‘Love Life’ Stars on Addressing Black Lives Matter & Relationships in Final Season 2 Episodes
Spoiler Alert
[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for Love Life, Season 2.]
Love Life‘s second season has come to a close, but as the final four installments drop on HBO Max, the anthology series delivers some of its finest episodes. While the ups and downs for protagonist Marcus Watkins (William Jackson Harper) continue, there’s some semblance of peace reached by the final chapter of his story.
Getting there involves testing his and Mia’s (Jessica Williams) relationship, surviving the pandemic and social issues surrounding it as well as his bonds with pals Yogi (Christopher “CP” Powell) and Kian (Arian Moayed). Despite addressing COVID-19, the season’s penultimate episode, “Marcus Watkins,” explores what that time meant for the character, particularly when it came to the social climate surrounding Blake Lives Matter.
(Credit: HBO Max)
In one of the show’s most raw moments, a remote-working Marcus unloads on his boss who asks him to vet a statement in solidarity with the BLM movement. “It’s just really important to show Marcus’s growth in that regard,” co-showrunner Rachelle Williams says of Marcus telling off his boss. “[He’s] just like, ‘I’m a 39-year-old man now. I don’t have to deal with this.’ You know?”
“I think I was sort of tapping into where I was over the last year,” William Jackson Harper shares of using his own emotions to convey Marcus’ frustrations. “If I always lived in that space, I would just be depressed all the time,” he adds referring to Marcus’ status in lockdown. “I felt a certain kind of exasperation with white America at that moment,” he admits.
(Credit: HBO Max)
“I’m not looking at people individually and just accusing everyone of being individually a terrible person, but there’s a structure in place which is racist,” the actor notes. ” A lot of people are just not aware of it until it’s thrown in their face. And being a Black dude, you kind of hit little moments, where it gets thrown in your face, and your peace is disturbed.”
Ultimately, Marcus regains peace through his relationship with Mia which goes through its own tests in the final batch of episodes, including a brief moment of infidelity on her side. In the end, Marcus and Mia can’t stay away from each other, but that doesn’t mean their solidified relationship won’t require some work.
“Towards the end of the season, I hope that viewers take away that love can be a choice and it can be an act of choice,” Jessica Williams says. “I think love can be about two imperfect people standing side by side and choosing to be together with their mess.”
The season concludes with the former acquaintances being married with a child, a far cry from the thirtysomethings trying to figure themselves out when the 10-episode season kicked off, proving “that you can fall in love and be happy and have a successful relationship even when you’re not what many would consider a ‘perfect person'” Williams adds.
Love Life, Season 2, Streaming now, HBO Max
