HBO Max’s 2-Part Anthology Series Is One of the Best Shows You Can Binge Right Now

Romance as a genre has a knack for being wonderfully escapist, indulging in fantasies of meeting the perfect person and overcoming trials to secure the relationship. Whether it has a whimsical sheen or a more grounded, intense approach, romances are generally a step away from the reality we are acquainted with, the exception to the rule most people experience. After all, that’s why when we hear a love story that’s out of the ordinary, we label it “rom-com worthy.” There’s certainly nothing wrong with escapism, but it’s always refreshing to see another take on the genre, and HBO’s Love Life is a two-season anthology series that illuminates the wonder and beauty of the kind of romances we see in everyday life. It’s a love letter to real and messy relationships that appear over a lifetime, where finding “the one” is not as important as the others you meet along the way.

‘Love Life’ Offers a Whimsical and Realistic Take on Romance

Image via HBO

The bad news is that there are only two seasons of Love Life, but the good news is that they are standalone stories, each centered around a different character, and are satisfying in their own ways. The first season follows aspiring museum curator Darby (Anna Kendrick), plucking key moments from her life in a somewhat episodic format, where Episode 1 dives into her first relationship out of college and the second jumps forward a year into her tumultuous affair with her recently divorced boss. What makes the concept work is that each episode is a well-executed package of the magic of falling in love, the comfort of familiarity and then the heartbreak of lovers being torn apart. With intentional storytelling and not a second wasted, we’re guided through an emotional narrative that resonates deeply, even as we have to start all over again alongside Darby.

The title may make you assume that the show is about the relationships between two people, but it is actually about how every relationship throughout your life defines and redefines the person you become. It’s what Darby learns from these connections, whether it be life lessons or about her identity, that demands our attention. Another assumption it challenges is that one’s love life is only made up of romance. The series incorporates all kinds of love, whether that be a long-forgotten dalliance in high school that unexpectedly reveals a fundamental truth about how you interact with people, a close friend you’re concerned about, or a mother you just can’t seem to find middle ground with. Romance is never the ultimate goal in Love Life, even as the episodes offer the heart-fluttering escapism of meeting someone you click with alongside a reality that is both bitter and hopeful.

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Kendrick and Harper Deliver Emotionally Complex Performances in ‘Love Life’

Delivering the emotional and psychological journey of a character across decades with time jumps is a challenge for anyone, but in Season 1, Kendrick delivers it reliably. With each episode, Darby is slightly different than before, whether it be a slightly straighter posture, a more mature intonation to her voice, or fluctuating levels of exhaustion in her eyes. Just these tiny signals heighten the believability of the show while creating a dynamic and painfully human character to believe in. In the second season, William Jackson Harper carries on the torch as married book editor Marcus who meets another woman, kicking off his own complicated love life and identity crisis. Unlike Darby’s string of relationships, Marcus’ story mainly bounces between these two women, with Harper relaying the complexities and unexpected wonder of real love with just as much depth and feeling.

It may not commit to the escapism that is typical of the genre, but Love Life is still a delightful escape into the corners of reality we often forget about. After all, tropes like second-chance romance or forbidden affairs do stem from real life possibilities, and the show eagerly indulges in them while painting them over in the light of everyday life, which can be both disheartening and hopeful. It’s utterly immersive in how it roots out the wonder in relationships while turning the mirror back onto the main character, moments that Kendrick and Harper handle with an all-too-relatable reluctance to look within. If the reality of modern dating is grating on your resilience, then Love Life is the sign of faith you need.