'Love Life' Episode 4 Review: Darby is finally in an 'adult' relationship, but something's fishy about Lund
Spoilers for 'Love Life' Episode 4
Let's face it, we were hoping that Darby Carter's (Anna Kendrick) next relationship was one that would allow her some growth - mentally and emotionally. While the first three episodes show us three different men in her life, we couldn't help but wonder if her quest to find the 'perfect' love would see itself to fruition. Surprisingly, this episode seemed to have a bit of depth even with its cliche inflated male ego scenes and a familiar 'new relationship' narrative. Turns out, Magnus Lund (Nick Thune), Darby's new man (also the title of the episode) seemed to have won Darby's heart after her string of one night stands. She was being 'casual' since 'Danny Two Phones' (Gus Halper), her fling in Episode 3, said her friends justifying her "fleeting relationships" before Lund was chosen to be the current 'one.'
This episode seemed to bring the 'adult' to the series, showcasing a relationship that didn't look like the writer tried too hard to be liked. We like Lund, only because for once we were shown Darby as a woman on her own two feet feeling what it was like to carry a relationship on her own. While the first few months had the duo smitten with each other, Lund seemed to have paved his way into the heart of Darby's mother and friends - he was just perfect. From taking weekend trips and ditching work to talking about kids and building a farm, we are shown how Darby's expectations of a relationship had changed since Augie Jeong (Jin Ha). 'We're gonna stick together, my dreams are your dreams,' they had promised each other - then, BAM! life presented them with a power struggle.
The narrative of Darby being the 'top dog' of her relationship as she gets a promotion with a higher salary when Lund loses his job finally brings an interesting factor to the series. Although Lund threw a hormonal 'I am the man' fit, it was an empowering move for Darby as a character - this was a cool aspect to approach in the series. So far, we weren't able to understand Darby outside of what she was as a girlfriend, but the episode brings us a Darby that showcases the woman of this generation that has a high paying job and a lazy boyfriend that felt emasculated. The growth seen in the characters, hopefully, means that Darby will make better choices moving forward like NOT accepting Lund's proposal. Why she didn't say no, almost immediately, beats us!
Rom-coms as movies are able to capture the viewer with the calm, buildup and climax of the narrative in just over an hour but a rom-com as a series, that's harder to achieve. This was the first episode in which we felt the viewer was able to stay hooked, as Darby's relationship with Lund didn't feel forced for the sake of a script. We had high expectations for Lund though, but his character seems to piggyback on Darby's newfound confidence - maybe he's another filler in her line of relationship mishaps, we don't know yet. While the jokes still seemed juvenile, this was the first man in Darby's life that allowed her to look inside and develop an attitude that works for her life. It doesn't mean her insecurities didn't show, she just has the reins now.
The episode did leave us with the proposal cliffhanger and as we said, we're hoping Darby has grown enough to say 'no.'
New episodes of 'Love Life' will be released every Thursday on HBO Max.