'Modern Love' Episode 4 is all about investing your trust in time for things to change
Spoilers ahead for Episode 4 of 'Modern Love' titled 'Rallying to Keep the Game Alive'
Sarah (Tina Fey) and Dennis (John Slattery) have been married for years and have two children together. We meet this quarrying couple for the first time midway through their therapy session - Sarah is adamant their marriage together is over but Dennis doesn't seem to be quite on the same page.
Theirs is a marriage like any others. The years have weathered their connection and bond and what remains is just gravel. They go from one day to the other arguing, standing on two different planes and grimacing at each other. Well, frankly, most of this grimacing is done by Fey's Sarah over Dennis' child-like persona.
But outside of the rapport the two of them share, the parents are almost golden with their children. And that obviously becomes one reason they want to make it work.
So, they make appointments with their therapist even though Sarah is sure it wouldn't work out. The therapist (played by Sarita Choudhury) suggests they do an activity together. And the couple goes to play tennis. But repeated attempts only seem to pull them apart.
And just as they had given all hope, a chat at a restaurant reignites their hope. Sarah has been bottling a lot of feelings for a while now. Feeling ignored around Dennis, it has evolved into anger she keeps inside of her - anger that trickles down onto the relationship she has with Dennis. "I Hate who I am with you now", she tells him. Sarah says she has felt as though Dennis has pushed her away from the fun part of his life as an actor - the premieres, the parties - and confined her in responsibilities she never asked for. And just as he should, Dennis apologizes for keeping their worlds apart.
Tina Fey had never been more in her element than as Sarah. She is taut and speaks her mouth regardless of how filthy it is. At first, the bitter woman in Sarah pushes you away with her sneers but through the episode, we know what she means when she says that Dennis has pushed her away. Fey's chemistry with Slattery is unmatched. 'Rallying to Keep the Game Alive' is a story about not giving up and investing your trust in time.
"We rallied, not with the adrenaline-pumping determination to win at all costs, but with the patience and control that came with not wanting it to be over: not the summer, not our son's childhood, not this game, ever."
All episodes of 'Modern Love' are currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video.