting and unexpectedly comfortable moment, which also makes sense given that the strong feelings he has are for another woman. Marcus’ initial reaction was far more serene to the news about Kian and Emily, but he followed that up with a major trip with all the chocolate mushrooms that he ate. Throwing his bike in the lake was just the start of a wild ride, which included panic that he was dying and that no one would find him because he looked like a tree. That was certainly an improvement over the opening scene at his workplace where he got a lot of people very mad at him for the inappropriate and extremely impolite comments he made when he wasn’t in the mood for the active shooter training content that he was being forced to endure along with everyone else in the office.

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.

What I’m Watching: Love Life

Love Life: Season 2, Episode 6 “Becca Evans Part II” (B+)

This didn’t pan out as I thought it might have, with Marcus and Becca not being quite as at odds as I had expected, but then having to find out that the baby they had never tried to conceive wasn’t going to be born after all was an upsetting revelation. Marcus going to Becca’s place for the first time and meeting her daughter was interesting, and I’m curious whether they might have actually worked out had their relationship continued without this unplanned news and then the devastating dissolution of that when complications arose. This episode was much more about Mia, however, who already got her name in the title in the season premiere but still remains one of the major players on this show, second only to Marcus and maybe Ida. It was fun to see them reconnect and to hear her renewed commentary about how Marcus was once again with a white woman, and I’m glad that things moved beyond that with them realizing that they did have feelings for each other that they should finally act on. Pondering what to do next after Marcus was no longer going to be connected to Becca was an optimistic way to end this episode, but there are still four more installments left in this season, which suggests that it’s not going to be an easy road since other potential relationships may still present themselves for both Marcus and Mia. I do suspect they’ll end up together in the end, just like Darby found blissful happiness in season one.

What I’m Watching: Love Life

Love Life: Season 2, Episode 5 “Becca Evans” (B+)

I like that Marcus and Mia are friends now, though that’s a status he seems uncomfortable accepting, and I’d like to hope that they’ll eventually get together since they do seem right for each other. Mia wanted to make sure that Marcus was seeing someone else, which was the case even if it wasn’t a traditionally defined relationship. Leslie Bibb is a great actress who I’ve recently seen on “Jupiter’s Legacy” and “GCB,” and here she was relatively serious in her portrayal, aware of exactly what Becca wanted from her arrangement with Marcus. Bringing GiGi in for a threesome was staged as the ultimate male fantasy, but it turns out that Marcus wasn’t nearly as excited, reminiscent of when Ross went to go make a sandwich during his own threesome on “Friends.” That moment wasn’t all comedy, of course, since Becca showed up with the news that she was pregnant and a negative reaction to Marcus’ assumption that she was going to have an abortion. It was interesting to hear him talk about the idea of being a father to his child in an episode that was a lot about his relationship with his own father, who was happy to come with him to a big event but also judged his success and his life choices. Marcus asked the right questions when Josh gave him a promotion but said he wasn’t sure what he could do about getting him a raise to go along with it, an all-too-familiar situation that I think many people have unfortunately experienced.

What I’m Watching: Love Life

Love Life: Season 2, Episode 4 “Ola Adebayo” (B+)

Like Darby, Marcus is someone who jumps headfirst into relationships and tends to get a bit too attached early on, which is unfortunate if he’s not actually as invested as he’s making it seem. Moving in together because of unforeseen circumstances helped to underline that point, and it all sounded pretty fast when he happened to run into Mia on the street. I like how direct and unfiltered she is, listening to what he was saying and then judging him before heading off to rejoin her friend since she didn’t want to be stuck there for too long. While Ola did seem like a good fit for Marcus, there was a clear warning sign in the way they interacted when Marcus initially suggested that they wait for the food before they headed home when she got some bad news. Even Ida realized that it wasn’t the right call for him to make, not that she’s done a great job of maintaining her own romantic relationships that seem to spiral out of control despite her best intentions. I was trying to figure out where I knew Ola from, and as soon as I saw her name, I knew I realized that actress Ego Nwodim has been a player on “Saturday Night Live” for the past few seasons and therefore someone I would have seen on my Emmy-adjacent viewings of a handful of episodes of that sketch series ever summer. She did a great job here, and I enjoyed the way that she played off William Jackson Harper.

What I’m Watching: Love Life

Love Life: Season 2, Episode 3 “Destiny Mathis” (B+)

This episode felt a bit like the season one installment that found Darby going back to the suburbs for a funeral, one that put her way too much in the limelight when it shouldn’t have been her moment to shine. It was great to see Janet Hubert, best known as the original Aunt Viv on “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” as Marcus’ mom, who was very supportive of her son but not always in the ways that he most needed. The mere mention of Destiny was enough to compel him to reach out to her, which ended up being an enjoyable enough night that she didn’t necessarily want to lead to anything. He couldn’t do much to control the situation when his mom invited her to the party, but he could have tried a little harder than not bothering to speak to her and then not taking the opportunity to be alone with her when he was explicitly given the chance. Offering to drive her home felt like the right thing to do, and he paid for his missteps by nearly getting beaten with a baseball bat while the rental car incurred most of the damage, not to mention the fact that he missed his dad’s big speech. Ida had her own relationship troubles, namely her displeasure with her girlfriend going over a little too well with her family and using that goodwill to try to sell her soaps. I like that she gets a focus too and that her love life is also on display.

What I’m Watching: Love Life

Love Life: Season 2, Episode 2 “Paloma” (B+)

The impact of the end of the previous episode was enough for us not to see Maya Kazan again, which was a shame, and Marcus was alone trying to pick up the pieces of his life. Mia, on the other hand, is a recurring player, and the two of them don’t seem fated to get together anytime soon because of the way in which they interact and don’t see eye-to-eye on their circumstances. I did appreciate the way that Marcus drove his sister crazy, prepping a fancy dinner he was going to make with peanut butter for her while she just wanted him to go back into the world and not spend all of his time inside, and in her space. Punkie Johnson is a featured player on “Saturday Night Live,” and I think that’s probably where I’ve seen her before this. I also neglected to mention the appearance of Steven Boyer, an actor I really like from his role in “Trial and Error,” as Marcus’ boss Josh, though I wish his part here gave him quite as much hilarious material as that show did. I did enjoy the awkwardness of Marcus’ attempt to start dating again, meeting a young woman who seemed nice enough and then was happy to go back to her place, not aware of the fact that it was a college dorm. At least she was an RA and not a high school student or anything like that, but there was definitely a disconnect in terms of enthusiasm and certainly volume between the two of them.

What I’m Watching: Love Life (Season Premiere)

Love Life: Season 2, Episode 1 “Mia Hines” (B+)

I enjoyed the first season of this show, which debuted right at the same time that HBO Max launched back in 2020, and while I’d probably enjoy seeing more of those characters and their stories, it’s fun to revisit the concept with a new cast. What isn’t clear is how much Darby and everyone else will continue to appear since they could easily have not showed up at all in this episode but they did, and I have a feeling they may continue to make cameos to remind viewers that this show still takes place in the same universe. I remember finding out that William Jackson Harper, who I and most others know best from “The Good Place,” was going to be this season’s star when I interviewed him for “The Underground Railroad,” and I also had the chance to see him in another romantic comedy context in the film “We Broke Up.” I found it interesting that his character was introduced when he was already married, which doesn’t paint him in the best light from the outset since he wasn’t trying too hard to invest in his own relationship, instead pursuing another one with Mia that he wrote off as acceptable because they were both otherwise committed. Finding out that she was actually with Amar’e Stoudemire confirmed to him that it wasn’t a worthwhile investment, but he should have thought about the many sentiments he was putting in text that would be bad enough if the iPad he shared with his wife wasn’t synced with his phone. I kept thinking the whole time that she looked a lot like Zoe Kazan, and it turns out that’s because she was played by her sister, Maya Kazan. I hope we’ll get to see her again even if the prospects of their relationship succeeding don’t look great at the moment.

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

Love Life: Season 1, Episode 10 “The Person” (B+)

In some ways, I didn’t expect this season to end like this, and in other ways, my expectations were fulfilled exactly. I truly thought we’d see Jim again, especially since storyline wasn’t resolved, and I guess enough time passed between when we last saw Sara for her to get clean, meet someone, and then have a wedding where she had her two best friends there because she had written them lengthy apology letters to make up for her behavior. Since this show was never really about any of Darby’s three roommates, it was fitting that she got most of the focus of the episode, which found her completely exhausted from raising a baby and desperate for a good night’s sleep in a corner king in a fancy New York City hotel. I enjoyed her coparenting with Augie, with showed that he wasn’t perfect but that he’s committed to it, and a solid fit for this kind of partnering friendship rather than a romantic relationship. I was thrilled to see who the man was that ended up being Darby’s “person,” and chuckled at the casting of Kingsley Ben-Adir, who drove Zoe Kravitz crazy on “High Fidelity,” another show from this season that I’m finishing up. The way they met was cute, and it was very sweet that he left her a note when she fell asleep and then swooped in to pay for her sandwich when she forgot her wallet at home. While it might have been fun to see more of them together, I like the idea that Darby’s love story includes many people aside from the man who she’d eventually settle down with for good. I’m happy that this show has been renewed for a second season, and I hope that we’ll get a chance to see a few of the same characters in the next anthology story as has been suggested.

Season grade: B+
Season MVP: Zoe Chao as Sara

What I’m Watching: Love Life

Love Life: Season 1, Episode 9 “Augie Again” (B+)

I don’t typically watch more than one episode of a show at a time, particularly for streaming series where all the installments are released at once, but I actually like the premiere pattern for this show, which was three episodes first, then three more, and now four to finish off. It would still be just as enticing with one episode per week, but we get to explore more of these characters and move on in surprising ways at a quick pace that feels fulfilling. Out of all of Darby’s relationships, Augie was probably the most stable, since they seemed to be on the same footing financially, which wasn’t the case with Bradley and definitely not with Magnus, and we didn’t get far enough into Danny Two Phones or Luke to know what might have happened with them. Comparing Augie to an old pair of jeans that were a little too snug was fitting, and I like that the cracks showed through in simple moments like Augie passionately criticizing the effect of the climate charge art and encouraging her to house a cat when she wasn’t allowed to have pets. Her relationship with her mother has evidently improved, even if she didn’t want to hear how her mother was interpreting what she was saying. Their breakup was actually quite smooth, though it’s hard to know how he’ll respond to the news of her pregnancy. With just one episode left before this story wraps up, that’s just one plotline to resolve, with Jim’s new girlfriend he’s not so sure is serious posing a big threat to his enduring happiness with Sara.

What I’m Watching: Love Life

Love Life: Season 1, Episode 8 “Sara Yang” (B+)

I knew from this episode’s title that it would feature Sara, but I definitely expected Jim to make an appearance. Knowing that this is an anthology series meant to feature a different character each season makes me wonder how much resolution we’ll get for Sara, both with Darby and with Jim, since they’re both quite angry with her at the moment after previously feeling very close to her. I enjoyed the opening measure of success, comparing Darby being able to take taxis to JFK instead of the AirTrain to Sara not having been to the dentist in seven years. This episode was even less about Darby than the previous installment, with her there mainly to try to keep Sara from going off the deep end. Sneaking off to do coke and dancing by herself while the music played didn’t seem overly problematic, but when she got in the car and went for a drive reminiscent of “The Wolf of Wall Street,” it was lucky that all she did was run over some furniture and earn the contempt of her friend. Stealing cash from a stripper’s purse was an entirely different level, and she seemed amenable to Darby’s generous offer of helping her into rehab until she sobered up the next morning. Mallory wasn’t ready to sacrifice her bachelorette party to Sara’s drama, but I was caught off-guard by Darby’s episode-ending decision to be done with her when she couldn’t even remember anything about their conversation. I hope some reconciliation comes in the final two episodes.

What I’m Watching: Love Life

Love Life: Season 1, Episode 7 “Claudia Hoffman” (B+)

I’m glad to see that this show isn’t interested only in Darby’s romantic connections, with this episode probing a different kind of love that’s just as important in many ways to the person that she is. We had seen her mother, Claudia, a few times throughout the course of this show, and now she got to come into fuller view, particularly her perception of the notion of marriage and what it means for a person. I’m a big fan of actress Hope Davis, who I first remember from “American Splendor” and who then earned a surprising and completely deserved Emmy nomination for her work in the second season of “In Treatment.” She doesn’t have a very warm presence on this show, demonstrating much more kinship with Sara than with her own daughter, and we got to see Darby finally express some of what she feels towards her mother when she started crying during their mattress-shopping trip for her younger brother. Claudia’s comments about how much of a disappointment Magnus turned out to be and how she shouldn’t be hung up on two lost years with him were matched by a desire to invest in her own love life, which hit her daughter as perhaps a bit overeager and unrealistic. Identifying the trains by their color and getting lost weren’t great, but this was an important bonding opportunity for the two of them. Sara didn’t choose a superb time to approach Jim about their relationship, and fortunately we’ll be able to see more of what happens with them in the next episode.

What I’m Watching: Love Life

Love Life: Season 1, Episode 6 “Magnus Lund Part II” (B+)

I don’t think I expected things to play out like this. I suspected that Luke would be back, but certainly not as the World’s Nicest Guy who also hooked up with Darby even while knowing that she was married. Perhaps it’s more surprising on her part since the worst things she’s done so far are lie about having cancer and talk about breasts after her boyfriend’s father died, and it’s just not an expected behavior from her. But being married to Magnus was obviously a real strain on her emotional health, given that he refused to even consider a $65,000 salary when he hadn’t been working in almost a year and obsessed about a lawsuit that he would only undertake on his own terms, regardless of what every lawyer told him would come of it. After taking Darby to see “Hamilton” and then having her not come up to his room because of her husband, Luke was generous to offer his time to give advice, which Magnus only much later apologized for instantly and rudely rejecting. Not being able to revel in the $36 million sale at auction was a disappointment for Darby, and it was refreshing to see her plainly tell Magnus that she didn’t want to be with him anymore. His reaction justified everything she was thinking, rushing to suicide threats following immediately by a plan to call the police on her instead, and I hope that he’ll be gone by the beginning of the next episode. Now we’ll have to see what Sara chose regarding her suburban future with a very determined Jim.

What I’m Watching: Love Life

Love Life: Season 1, Episode 5 “Luke Ducharme” (B+)

It’s interesting to chart the trajectory of Darby’s relationships and to see where takes the blame for things going awry and where it’s not at all her fault. This episode saw both come into play, as Luke pretty much ghosted her after the break was over but she was definitely responsible for them no longer physically seeing each other after her big lie got her kicked out of school. It was effective to have someone other than Anna Kendrick play the role of Darby, and Courtney Grosbeck from “Parenthood” was a great choice. She captured a lot of the same energy while displaying a nervousness that Darby has lost later in life, now better able to read the room and get by even if people don’t always exactly notice her. I could tell I knew the actor playing Luke right away though I really couldn’t figure out why – I now realize he was the fantastic star of “Big Time Adolescence,” currently available on Hulu, opposite Pete Davidson – and he was absolutely the picture of the coolest kid on campus who Darby was ecstatic took an interest in her. Her response to being ignored and seeing Luke come out of her room after sleeping with her roommate was unfortunate, and she was obviously aware of the mistake she made as soon as it became public. I have a feeling we might see an adult Luke at some point, but after this moderately successful therapy session, we’re now back to the reality that Darby, for some reason, accepted Magnus’ proposal and is now going to have to deal with all of his antics, which we both hope and know won’t turn out well.

What I’m Watching: Love Life

Love Life: Season 1, Episode 4 “Magnus Lund” (B+)

This episode showed us the kind of relationship that very quickly revealed itself to be something other than it seemed as soon as the successful boyfriend experienced a major life setback. It’s probably closest to what Darby would have experienced with Danny had she not turned him down preemptively, though it sure felt like a whirlwind romance that was moving along at a great pace before everything fell apart. Magnus really was the exemplar of top-notch boyfriend material, similar to Bradley in terms of his lifestyle but a bit more down-to-earth about it. He wowed Darby’s mother and brother when they came to town, though I had a feeling that him paying for the entire meal was going to come back to haunt Darby. Suggesting kids and moving out to the suburbs made it seem like he knew what he wanted, though I would have expected that them moving in together wouldn’t have just meant him joining her preexisting roommates in her room. Darby getting the promotion couldn’t come at a worse time with him getting fired, but he also demonstrated a true lack of any desire to do something to improve his life after that. Ignoring Darby and then disappearing completely were hugely troubling signs, and proposing to her after all that and the credit card debt she saw he had was a crazy move that I certainly hope she’ll reject. I’m intrigued by Jim’s new inheritance, though the conversations it brought up reveal more potential issues in Jim and Sara’s relationship.

Take Three: Love Life

Love Life: Season 1, Episode 3 “Danny Two Phones” (B+)

This episode didn’t feature Darby falling head over heels for someone, but I liked that since it felt more realistic. Not every relationship is a big deal, and not every hookup leads to a relationship. Darby running into Augie sent her spiraling, and going to a party with Sara was a good opportunity for her to focus on something else. She did not react well to Danny’s initial move of taking her phone out of her hands, but he had a leg up on her when he saw her peeing on the roof and watched her get cut by a nail. I recognized actor Gus Halper, who played Danny, and I think it’s from his role as Joseph on “Dickinson.” Here, he was hard to read at first, and when we found out that he wasn’t a drug dealer but instead a guy so obsessed with his ex that he was paying for a second phone to keep all her voicemails, his persona changed. Doing 100 chin-ups impressed Darby at first, but she sensed enough where it was going that she had to make up a story about moving to Cleveland to avoid him. I like that he came to the museum and stood up for himself when he understood what she was doing, which gave her enough power to realize that it felt good to be the one walking away for once. Knowing that Augie was stalking her on social media while planning to leave with his new girlfriend would surely delight her even more. I enjoyed Sara’s many references to Jewish terms and traditions, and she sure has a lot to think about when it comes to the relationship everyone is so sure she’s supposed to be in with Jim.

Round Two: Love Life

Love Life: Season 1, Episode 2 “Bradley Field” (B+)

It’s interesting to watch this show knowing that each of the relationships Darby enters into aren’t going to work out, though it’s very possible that one might restart again and end up sticking. The shot of her pregnant and walking the streets of New York City at the end of the episode gives us something to look forward to, and this time we got to experience something that was much more uncomfortable than a career move to Washington diluting the fun of being at a wedding together. The sexual tension between Darby and Bradley was very evident as soon as she showed up to his luxurious apartment, and that relationship had a relatively natural start since they already knew each other and just hadn’t seen each other in a while. I like actor Scoot McNairy, who has appeared in “Frank” and “Narcos: Mexico” and plenty more. He was great here as the likeable if somewhat hard to read Bradley. Darby adjusted pretty quickly to that way of living, bringing over her friends’ laundry and doing well in front of his fancy friends, even if that made her feel inadequate and like she needed to enroll immediately in art classes. Things really were going perfectly fine until his dad died and she felt out of place at his funeral being treated like the help, and his ex-wife showing up like a celebrity guest just made it all much worse. His mother, played by Marceline Hugot from “The Leftovers,” was also quite intimidating. Giving a toast where she referenced his sexual preferences was cringe-worthy, and there didn’t seem to be much left to do after that. The beauty is that another relationship is bound to start soon, and in this time she even missed some developments in the lives of her friends, namely the girl hugging her who appears to be dating Mallory.

Pilot Review: Love Life

Check out my one-minute take on every new pilot, which is embedded below and you can also watch by subscribing to movieswithabe on YouTube.