HBO Max’s ‘Love Life’ Is Painfully Underrated (& It Deserves More Love)

*Warning: Spoilers ahead*

With shows like Euphoria, And Just Like That and Succession dominating HBO at the moment, there's one HBO Max series that, despite its unique premise and all-star cast, is flying abysmally under the radar. And that show is Love Life.

Created by Sam Boyd, the show is set up as a scripted anthology series, where each season follows one protagonist's journey from their first love to their last. Yes, I know. Sounds like another rom-com, right?

Well, parts of it, sure. But it's also much more than that. In your classic rom-com, once the couple winds up together, the credits roll to upbeat music. But were they truly meant to be? What happened before and after the cameras stopped rolling? Love Life takes a holistic view of the main character's romantic life and tackles how the people in our lives (romantic or otherwise) help make us who we are.

In the first season, the main character is Darby, played by Anna Kendrick. She lives and works in New York City, but her low-wage job and countless failed relationships has her in a tailspin...until she meets Augie Jeong (Jin Ha). Throughout the season, we’re there for every kiss, every heartbreak, and a rekindled romance (don’t worry, we won’t say who) until Darby eventually meets “The One.”

But, what makes this show stand out is that while it checks most of the boxes of a delightful rom-com, it also spotlights the importance of self-love. This, after all, is Darby's story. And while we see her romantic conquests, we also see her struggles with self-worth and her journey to build herself back up again.