Written by Samantha Stemmer
As June approaches, the blazing heat of summer is in full swing and the joys of beach trips, pool days, and “dog days” are among us. However, along with the summer heat comes summer storms that usually only last thirty minutes to an hour, and what better way to spend those thirty minutes than curling up on the couch to watch a romcom?
(HBO Max)
Debuting on HBO Max over a year ago on May 27, 2020, the show “Love Life,” created by Sam Boyd and starring actress Anna Kendrick alongside Zoë Chao and Peter Vack, has been criminally underrated. “Love Life” currently has one season that consists of ten episodes running around thirty minutes a piece and in June of 2020 was renewed for a second season, yet no release date has been announced. No, “Love Life” will not change your life and does not delve into deeper conversations or messages; however this show will put a smile on your face and make thirty minutes fly by. “Love Life” can be described as an anthology that follows one person per season through their journey into finding their soulmate, and the first season followed Anna Kendrick’s character, Darby Carter.
The first season of “Love Life” spanned from 2012 to 2019 and over the course of the seven years features all the different relationships Darby Carter has had. Darby began the season as either a senior in college or a recent graduate living with two roommates in New York City. The episodes, typically titled after Darby’s boyfriends, for example the first episode is titled “Augie Jeong” and the second titled “Bradley Field,” play through the relationships Darby had with those particular partners, until in the last episode, Darby meets “the one.” There are a few episodes that vary from the pattern of being about Darby’s boyfriend, including one about her roommate and best friend, an episode about her mother, and one about her childhood, however that episode did include her high school relationship. So while the show is primarily about Darby’s relationship with men there is also an aspect about “Love Life” that is about Darby’s relationship with the women around her and her relationship with herself. The episodes are both comedic, romantic, and relatable enough to keep you watching.
(Sarah Shatz / WarnerMedia / HBO Max)
The biggest flaw with “Love Life” is the lack of attention to the surrounding characters. For example Zoë Chao’s character, Sara Yang, who is Darby’s roommate and best friend is incredibly interesting but only receives one episode dedicated to her with a ton of character to unpack. It would have been more satisfying for viewers if this episode was instead a part of an entire season which focused on Sara and her finding her own soulmate. Along with Chao’s character being glossed over, so was Peter Vack’s character, Jim, who is revealed as Sara’s boyfriend in the first episode.
While “Love Life” is a wonderful series to binge that is light-hearted and enjoyable, I do not know if a second season is necessary. The show’s ending did a great job of balancing tying up any loose ends yet keeping some elements up to the viewers imagination. I think another season following Darby Carter would be redundant, however a season following Sara, Jim, or Mallory, Darby’s other roommate and friend played by Sasha Compère, would be worth watching. Overall if you want an easy show to binge during the summer give “Love Life” a shot and let us at The Vision Room know what you think.