Netflix creates so many original tv shows and movies these days that it's hard to keep track and a lot of them get lost in the shuffle. One that I really enjoyed and just finished watching was "Love", starring Gillian Jacobs and Paul Rust. With soft lighting and aesthetically pleasing cinematography, It's a slow-moving but fun to watch show taking place in California that just ended after three seasons. The show is not so much about how characters react to the plot but more how the plot reacts to the characters. It's definitely one of the more character-driven tv shows I've seen.
The premise of the show sounds like your typical romantic comedy, boy meets girl, boy falls in love with girl, girl and boy presumably live together happily ever after. And in a lot of ways, it is. But it also tackles some important issues that you won't find in your standard Hallmark movie. Mickey (Gillian Jacobs) has a whole host of issues including but certainly not limited to alcoholism, sex addiction, and issues with her father. Gus (Paul Rust) is better off but has issues with social cues and at the beginning of the show is essentially a spineless character desparately trying to change his career.
Both characters evolve a lot throughout the show, but maybe not as much as a viewer would want, which could be in part due to the show not getting a fourth season as it originally expected. For example, Gus never finds out that Mickey cheated on him when he was away on a business trip of sorts. However, they get a lot better at working on their issues and working on them together.
It also has a hallmark of any great romantic comedy which is the romantic leads helping each other fundamentally improve. For example, in "Love", Mickey doesn't care about work at all when she first meets Gus. But when she sees how ambitious and passionate he is about moving up in his career, he inspires her to do the same.
This show also perfectly captures the subtle balance of having interesting side characters but not ones that overshadow the main characters. For example, Mickey's quirky Australian roommate Bertie is certainly more likable than Mickey but she isn't quite as intriguing or complex so she doesn't overshadow Mickey. Similarly, Gus has a nerdy, quirky, fun group of friends but none of them overshadow the complexity of his personality or his issues.
I think the most poignant moment in the show for me was when Mickey was about to break up with Gus for constantly lying to her (among other things) and Gus gave a full confessional to her and his entire family of all of the mistakes he made and lies he told over the years down to when he was a child. It was the only thing he could do to win Mickey back, but you could also see it was like a giant weight was lifted off his chest. The experience was so cathartic for both of them and you could tell they would have a healthier relationship because of it.
The show ended with the stereotypical lets-elope-and-invite-our-friends trope but it was beautiful send off for all of the characters. At the end of the show, you don't know if Mickey and Gus will last but you know that they are really happy together now, happy enough to get married. And that's enough to put a smile on any viewers face.
Even if it ended a little abruptly, this show was enjoyable to watch from start to finish with complex characters and funny moments. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a fun new show to watch that doesn't mind a little drama.
