We’ve all seen the stories where it’s love at first sight. We’ve seen the stories where he was right in front of her the whole time, and she just didn’t notice. We’ve seen the story where there was an “ugly duckling” who took off her glasses, and suddenly everyone desired her. But what about the story where there is general and complete acceptance of and for someone that isn’t your usual type? When you allow yourself to not only love outside of your norm, but to also to be loved.
Love, a story about two very different people, finding each other under the loneliest of circumstances. Both having relationships ending around the same time, Gus Cruikshank (Paul Rust) and Mickey Dobbs (Gillian Jacobs) cross paths one sleep-deprived morning after visiting a gas station near where they live. This begins a journey of epic disproportion. These two encounter trials through their “relationship” unlike anything most couples have to endure. There’s something to be said about that, as I previously mentioned, these plots about romance that we’ve grown accustomed to, we get to witness something that maybe hits a little closer to home for us as an audience.
I think it’s nice to be able to take a dive into this type of romance that we can actually relate to. When I was younger I had this glimmer of hope that one day I would meet my Prince Charming, and we’d live happily ever after. Thanks to Disney films, I grew up with an unrealistic sense of how love and relationships were supposed to work. For the majority of my adult life, I was a self-proclaimed hopeless romantic. Once I had my own adult dating experiences, I very quickly had a wake up call as to what the real world of love looked like. This is something that I believe this show touches on so well.
With Love, we get a glimpse inside the real-world possibilities of just how messed up the dating world can be. All throughout season 1, Gus and Mickey are faced with situations in their lives that test the boundaries of what potential they have to be a couple.
Season two paves the way for Mickey’s efforts to get sober and start attending meetings for sex and love addicts. In an attempt to get better, Mickey tells Gus that she can’t date for at least a year. Here we get to see a side of her addictions and how they affect all of her relationships, both past, and present. This season is where we really get to see Gus and Mickey grow together. They are eventually able to let their guards down, and forget about all of the fears they have about commitment.
During season two, we see an awkward side of dating: meeting the parent(s). In this case, it’s Mickey’s dad. I think we can all relate to this type of anxiety. The pressure is almost always on. Things get awkward very quickly, since Mickey has done so many things to disappoint her father. Not to mention, Gus is not the type of guy that she usually goes for, so her father, Marty Dobbs (Daniel Stern), can’t help but feel a little suspicious about her choice in a mate. This is where some tension begins to interfere with the already looming fears that Mickey and Gus both have. An ex of Mickey’s comes back in to her life, which only exacerbates things as far as Mickey’s doubts in a future with Gus.
Season 3 just came out this month! I look forward to binge watching it very soon! There is time to catch up, this is going to be the final season. The show is worth a good once through, for sure! For me, it was very nice to be able to watch something that doesn’t have a traditional, overused love story. Love is something that is able to portray the ugly parts that love tends to show sometimes. Although it is often nice to experience the fantasy, the reality is refreshing.