Come on, who doesn’t love “Love”?
The Netflix original series “Love” returns for its third and final season. It follows Gus, an average, unlikely hero who meets Mickey while she’s doing what she does best: causing a scene in a gas station. Their friendship blossoms into a relationship that reaches its peak in the newest season. “Love” focuses less on the big picture of love and more on the everyday situations of a relationship.
As with almost everything Judd Apatow slaps his name on, “Love” is nothing ground-breaking, but the clever writing and realness keep you wanting more. In the season opener, “Palm Springs Getaway,” Gus deals with the frustration of unknowingly leaving the Bluetooth on his phone connected to a speaker in the main room of the house while he watches an adult film in the bathroom. As you could guess, everyone hears it. I mean, who can’t relate to that? The Bluetooth confusion, not the porn.
While seasons one and two set up and move the story along, season three delves deeper into back story and character development. We learn about Gus’ secret college fiancé and his unfortunate Hollywood reputation. In Bertie Beverly Bauer’s, the most lovable character on the show, long overdue episode, she finally explains why she left Australia for Los Angeles. Gus’s neighbor, Chris, turns out to have a more complex life than just a Kramer-esque meathead. Mickey really seems to be on the right path. Her struggle with drugs, alcohol and sex have dwindled down to nothing but temptations that she overcomes.
Gus is the embodiment of a nerd and a nightmare. Sometimes you want to strangle him because of his cheesiness, like in the episode “I’m Sick” when he sings a cringy impromptu song about soup as he brings a bowl Mickey. Sometimes you want to strangle him because of his pettiness, like in the same episode when he unfairly lectures Mickey about her carelessness when it comes to hygiene. The scene is so brutal that a friend of mine said it gave her relationship PTSD.
The recurring characters and cameo appearances in “Love” could be the most fun element of the show. Brett Gelman’s exaggerated portrayal of the pathetic fake doctor and DJ Greg Colter makes you unable to take your eyes off his downfall. After he sinks as low as anyone could possibly go, his tasteful overacting makes you want him to go just a foot deeper without giving him any sympathy at all.
Should you watch it? Absolutely.
For a show that prides itself on being real and down to earth, the finale seems farfetched. A guy so overly-cautious about getting sick like Gus probably would not marry an unstable ex-addict on a whim. But a show as charming as “Love” deserves a happy ending, so I’ll let it slide. The final episode closes perfectly with “You and I” by Wilco, a simple song with lyrics that sum up the entire series.
Watch “Love” on Netflix now.
Collegian reporter Jonny Rhein can be reached at entertainment@collegian.com or on Twitter @jonnyrhein.
