Summary
Serving a couple of duds, Amazon’s anthology series Modern Love gives the audiences some excellent examples of finding romance in different places.
Varying versions of love; that’s the key message that ekes out of Amazon’s anthology series Modern Love Season 1, created and based on the New York Times’ column. While there’s a couple of duds that lay within the series, it’s a fantastic answer to Netflix’s Easy, which is an obvious comparison.
Each episode of Modern Love answers a question or lays down a scenario; from daddy issues to a gay couple adopting and to old love, the Amazon series tries its best to maintain a range to keep the anthological aspect fresh. Each chapter offers a new ideology, some that keep you pondering for a few hours while others you discard almost instantly.
But the main selling point of Modern Love is the noticeable cast — to name a few; Anne Hathaway, Tina Fey, Dev Patel, Sofia Boutella, and Olivia Cooke all feature in their own stories, lending a sense of curiosity to what their performances will bring. In general, no performances are half-measured, even in the less impactful episodes, making Modern Love consistent in that respect.
The question that will be pursed on many lips; is an anthological romance series needed? And I would argue yes. In a fast-paced world, it’s becoming easy to succumb to what makes us less human. With more apps than we can handle, friendships and relationships are easier to come by than ever before. This notion of “modern love” is defining the fact that we have refined what love means.
An example is my favourite episode in this series; Anne Hathaway plays a New Yorker with bipolar disorder — an episode that could easily be construed as romance at the start becomes a message of self-care and awareness, a story that will be appreciated by the bipolar community. Episode 5 is easily the best of the season, and one I did not hesitate to give five stars.
Of course, some of the chapters are overly watery and a little cringe, but Amazon’s Modern Love Season 1 is pointedly throwing the right messages. With Amazon relying on the stars to sell it, I wouldn’t be surprised if the initial hype and viewership spur on a second season. After all, Easy had some legs with less promotional strength behind it.
You can read the recap of the first episode by clicking these words.
