Lovesick 💑 TV Show Review



      

Written by Tia


Although the pitched concept is very interesting on its own, Lovesick goes in a different direction than you might expect. The idea is as follows: A young man discovers he has an STD, and must contact all of his lovers from the past few years to inform them so they can get checked themselves. Then, along with him, you are both vaulted into the flashback of how he and x, y, or z woman ended up having sex/a relationship/etc., and watch him confront her in present day. But what I found surprising was the parallel story of the protagonist's "will they, won't they, why can't they" relationship with his close friend.

In an effort to keep as few spoilers in this post as possible, I'll keep it short and general. I thought it was a really intriguing concept for a show. The "contact former lovers" premise is guaranteed to be interesting, and the writers do a great job making each experience feel very unique and exciting. There is always a slight sense of mystery and surprise, and the flashbacks work as a great device to teach us more about the protagonist, Dylan (Johnny Flynn).



Plus, the comedy and acting are both strong. It's a very funny show with funny characters—and who can resist the always charming Antonia Thomas, of Misfits fame, who plays Dylan's friend Evie? The young, fresh-faced actors get great lines and they deliver them well. And it is a youthful show, run rampant with youthful energy, imitating life in a way that's both honestly realistic and delightfully sitcom-y. There are emotional moments, and stupid laughs, and it's just a damn good blend of comedy and drama.

My only qualm with the series is its occasional lack of plot balance. It's teetering on a tightrope of flashback story and present day story, Dylan with other girls and Dylan with Evie, and sometimes I think it'll lean a little too far one way or the other in an episode and risk collapse. Although the tightrope walker never falls (in this poorly drawn out metaphor), he's slipped enough times to make me anxious.



Of course, this is not an easy balance to strike, and I respect what they've done with the story. It's a great show. But it does often feel like two competing A stories, fighting for a spot that doesn't have room for both. As a result, the consistently bad timing that Dylan and Evie have goes from being tragic, to a bit tiring by the end of the second season. Hopefully in season three, they'll break from the "they will and they won't" pattern they've done well with in seasons one and two, because I think they've run that formula dry.

I'm curious to see where they take the show. I think it's a great concept with a lot of potential, and I want it to land on its feet going from the season two finale backflip, into the premiere of season three—whenever that may be.

To watch the first two seasons of Lovesick, formerly known as Scrotal Recall, get your butt over to Netflix.


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