This recap of Amazon original With Love season 1, episode 3 does contain spoilers.
Set two months after New Year’s Eve, episode three follows all of the main characters as they celebrate — and in some cases cope with — the next major holiday, Valentine’s Day.
What I especially liked about this episode was that, unlike the previous two, every story arc gets equal attention. In fact, the episode opens up with a focused update on Sol and her relationship. If you read my episode two review, until now, her story has taken a bit of a backseat in the series.
With Love season 1, episode 3 recap
The day starts with her waking up in bed next to the doctor who had been courting her since Christmas, Miles. It’s eventually revealed that both of their schedules have finally synched up, allowing them to spend more time together. However, this happiness is short-lived. Upon using the bathroom, Sol discovers a kid’s toothbrush. Soon after, it’s revealed that Dr. Miles has been actively hiding his kid from her. Sol leaves hurt, and the tone is set for the rest of the episode. There’s a lot of heartbreak in this one.
As Sol spends the day trying to sort out her emotions, Lily decides to fly solo to a vineyard. Since New Year, after all, she’s set her sights on living a single life. However, when she arrives, she bumps into a familiar face: Santiago. The two finally and formally meet, and she ends up spending the day with him and his friends there. It seems like magic. That’s another recurring theme throughout the episode until Santiago mocks Lily’s views on love and romance anyway. The two argue and then go their separate ways, but not before Lily admits that she thought bumping into him again seemed “magical” to her.
Shortly after her casual hookup, Nick surprises Lily at the vineyard to try and win her over, but she ultimately tells him that she doesn’t see a future with him.
The drama doesn’t end there. The episode climaxes when the man with who Lily and Jorge Jr.’s mom, Beatriz, has been having an emotional affair with shows up to declare his love for her. As expected, when Jorge Sr. finds out, he becomes equally furious and heartbroken. What hurts him most, however, is not being able to believe Beatriz when she apologizes.
Despite the frequent sadness, there are some wonderful, humorous, and lighthearted moments in the episode too. For instance, Sol discovers the reason that her suitor never told her about his kid is that they are genderqueer. With Sol being a trans woman, he didn’t want her to think he was using her as a way to get closer to his kid. He makes it clear he genuinely likes Sol. The two embrace and the future looks even brighter for them.
After being the more serious characters in the first two episodes, Jorge Jr. and Henry are surprisingly this episode’s comic relief. Concerned for Lily’s well-being as a single woman on Valentine’s Day, the two decide to spy on her at the vineyard. Their antics are so over-the-top and hilarious that the other, sadder plot points become easier to digest.
Despite being arguably the best episode of the series so far, the ending feels somewhat cheesy and contrived. In a moment that feels made for the movies, at the end of the episode, Lily and Santiago find themselves at the same restaurant. Lily sits next to him, Santiago apologizes, and the camera pans back hinting that, even with two episodes left, this is the start of something special.
What did you think of Amazon original With Love season 1, episode 3? Comment below.
