By : Prince Moise
The HBO show’s purpose is to show you to go after what you want. The series shows the struggles of trying to find the partner that is meant for you and the aftermath.
HBO's series Love Life shows what finding true love is and what are the costs of getting them. They show all this mainly through the new main character introduced in the second season named Marcus Watkins. As Marcus, is married and works with books but does not seem to be content with his current wife as the revelation starts when Marcus meets a character by the name of Mia. As they get off the moment they meet and it shows instantly by their connection. But as Marcus spends more quality time with Mia he slowly starts to realize the person for him is right in front of him. As he realizes he likes Mia but he is married and realizes he has to leave his current wife. But before getting what he believes he deserves he goes through a midlife crisis dealing with complications and gets depressed at some point maybe realizing he doesn't deserve love.
Male Relationships and it’s complications
The television show Love Life portrays the topic of male relationships and the struggles that come within the relationships. According to Male Friendship and Intimacy " Our primary focus is the concept of intimacy, especially in the context of adult American male relationships "(Strikwerda & May 110). The source goes into more detail elaborating on how it starts out for males how it starts small with friendships and blossoms because at the end of the day men yearn for the same thing women want true love but it is not as easy for men as it seems. That is what Love Life shows through the character of Marcus Watkins as it shows a realistic example of what it looks like to find the right person and how it brings problems getting to that person. As reported by Black Male-Female Relationships: Some Observations "A review of the literature focused on black male-female relationships reveals two major social forces: the impact of society and its major institutions on the one hand, and the influence of persons and groups with which individuals interact on the other " (Aboramph 321). Going back to the character Marcus as he is an African American male who just looks to find his way with the right woman regardless of color but people of the same color seem to interact best in most cases. Another piece of important information comes from Gender and Values from the statement " Women are more likely than are men to overlook differences between themselves and others (e.g., other racial and ethnic groups and those with different sexual preferences) and to have a greater sense of responsibility toward the less privileged (Marini 1990a; Marini and Hanin 1991) " (Beutel & Mooney 437). This information is viable when you talk about the series and go way beyond it because for women it is much easier for them to be compatible with a man but when it comes to a man in most cases it is not the easiest and the show demonstrates that example very well.
The Mid-Life Crisis
For the subject of the Mid-Life Crisis, from the show Love Life series in its second season. As they are talked about frankly by Framke from Variety, and Travers from IndieWire. The start of debriefing of these subjects starts off with Framke as she accredits William Jackson as she put it best "When William Jackson Harper turns on his warm, steady charm, he proves an impossible actor to resist." But as mentioned prior Marcus makes questionable decisions being human as he may fit the theme of realism because he is not perfect he makes his mistakes with love because that is what he yearns for and falls into doubt at times. In Travers' review from IndieWire as we learn Marcus has questionable doubts on if he deserves love due to the mistakes he makes while trying to find love and has himself a midlife crisis. Which once again shows how these sources fit the mold of the theme being realism because they talk about the details and mistakes Marcus makes but how he wants to be better because that is what everyone wants to be better then they were the day prior and could make mistakes on the way of trying to become a better person.
The Happy Ending?
As the title states The Happy Ending? with a question mark basically saying is there really a happy ending because who knows. Which one of the final and most important reviews from Metz of the Chicago Tribune and Berman of Time. The title of the article being ‘Love Life’ review: Can a rom-com stretch over 10 episodes and still have snap? Season 2 on HBO Max gives it a try and something that resonates with the title The Happy Ending is a scene that occurs in the last episode with Marcus saying he’s hiding, and he’s always hiding. That fits with the theme here mentioned prior is there a happy ending? The question is we may never know unless we put ourselves in Marcus’ shoes and find out for ourselves. In the viewers eyes from the first meeting between Marcus and Mia with the connection there almost immediately. Especially when she asks him “How’d you end up at this sad wedding?” and he talks about his wife who used to work with the groom but it seemed difficult for him to utter those word wife to Mia.
Complicating evidence- While I may have argued everyone deserves love, I don't believe many can handle the responsibilities that come with it. A lot of folks lack judgment so to speak as they believe the relationships are supposed to only remain happy and be rainbow and sunshine that is far from the truth. The issue within many people's belief systems as when things get rough they go for the temporary fix if it's cheating, and etc. Which is why I contradicted my first statement and argued by saying whose to pick and choose who deserves love certainly not me. But I do believe when it comes it is a special thing and only time will tell if it lasts because as the saying goes when the going gets tough the tough get going.
Love just like anything in this world can be good or bad. It all really comes down to the people and it is the reason many are falsely led to depression trying to find this feeling. But as the series Love Life, displays through the character Marcus anyone can go and try to obtain this feeling with the right person but are they willing to keep trying and trying until they find that person, and then even after having people try to not only take that from you but also be tempted by temporary pleasures.
But with Marcus even getting what he wants in the last episode he still seems complacent about the situation. Making it feel like he thought this is what he wants but it doesn’t feel like it after he got it. Which goes back to the argument that some people may not deserve love because people can succumb to the desires even after getting what they want because they feel like they need more and this is not enough. So it leads to people getting hurt instead of using communication like adults if they do not feel the same spark they may have once felt with their significant other. But unfortunately that is the trend nowadays where people feel they are not liable to take responsibility for their actions even if it hurts someone else.
Prince Moise - student blogger, and writer.
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