Shweta Basu Prasad’s Digital Playlist: Netflix’s Love is the perfect binge watch series for the weekend

This week my recommendation is Netflix original unromantic comedy series LOVE.

Logline: Rebellion Mickey and good-natured Gus navigate the thrills and agonies of modern relationships in this bold comedy series, created by Judd Apatow.

Warning: rated 18+. Contains language and sex.

The series is spread across two seasons of a total of twenty two episodes, ten in the first season and twelve in second and is set in Los Angeles, California, USA. Love’s prime characters Gus (Paul Rust – also the co-creator and executive producer of the show) and Mickey (Gillian Jacobs) live and work in LA in the media industry. Gus is a child star tutor on the shooting sets of a hated television show Witchita, handling the crew and the child star (and her parents’) tantrums and trying very hard to pitch himself as a writer. Just out of a relationship, Gus moves out of his girlfriend’s house and starts his life anew at a Hollywood apartment making friends with the very friendly neighbours who drop by to his house to sing improvised songs for movies that don’t have a title score. The amiable and welcoming Gus gets along with most people who cross his path.

The annoying yet gorgeous and hardworking Mickey is out of yet another relationship, and this time she is done with guys with piercings, tattoos and drug habits. Being a love, sex, alcohol and drug addict, she tries to attend as many AA (alcoholics anonymous) meetings, making new promises to herself to quit her vices. Mickey works at a radio station as a manager, heading the show of Dr. Greg, who solves love and relationship problems of his callers, but in reality, has a rather desperate personality.

When the messed-up Mickey and friendly Gus meet, they hit it off. Initially hanging out just as friends, Mickey hooks him up with her roommate Bertie with thick Australian accent, which fizzles out immediately. Eventually, Mickey herself ends up liking Gus. Gus, who liked Mickey from the beginning but thought she was too cool for him, becomes her support system. The first season transforms their friendship to little-more-than-friends-but-not-a-couple and the second season is their journey of becoming a couple.

The show is shot very well. Directed by various directors, yet it is well executed. Written fabulously and performed at par by all the actors. The biggest take away from the show is its well-crafted characters and the episode flow. The show is rated 7.7 on the IMDB and 91% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Love is the perfect binge watch series for the weekend. The show is funny, real, in your face, all about love, yet completely unromantic!

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(Shweta Basu Prasad is a national award winning actress, famed for Makdee, Iqbal and television show Chandra Nandini. Shweta is a graduate in mass media and journalism)