If you haven’t yet had a chance to check out the Prime Video series Modern Love, you need to add it to your watch list. Modern Love is a romantic-comedy television series based on The New York Times weekly newspaper column of the same name. According to Deadline, the series (much like the column) explores “love in its multitude of forms – including sexual, romantic, familial, platonic, and self-love.” The series is interesting as it does not follow the same cast throughout the entirety of each season, but rather follows a new cast and new stories in each subsequent episode. Each half-hour episode is centered around a different depiction of love and delves into a different relationship dynamic.
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Modern Love features a broad range of love stories, all set within The Big Apple, thus earning its title. The stories it shares are as varied as the emotional responses they induce. Heartwarming, devastating, hopeful, romantic, charming, and honest could all accurately describe the Prime Video series. It is without a doubt the streaming platform’s most underrated series in its catalog. Furthermore, it also boasts an all-star cast including the likes of Tina Fey, Anne Hathaway, Kit Harrington, Anna Paquin, John Slattery, and many others. Here is why Modern Love is one of Prime Video’s most underrated series.
Ensemble of Guest Stars
One great reason to tune in to Modern Love is it features a terrific ensemble cast. Throughout seasons 1 and 2, audiences are treated to a slew of talented actors bringing to life the essay submissions of real-life people. In season one alone, we see appearances from Saturday Night Live alum Tina Fey, Andy Garcia, Ozark’s Julia Garner, Anne Hathaway, Catherine Keener, Dev Patel, Ed Sheeran, and John Slattery of Mad Men fame. Season 2 also features a barrage of talented guest stars in the way of Lucy Boynton, Zoe Chao, Minnie Driver, Game of Throne’s Kit Harrington, Garret Hedlund, and True Blood’s Anna Paquin.
While all the episodes are special in their own way, and share some amazing stories, Season 1 Episode Three “Take Me As I Am, Whoever I Am” starring Hathaway as a New York woman silently struggling with Bipolar Disorder, and the complications that arise in her dating and work life as a result, is particularly noteworthy. Hathaway is brilliant in the role, and the episode sheds light on an important issue. The episode is based on the 2008 essay by Terry Cheney. Showrunner John Carney also felt particularly connected to this story telling The Hollywood Reporter, “One day I feel like I can do everything and there’s nothing I couldn’t do, and the next day I don’t get out of bed or don’t feel like getting out of bed, and I feel deflated and defeated and self-conscious and ugly and talentless and the next day I’m OK again. I’m not sure how many people feel that way in real life, but I certainly feel that way.”
Features Diverse Stories
Another reason Modern Love is one of the most underrated series on Prime Video is that it features a wide range of stories from a diverse group of people. It features different age groups, sexualities, genders, backgrounds, and social statuses. The show’s diversity allows it to speak to and connect with a broad range of people. Furthermore, each of the episodes are based on essays submitted by real-life people. That said, they are still adaptations, so there are artistic liberties taken throughout.
Easily Digestible Format
Among its other attributes, the series is made up of short and sweet half-hour episodes that are easily digestible, and don’t require a huge time commitment. Moreover, there is no need to watch all the episodes in sequential order as they present different stories in a non-linear narrative timeline. This format makes it easy to jump into either season at any point. The format is directly inspired by The New York Times column itself, which makes for a light-hearted, quick, and easy read that can be preferable to a heavy-hitting news article. You can catch seasons 1 and 2 of Modern Love streaming on Prime Video. The streaming platform has also officially confirmed the series will be renewed for a third season. The series has also announced that it has plans to travel overseas, with Modern Love: Mumbai, Modern Love: Hyderabad, Modern Love: Chennai, and Modern Love: Tokyo.
