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‘Too Much’ has the chaos of ‘Girls,’ but it’s at its best in moments of calm

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Lena Dunham, known for her TV series “Girls,” along with her husband Luis Felber, has produced a romantic comedy titled “Too Much,” which will debut on Netflix this Thursday. Unlike her previous work, this production has a lighter tone but still contains elements of dysfunction, self-destructive behavior, and adult content (including drug usage, though it doesn’t advocate for it). The episode titles hint at a departure from the traditional romantic comedy genre: “Terms of Resentment,” “Enough, Actually,” “Notting Kill,” “Nonsense and Sensibility,” “Pity Woman,” “Ignore Sunrise,” “To Doubt a Boy.” Despite this unconventional approach, the series ultimately aims to capture the essence of a fulfilling romance.

In this adaptation, Dunham, who penned or collaborated on all ten episodes and also served as director for several, has chosen not to act but instead introduced Megan Stalter from “Hacks” as her stand-in character, Jessica. (Dunham portrays Nora, Jessica’s depressed older sister, primarily from a bed.) Since both characters are American expats residing in England and involved with musicians, some aspects of their story may draw inspiration from the authenticity of their shared experiences.

Originally, Jessica aspired to direct films with the intention of expressing insights about the female perspective. However, for 15 years, she’s been excelling as a line producer at an advertising agency, a role that holds little personal significance for her. With her New York firm merging with a British company, she gets assigned to London for three months to assist in producing a Christmas commercial featuring Rita Ora. After parting ways six months prior with her long-term boyfriend, Zev (Michael Zegen), who’s now engaged to Instagram knitting sensation Wendy Jones (Emily Ratajkowski), she welcomes the opportunity to travel — especially since she finds solace in “romantic tales set in idyllic English landscapes.

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In my own words, I’d say, “During my younger years, she was either an amusing anecdote or an awkward stumbling block. Yet, whenever I reflect on those times, a sense of embarrassment still lingers. This is as Lena Dunham puts it in her own words.

On her initial evening in town, Jessica realizes that the place she believed she was leasing isn’t Pemberley but social housing. She hails a cab and ends up at a casual pub, where Felix, the protagonist of this 30-something romance tale, is singing a melancholic tune to a handful of patrons. They have an unexpected encounter in the restroom. He escorts her home. They converse. He offers his coat to her. (It’s worth noting that there’s no attempt to make Felix seem like a rising star; instead, it seems his career is on a decline.)

In television shows, people often find themselves falling out of love just as frequently as they fall into it. Sometimes this leads to rekindling old feelings or finding someone new, but more often than not, individuals realize they’re better off alone. Drawing from an abundance of self-help books, advice columns, therapists, country songs, and romantic comedies that permeate our culture, I believe the complexities of “Too Much” will resonate with many. This comedy has its fair share of turmoil, but the most impactful moments occur during periods of tranquility – serving as a welcome respite from the predominant emotional tumult. An extended, wordless scene featuring an overhead shot of Felix and Jess on a bed, listening to a mix he made for her, is incredibly poignant, particularly because the actors convey so much through minimal actions.

As Jessica develops a relationship with Felix, she persists in her habit of recording personal videos on her phone for TikTok, using it as a kind of personal journal, venting about Zev and often addressing these videos directly to Wendy Jones. At the same time, she navigates Andrew Scott’s arrogant directorial style (“We need to make this feel like Ken Loach directing a Christmas film”) and collaborates with her new boss Jonno (Richard E. Grant) and colleagues Josie (Daisy Bevan), Kim (Janicza Bravo), who is attracted to Josie, and the talkative Boss (Leo Reich), who has published an “experimental PDF novel” to critical acclaim but broke up with someone because they lacked the emotional intelligence required for a relationship where expressing oneself in a playful, assertive manner is important. Jessica stands out among them with her boisterous, youthful American energy, filling gaps with words and telling jokes that don’t always land. She frequently uses “just kidding” as a phrase.

After getting clean, Felix now has a group of bandmates, friends, and acquaintances that include three women named Polly, among them is one who is particularly significant, played by Adèle Exarchopoulos. This woman’s past with Felix makes Jess uneasy. It’s interesting to note that Jennifer Saunders is unexpectedly in the cast. Sharpe, most recently seen on TV during the second season of “The White Lotus,” portrays him subtly, with a touch of melancholy but not excessive moodiness; even in challenging situations – he carries as much emotional baggage as Jessica – his demeanor remains calm and generally stable, though there will be moments when he has to sprint frantically.

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As a child, when I would fall asleep each evening, my mind often pictured scenarios as if I were starring in an episode of ‘E! True Hollywood Story.’ This detail was shared by the standout character from “Hacks” during an interview with The Times.

The main issue with the series lies in its excessive use of “Too Much.” In the past, love stories like “boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl” (you can replace genders as you prefer) were usually wrapped up within two hours. However, the streaming era has expanded the narrative timeline and broadened the scope, often filling predetermined episodes with unnecessary side plots, providing activities for minor characters that may not significantly contribute to the storyline, but don’t develop substantially on their own. For instance, there are occasional glimpses into Jonno’s personal life, which serves to give more screen time to Grant, along with Naomi Watts portraying his wife, Ann; scenes set in New York offer additional unrelated moments with Rita Wilson as Jessica’s mother, Lois; Rhea Perlman as her feisty grandmother, Dottie; and Dunham’s Nora and Andrew Rannells as her former husband, Jameson, who left her for a couple named Cody, to explore non-monogamy.

Instead of making Jessica’s prolonged presence exhausting, Lena Dunham strategically structures each episode around diverse settings: a wedding, work trips, dinner parties, Felix at home with his parents (Stephen Fry and Kaori Momoi), late-night escapades between Jess and Felix (which involve sex or watching “Paddington”), and even flashbacks to Jess’ past relationship with Zev (symbolized as a struggling writer, symbolizing his pathetic state). Each episode stands alone as a self-contained story, making it simpler to comprehend. The dialogue is crisp, the acting is excellent.

In her fourth season on “Hacks,” Stalter portrays a character that is dramatically different from Kayla, the character she plays there. While Kayla is bold, arrogant, and overconfident to a fault, Jess exudes a sense of neediness, hesitation, and self-doubt, despite projecting a cheerful demeanor. (She even tells herself, “I’m a laid-back girl, I’m ordinary,” with a hint of uncertainty.) Dunham frequently shoots Stalter head-on, maximizing her screen presence as she fills the frame with her face. (And it’s worth mentioning that she sings quite beautifully, even better than her boyfriend.)

In the final stages, when we reach them, everything seems quite predictable – and that’s likely the intention. It could seem like a parody if it weren’t for the fact that this is the dreamscape where Jessica exists; anything else would be unfair to her.

I see I’ve neglected to mention the dog. There is a little dog too, who plays an important part.

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2025-07-10 10:31

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