“Modern Love” is one of many things: a weekly column, a podcast — and now a TV show. For 15 years, the New York Times has brought personal essays to life, telling stories of love, loss, heartbreak, betrayal and revelations. Four years ago, the columns were adapted into a podcast, and as of this fall they have been adapted into an eight-episode TV series on Amazon Prime Video.
The romantic comedy series features notable actors such as Anne Hathaway, Tina Fey, Dev Patel and Andy Garcia.
The series focuses on love in all of its forms, from complications to the pure beauty of human connection. Each episode brings to life a separate plot of a different “Modern Love” article, with storylines ranging from a bipolar woman attempting to have a normal love life to a gay couple choosing a homeless woman to be their surrogate. The series truly is a refreshing take on how love can take many forms and may not be as glamorous as Hollywood perceives it to be.
Episode Guide
“When the Doorman Is Your Main Man”
Cristin Milioti plays a young woman who develops a close connection with her doorman, who aids her in navigating the struggles of dating and motherhood. This story touches on how love may not always go as planned and can take many forms from romance to friendship.
“When Cupid is a Prying Journalist”
Catherine Keener and Dev Patel star in an episode focusing on lost love, and the many forms this can take. Thirty years ago, a woman is stood up by her boyfriend who she believed was the love of her life. After learning the story was far more complicated than she thought, she uses her story as a cautionary tale in order to help reunite another couple.
“Take Me as I Am, Whoever I Am”
Anne Hathaway steals the show in her role as Lexi, a woman combatting bipolar disorder. Lexi tells the story of how her illness has shaped her love life and that sometimes it’s okay to ask for help when you need it.
“Rallying to Keep the Game Alive”
Tina Fey and John Slattery star as a couple on the rocks of divorce in couples therapy. People can feel misunderstood in relationships and this episode focuses on love as teamwork. Deciding to get divorced may just be the key to staying married.
“At the Hospital, an Interlude of Clarity”
First dates can be kind of messy and nerve-racking. Sofia Boutella and John Gallagher Jr. play a couple on a first date that just isn’t going to plan. It takes six hours in the emergency room to give a man the confidence to enjoy the date that landed him there.
“He Looked Like Dad. It Was Just Dinner, Right?”
A young woman has a difficult time working through feelings about her late father while having an even more difficult time separating these feelings for an older man at work. Love can be confusing and feelings can be hard to navigate.
“Hers Was a World of One”
A gay couple chooses a homeless woman as their surrogate mother, hosting her in their New York City apartment for the duration of the pregnancy. Their open adoption is made complicated by her inherent lifestyle. This episode is an extraordinary story about a modern family.
“The Race Grows Sweeter Near Its Final Lap”
A woman finds love later in life, for the second time. After the passing of her first husband, she falls in love again with a man she meets at her grievance group.
The show has already received a large amount of positive feedback from both viewers and critics and was also renewed for a second season by Amazon.
