Netflix Explores The Darkness of Modern Dating with Love

By  · Published on February 19th, 2016

Judd Apatow, Paul Rust and Lesley Arfin add another notch to Netflix’s roster of successful series. Love has already been picked up for a second season and is a cringe worthy attempt to unearth the woes of modern romance. The landscape of meeting new people and dating has simply been obliterated and become a fascinating hot topic for our viewing pleasure. From awkward texts, navigating sex, exes and the pitfalls of trying to feel connected (swipe right) in a world where everyone is seemingly disconnected (swipe left).

The ten episode series, which debuts February 19th is bound to hit the flix’s Trending Now section in no time. Love is witty, infuriating and will win you over from the very first episode, but it will take commitment to follow through the entire season. Once you are introduced to Mickey and Gus, two characters who represent the antithesis of one another to the core, or so it seems, you cannot help, but want to act as a fly on the wall in their unexpected budding relationship.

Mickey, played by the charming Gillian Jacobs (you may recognize her from Community or her short-lived stint as Mimi-Rose on Girls) wins over the audience with her 32 year old gives zero fucks bravado that cracks at times to reveal a vulnerable young woman or as her coffee mug reads her inner crazy cat lady. We watch as Mickey unravels, shares her vices and ultimately, her desire to feel not only wanted (by creepy coworkers or scorned ex-lovers), but needed by another human being. Then there is Gus played by Paul Rust (notable as a writer for Netflix’s reboot of Arrested Development) who provides both the funniest and most horrendously awkward moments of the series (cue his date with Mickey’s roommate). His incessant pep talks to himself, disastrous attempts at courtship and nonchalance towards his failure at work makes him a character just like Mickey, someone you hate to love and love to hate simultaneously.

Other honorable mentions of the series go out to cameos by Charlyne Yi, Tracie Thoms and the perfectly scouted city of angels.

Apatow, Rust and Arfin don’t shove Gus and Mickey’s relationship down your throat, but rather allow the viewers to grow attached to their characters little by little, their mishaps along the way and instill a sense of hope that they will find their way in this mess they are in. In the end, it doesn’t matter how geeky Gus is or how reckless Mickey appears to be, but only that they represent a little piece of all of us, still trying to be heard, with our iPhones glued to our hands, yearning for deeper human connection, here in a lonely world.

Related Topics: ,