Summary
If not for its unique and effective approach, “How Do You Remember Me?” might just go down as the season’s most memorable episode for its meaningful message.
This recap of Amazon Original Modern Love season 2, episode 7, “How Do You Remember Me?” contains spoilers.
For every relationship that survives, there are countless missed connections that either didn’t work out or that we just might never get to explore. In the seventh episode of this season of Modern Love titled “How Do You Remember Me?”, not only does the audience explore a romance that could have been, it witnesses it through the eyes of both parties.
Based on a personal essay that he contributed to the Modern Love column in 2017, “How Do You Remember Me?” also marks the directorial debut of veteran stage and screen star Andrew Rannells.
The episode revolves around two past lovers (Zane Pais and Marquis Rodriguez) who see each other years later on a NYC sidewalk. However, as the two slowly cross paths, the audience is shown how differently each person remembers the events of their relationship — and the memories aren’t all good.
Modern Love season 2, episode 7 recap
Now, in my review of episode four, I had previously mentioned that there was another episode later this season with a much better execution of its flashbacks. This is that episode. It’s one thing to use the device to convey crucial information, but here Rannells uses them to almost accomplish the opposite. He’s not concerned with which person is right or wrong. He’s just trying to validate the perspectives of both men by presenting the facts as each perceived them. The audience is then left to decide. However, that doesn’t matter. Instead, the biggest takeaway should be that regardless of who you’ve loved or who you’ve hurt, dwelling never does any good. That’s why we should always live in the present.
With so much to address and so much to show, I was genuinely surprised at how well it was all balanced. Watching the story unfold, you never feel bombarded and neither lead’s story ever feels unbalanced.
Pais and Rodriguez should especially be applauded because they essentially each play two versions of their character. While I can imagine it probably being fun to dive into the duality of each perspective, it had to also be challenging.
Now, my only issue with this episode is the fact that it is anticlimactic. Without spoiling anything, we watch these two characters walk towards each other but the ultimate interaction isn’t what you would expect. Then again, maybe it doesn’t have to be because the experience might have already been enough.
