Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
It’s been almost a year and a half since HBO Max launched and introduced the world to its quirky comedy, Love Life. Now the streaming service’s flagship romantic comedy is back with a new season.
Want to see William Jackson Harper be neurotic in another well-crafted comedy but don’t want to play five hours of catch up? Then we have great news for you. You can very easily watch Love Life Season 2 without ever touching Season 1.
Can You Watch Love Life Season 2 Without Watching Season 1?
It all comes down to the format of Sam Boyd’s series. Love Life is an anthology series, meaning each season will focus on a different protagonist trying, failing, and trying again to find love. In its first season, the star of this saga was Anna Kendrick’s constantly anxious Darby. Now in Season 2, it’s about William Harper Jackson’s avoidant-prone Marcus Watkins. So, yes. If you just want to watch The Good Place guy be funny alongside a bunch of excellent Saturday Night Live actors as Keith David narrates, you can very easily do that.
Is Love Life Season 2 Connected to Season 1? Is Anna Kendrick in Love Life Season 2?
If you were a fan of this HBO Max original’s first season, there are certainly some Easter eggs for you. Love Life Season 2 begins with Marcus at a party with his then-wife Emily (Maya Kazan). That party? It’s not a random get-together. It’s actually Darby’s wedding to Magnus (Nick Thune), which happens sometime between Episodes 5 and 6 of Season 1.
Darby makes two more appearances in Season 2, which we won’t spoil as they happen later on in the run. But suffice to say, if you’re a fan of Kendrick she’s not a done-in-one background character.
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Should I Watch Love Life Season 1?
Darby’s appearance may raise a specific question for new fans: Is Love Life Season 1 worth watching? The answer is: sort of. The first installment of this HBO Max comedy isn’t nearly as well-defined as Season 2. The jokes often feel a bit flat, and the big emotional moments switch between feeling unearned or rushed. There’s also the fact that Darby kind of sucks as a character. In the genre of romance, you want a protagonist who’s flawed but ultimately relatable and lovable. Some of Darby’s low moments catapult her from your quirky friend to mutual acquaintance you secretly avoid.
All of that criticism aside, Love Life‘s first season is perfectly fine. It’s a nice little rom-com about dating and love designed to breeze through your mind and make you feel better on a lazy Sunday. If you like the superior Season 2, check it out. Otherwise, avoid it completely. There’s no shame in any show not being your jam.
