I Never Loved Netflix’s ‘Love’ — But I’m Going to Miss It

For three seasons now, I’ve watched Mickey (Gillian Jacobs) and Gus (Paul Rust) make the same terrible mistakes over and over again. Every season of Netflix’s Love has contained a new and different breakdown for the drug-addled Mickey as she desperately claws her way through recovery, and every other episode contains a new misstep that scathingly deconstructs Gus and his nice guy persona. For three seasons now, Love has stood as an often infuriating watch with glimmers of brilliant charm, and that’s kind of the point. More than any other show, that perpetual frustration has let Love stand as one of the truest depictions of falling in love to ever come to television.

Love has always been a difficult watch because, despite its name and the relationship at its center, the Judd Apatow, Paul Rust, and Lesley Arfin-created series has never really been about love. It’s always been about the thorny fights and frustrations that accompany the emotion. Just like how Mickey and Gus fight each other and their identities episode to episode, Love itself seems to fight its audience, daring viewers to root for these characters who seem like they want to rip out each others’ hair. However, it’s in the small moments that the show has always redeemed itself. It’s when Mickey calms down enough to have a day in bed with Gus or when Gus remembers to call her every night while he’s away that these characters and the audience glimpse the pure thing Love is. However, much like in a real relationship, finding these glimmers is a constant battle.

That was certainly true of the show’s first two seasons, but the show’s third and final season shows a couple and series that’s finally content with itself. There are far fewer relationship-shattering fights between Mickey and Gus. Instead of fights that end with threats of rehab, there are smaller arguments — Gus blaming Mickey for getting sick, Mickey learning how to be more supportive when Gus has a bad day. The dramas of this season are small and sincere, but that’s what Love has earned. The series is firmly in its honeymoon phase, and it thrives in this sweet state.

Seeing as how major fights between Mickey and Gus have been the crux of Love‘s drama for two episodes now, it’s remarkable that Season 3 finally lets them be happy instead of breaking them down yet again. Instead, the confrontational focus of Love‘s third season moves to another, less happy couple — Bertie (Claudia O’Doherty) and Randy (Mike Mitchell). It’s a refreshing change of pace that better cements these characters while smartly defining Mickey and Gus by what they aren’t.

This season also finally gives O’Doherty the platform she’s always deserved. Even during Love‘s most challenging episodes, Bertie has always stood as a highlight of the show, O’Doherty’s awkward optimism balancing out Jacobs’ darker scenes. In Season 3, Bertie is as charming as ever, but she’s also finally allowed to have depth. Everything isn’t all right in the life of Love‘s favorite Australian focus group leader, and though Bertie’s bubbly charm doesn’t allow her to acknowledge her failings, Love as a whole highlights her discontent. Mitchell also gives the actress a fantastic foil, portraying Randy’s incompetence in a way that’s both funny and frustratingly believable. Watching O’Doherty is always a hilarious delight, but that’s especially true this year.

There have been a lot of beloved and wonderful love stories on television, but very few shows have been willing to dive into the thorniness of dating and relationships the way Love has. The Apatow comedy now stands beside You’re the Worst and Lovesick as one of the few shows willing to show every part of dating — warts and all. Some parts of Love were deeply frustrating, like the several times Mickey cheated on Gus or Gus’ failed Witchita episode. Some were just silly, like Gus’ love of magic and Mickey’s sex radio show. But now that it’s over, Love stands as a sweet and charming show. I didn’t love every moment of Love, but that was always the point. And now that it’s over, I’m going to miss it dearly.

Stream Love on Netflix