I remember when I first started doing the written reviews on the FNX Network one of the first ones I did was for a Netflix series that had recently hit the streaming market called “Love”. It looked to tell the story of two people who were complete opposites somehow figuring out that they needed each other in their lives. And although that sounds like every romcom ever created, with this show, they were attempting to do something different. Become the anti-romcom. And showcase the beginnings of a relationship in the modern era.  I knew after I finished the first season that this was going to be a show that I would eagerly anticipate more episodes of, and luckily, they recently gave us more. So let’s take a look at the much anticipated second season of Netflix’s “Love”!
Oh, and there may be SPOILERS forthcoming, so YOU’VE BEEN WARNED!!!

Season two picks up right where the first season ended, and it goes somewhere completely opposite of what you’re expecting. That’s a calling card of the show, and I really admire them for that. They’re doing everything they can to try and tell a much more real story, and they do that by instead of having Mickey and Gus immediately start a romantic relationship that could rival Romeo and Juliet, they choose instead to have Mickey immediately inform Gus that she plans to take a year off from dating anyone so that she can try and work on dealing with her own issues, as she’s an addict. Of course, this doesn’t really work out per say, as the two basically enter a relationship WITHOUT labeling it as such. You know, one of those “non-exclusive” deals. Do those ever work out? Asking for a friend.

While the first season utilized a more comedic tone with dramatic elements sprinkled throughout, this season looked to do an even dose of both. The first few episodes handle the comedy, especially the episode where Gus is trying to get Mickey back to her car, yet they have to attempt to evade the police, as Gus’ apartment complex has gone on lockdown so the cops could try to find a fugitive at large. But as the episodes go on, the dramatic side starts to settle in, and the arguments start. Rust and Jacobs once again do a fantastic job of making the viewer feel for the characters of Gus and Mickey. There were times when I sympathized with Gus, and there were times when I wanted to punch him in the face. Jacobs perfectly showcases a person who’s attempting to leave her demons behind, but they have a way of following her everywhere no matter what she does. And by the end of the season, she makes a HUGE mistake!

For all the melodrama, there is one character who always brightened up the screen: Mickey’s roommate Bertie, played by Claudia O’Doherty. There’s just a sense of eternal optimism with Bertie, like she’s always finding the good side of any situation. Especially the uncomfortable ones, which more often than not, she seems to find herself in. But I gotta say, I do love watching those moments when it seems like she’s about to crack. Like when she’s almost hit by a car, or when she gets called in to work because a fellow co-worker called in sick, yet she finds out that the co-worker actually played her and went to a theme park instead. She even starts having doubts about her boyfriend, Randy, and his inability to get a job or have any goals for the future. But she always regains her composure, which is an admirable quality. Although there was the episode where she, Randy and Gus do mushrooms, but even then, she stayed relatively calm.

The rest of the cast fit very well in their roles. There wasn’t as many scenes of parties at Gus’ apartment this time out, but I’m okay with that. I even found the new members, David Spade and Daniel Stern, to be a welcome addition to the show. Stern played Mickey’s father, Marty Dobbs, in one of the more dramatic episode of the season, not only showcasing where Mickey came from, but also the type of person she never wants to become. Spade plays the father of Arya, the young actress who Gus is in charge of teaching on TV and movie sets.  Arya is once again played by series co-creator Judd Apatow’s oldest daughter, Iris, who is given the subplot of having the TV show she’s working on get cancelled, then has to choose her next project: a big Hollywood blockbuster or a small independent film. While at the same time, being told that her parents are splitting up.

“Love” has found a way of taking everything you think you know about a romantic comedy and flipping it on its head. The situations that the characters find themselves in are things that a regular person like you or me could identify with, and that instantly sucks the viewer in. Season 3 has been announced, which will probably drop around the same time next year. They’ve got an interesting plot going into it, with Gus having no idea about the major mistake Mickey made while he was away on location of a movie set. I can’t wait to see what they give us. Until next time…