Love: The End of the Beginning
March 21, 2016 6:46 AM - Season 1, Episode 10 - Subscribe
Troubles keep mounting for Gus as he gets to experience life in the writers' room. Meanwhile, a new crisis pushes Mickey to a breaking point.
Agree, it's pretty sweet. They've both been knocked down a peg or two and in that despair discover there's someone who's in the same space mentally and emotionally and surprise, that person likes them.
Now it's a question of whether they can fix themselves while receiving the support and love of the other, without falling into the various traps along the way.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 9:10 AM on March 21, 2016
Now it's a question of whether they can fix themselves while receiving the support and love of the other, without falling into the various traps along the way.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 9:10 AM on March 21, 2016
And again, not to beat a dead horse, but if the last few minutes of this episode give you the feels, you really should be watching You're the Worst, which somehow manages to achieve the same thing several times a season, even while managing about twice the laughs. That show sneaks up on you, looking much cruder and more slight than it is, but when it digs in, it digs in deep.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 10:20 AM on March 21, 2016
posted by DirtyOldTown at 10:20 AM on March 21, 2016
OK, last YTW thing, but really, it's such a cousin to this show that is superior in so many ways:
The Brilliant Long Con of You're the Worst.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 10:26 AM on March 21, 2016
The Brilliant Long Con of You're the Worst.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 10:26 AM on March 21, 2016
Hey, has anyone heard of a show called "You're the Worst"? It's similar to "Love," but I heard multiple times that it's sooooooooo much better.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 10:36 AM on March 21, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 10:36 AM on March 21, 2016 [1 favorite]
There is a chance I may have said something to that effect around three times, yeah.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 10:37 AM on March 21, 2016
posted by DirtyOldTown at 10:37 AM on March 21, 2016
How freaking painful was it watching Gus completely fail to read the room? Maybe even worse was how he dug that awful hole for himself, learned little if anything from it, got fired, and then had a child not only save his job, but effortlessly explain the tone of the show he had so awkwardly failed to grasp?
OMG, the part where he was lecturing them about trying to be better? Criminy.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 10:42 AM on March 21, 2016 [2 favorites]
OMG, the part where he was lecturing them about trying to be better? Criminy.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 10:42 AM on March 21, 2016 [2 favorites]
Yeah, it was pretty bad and pretty hard to watch. He had arrived, he was in the writer's room and he didn't have to do much, just contribute in some way. But he just stuck to his guns and crashed and burned, which was odd to see for guy who plays in a band, informal though it may be be. You'd think he would be better at reading his partners and pick up ques. But no, he just crashed and burned and then had to saved by his student.
It'll be interesting to see how the show deals with them both next season, particularly Mickey and her addiction issues.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 11:28 AM on March 21, 2016
It'll be interesting to see how the show deals with them both next season, particularly Mickey and her addiction issues.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 11:28 AM on March 21, 2016
I think his catering friend (Jordan Rock is the actor, though I forget the character's name) gave him a flurry of questionable to bad advice that combined with his own internal foibles to set him up for failure.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 11:53 AM on March 21, 2016
posted by DirtyOldTown at 11:53 AM on March 21, 2016
I love You're The Worst but I don't think it's that similar to this show.
I hated the ending to Love, she said she wanted to be on her own and then he kissed her. Ugh.
posted by zutalors! at 1:29 PM on March 21, 2016 [3 favorites]
I hated the ending to Love, she said she wanted to be on her own and then he kissed her. Ugh.
posted by zutalors! at 1:29 PM on March 21, 2016 [3 favorites]
I hated the ending to Love, she said she wanted to be on her own and then he kissed her.
Exactly. Mickey really needs to address her addiction issues and that's best done while alone. So do they hold off for a bit and both work on themselves or do they get back together and just muddle through, while hopefully working on themselves.
It'll be interesting to see what the answer is in 2017!
But FYI, Mickey and Gus are loosely based on Paul Rust and his wife, so...
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 2:34 PM on March 21, 2016
Exactly. Mickey really needs to address her addiction issues and that's best done while alone. So do they hold off for a bit and both work on themselves or do they get back together and just muddle through, while hopefully working on themselves.
It'll be interesting to see what the answer is in 2017!
But FYI, Mickey and Gus are loosely based on Paul Rust and his wife, so...
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 2:34 PM on March 21, 2016
Well, she kinda said she really wanted to be with him, but was pretty sure she was too messed up and should probably wait a year so that she didn't fuck it up again. Then, he kissed her.
So it's less like he disregarded her saying she wanted to be alone and more like when she said that she liked him but that she should probably wait, he made it clear she didn't need to wait, as far as he was concerned.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 4:13 PM on March 21, 2016
So it's less like he disregarded her saying she wanted to be alone and more like when she said that she liked him but that she should probably wait, he made it clear she didn't need to wait, as far as he was concerned.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 4:13 PM on March 21, 2016
(Of course, in real life, I recognize the importance of responding to what a woman says as opposed to what you suppose she meant. But in this specific case, the clear authorial intent kinda removes some of the gray area, from where I'm sitting. I can see the argument against, though, for sure.)
posted by DirtyOldTown at 4:18 PM on March 21, 2016
posted by DirtyOldTown at 4:18 PM on March 21, 2016
Yeah, I think the authorial intent was really clumsy "Love Wins" "Just Stay Together And Work On It" stuff, like Apatow always does.
The whole idea that women don't have agency to decide what's right for them is really frustrating to me.
posted by zutalors! at 4:55 PM on March 21, 2016 [1 favorite]
The whole idea that women don't have agency to decide what's right for them is really frustrating to me.
posted by zutalors! at 4:55 PM on March 21, 2016 [1 favorite]
Not to say you're wrong DirtyOldTown, just that I saw it differently.
posted by zutalors! at 4:56 PM on March 21, 2016
posted by zutalors! at 4:56 PM on March 21, 2016
I hated the ending to Love, she said she wanted to be on her own and then he kissed her. Ugh.
I wasn't real impressed with this ending, either. I commented in some of the earlier episode discussions that I wasn't seeing a lot of attraction between them, and the ending was more of the same for me, with the bonus of the kiss after she gives a "not now" speech.
posted by Dip Flash at 5:10 PM on March 21, 2016 [2 favorites]
I wasn't real impressed with this ending, either. I commented in some of the earlier episode discussions that I wasn't seeing a lot of attraction between them, and the ending was more of the same for me, with the bonus of the kiss after she gives a "not now" speech.
posted by Dip Flash at 5:10 PM on March 21, 2016 [2 favorites]
I so wish it has ended with them waiting a year to try being together but I guess that doesn't make for a great second season.
posted by betsybetsy at 6:47 PM on March 21, 2016
posted by betsybetsy at 6:47 PM on March 21, 2016
How freaking painful was it watching Gus completely fail to read the room?
It felt like Gus had never learned how to put his big-boy pants on and take the time to understand his role in a new group. I get that he might have a low opinion of the other writers based on the creative decisions they make, but it was unrealistic that he'd act that way given that he works literally within the industry environment and therefore would be moderately familiar with the cultural norms/mores.
posted by a halcyon day at 12:54 PM on March 22, 2016 [2 favorites]
It felt like Gus had never learned how to put his big-boy pants on and take the time to understand his role in a new group. I get that he might have a low opinion of the other writers based on the creative decisions they make, but it was unrealistic that he'd act that way given that he works literally within the industry environment and therefore would be moderately familiar with the cultural norms/mores.
posted by a halcyon day at 12:54 PM on March 22, 2016 [2 favorites]
Nah, go back and look at Gus's interactions with the producer/shower runner. He's consisted in over his head and generally fails to get what she's saying, requiring her to guide him to the desired result.
Gus's meltdown in the writer's room was cringeworthy, sure, but pretty much telegraphed how he would act.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 4:47 PM on March 22, 2016
Gus's meltdown in the writer's room was cringeworthy, sure, but pretty much telegraphed how he would act.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 4:47 PM on March 22, 2016
I mentioned You're The Worst earlier too, because structurally they're somewhat similar, but the protagonists there are so much more likeable and we see them happy together much more. There was a couple of scenes where Mickey and Gus were happy together but they weren't really enough I thought.
I would've preferred them waiting a year as well. The ending could've easily just been a time jump and them running into each other. Not as dramatic, but at least it would've felt more right. Of course they could go into the next season and just play the kiss off as nothing meaningful and do exactly that as well.
posted by john-a-dreams at 5:09 PM on March 22, 2016
I would've preferred them waiting a year as well. The ending could've easily just been a time jump and them running into each other. Not as dramatic, but at least it would've felt more right. Of course they could go into the next season and just play the kiss off as nothing meaningful and do exactly that as well.
posted by john-a-dreams at 5:09 PM on March 22, 2016
Just finished the last episode...that writers' room scene was excruciating!
It reminded me of the scene in Girls (S1, Ep2) where Hannah has a job interview with Mike Birbiglia. As she descended further into disaster I was cringing and imploring her to stop talking. That's how I felt about Gus in the writers' room.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 12:39 AM on April 16, 2016
It reminded me of the scene in Girls (S1, Ep2) where Hannah has a job interview with Mike Birbiglia. As she descended further into disaster I was cringing and imploring her to stop talking. That's how I felt about Gus in the writers' room.
posted by hurdy gurdy girl at 12:39 AM on April 16, 2016
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Mickey's speech was sad and some people may take it as Gus just going with the option in front of him at a low moment. To me, though, I can see how at the point he was at, what she said to him was irresistible. Essentially, he just went through a cycle in his life where things seemed to go easy for him, everything seemed to be looking up and going his way, then it all blew up horribly. Heidi was using him, Witchita was using him, and this new idea he'd had of who and what he was just detonated in front of him. And just as he is about to retreat into hating himself, Mickey comes to him and says that she likes him, she sincerely likes him, she likes him for who he is. She's broken, she's an addict, she's a mess, but she takes him for who he is.
It was kind of beautiful, really.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 6:53 AM on March 21, 2016