'Modern Love' Episode 1 takes you on a fuzzy journey exploring one of the oldest lessons in life — love comes in all forms and sizes
Spoilers ahead for Episode 1 of 'Modern Love' titled 'When the Doorman Is Your Main Man'
'When the Doorman Is Your Main Man' begins with Cristin Milioti's Maggie nervous about her date coming to an end. What is making her tense is not whether this particular date will call her back or if this is going to work out in the long run.
Why Maggie is throwing anxious glances towards her building is because of her doorman Guzmin (Laurentiu Possa).
You see, Maggie and Guzmin share a very unique relationship. Built on years of trust and a peculiar understanding of each other, the duo shares a friendship that surpasses barriers of age, backgrounds, and social classes.
Milioti's Maggie is a young girl who reviews books for a living. When she is not sitting in cafes reading copies after copies of newly published work, she is looking for love in New York City.
And so, she goes on several dates. When returning from these dates, Maggie is always nervous that her doorman Guzmin will reject the guys she is with.
For instance, when returning from one of her seemingly great dates, Guzmin tells her, "I don't like him. He's empty-headed. You are a very bright woman with a PhD!"
Maggie defends the guys she goes out with, but as it happens, none of these guys are in for the long run — a prediction by Guzmin that comes true.
However, after one of these dates, Maggie gets pregnant. Distraught, she doesn't know who to call — her mother, her sister, the guy responsible? Surprisingly, Maggie finds herself voicing all her doubts and her concerns to Guzmin in the lobby of her building.
Guzmin hears all her concerns and gives her the strength to go forward, promising her support regardless of her decision. "Tomorrow is a brand new day that's never been touched," he tells her.
This is what forms the crux of their relationship with each other. Maggie and Guzmin are not mere strangers who just happen to cross paths in a city. By the end of the episode, it becomes clear that their fates cross in the concrete jungle that is New York for a reason.
Cristin Milioti and Laurentiu Possa are heartwarming in their performances of Maggie and Guzmin. Their shared affection trickles off the screen making you feel all fuzzy.
'When the Doorman Is Your Main Man' is an overwhelming story that brings to you one of the oldest lessons about love — that it can come in all forms and sizes. There are very few things that imprint you with their honesty and sincerity, this episode is one of them.
Directed by John Carney and based on the article by Julie Margaret Hogben, the official synopsis reads: "For a single woman in New York and the guy who stands watch in her building, their special bond proves lasting."
"A beautiful story about single motherhood and the unlikely characters that lift you up and unexpectedly shape your life. Tomorrow is a brand new day that's never been touched," it adds.
The anthology series 'Modern Love' is based on a running New York Times column that the publication describes as "weekly essays that explore joys and tribulations of love".
From thousands of entries that make the NYT column, it is a just decision to make 'When Your Doorman Is Your Main Man' the series' first episode.
To a brand new audience that is unaware of the contemporary goodness of the column and the podcast, 'When Your Doorman Is Your Main Man' opens the world of 'Modern Love' with a rare earnestness.
Maggie's story is not special owing to its edgy characters. It makes itself unique by its extraordinary show of humanity and friendship. All episodes of 'Modern Love' are currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
