Lovesick: Season 2 Review

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Lovesick - Season 2 - Netflix

Starring: Johnny Flynn, Antonia Thomas, Daniel Ings, Joshua McGuire, Hannah Britland, Richard Thomson

Formerly Scrotal Recall, Lovesick follows Dylan (Flynn), a 20-something Londoner recently diagnosed with chlamydia, as he contacts prior sexual partners to let them know they should get tested. In season one, we meet Dylan’s best friends: Evie (Thomas) and Luke (Ings), and through a series of flashbacks learn that Evie and Dylan have a complicated past, and Luke was in love with one of Dylan’s girlfriends, Phoebe. Evie’s ex, Angus (McGuire) gets married and regrets it almost immediately. In the season one finale, Luke (mourning the death of Phoebe) tells Evie that Dylan is in love with her, but Evie is engaged to Mal (Thomson) and had just asked Dylan to be her Best Man.

2.1 Frankie

The premiere gave us an opportunity to learn a bit about Mal, who we’d only just met in the finale of season one. Due to the nature of the storytelling (lots of here’s where we are in the present, now let’s jump back in time so you can understand why this state of affairs is meaningful), we didn’t know too much about Mal. After Dylan lies and tells Evie that Luke misinterpreted how he feels about Evie, we jump to six months ago when Dylan, his new girlfriend Frankie (Antonia Clarke), Evie, Luke, Mal, and Angus drove to a cabin Angus inherited. It turns out to be more of a broken down hut, but the group decides to make the best of the overnight trip. This leaves Angus high off his ass after eating mushrooms with Frankie, who Dylan breaks up with for being immature; Luke has a mancrush on Mal and learns the art of shitting in the woods; and Evie panicks when she discovers Mal wants a big family one day. After counseling Dylan not to change the best parts of himself for a girl, she jokingly, but kinda seriously, proposes to Mal.

Though we didn’t get to know Mal as well as I liked, this was the perfect way to jump into season two. The layers of Evie and Dylan’s relationship continue to be plentiful and delicate. They turn the will-they-won’t-they trope on its head by causing the audience to wonder, like Evie and Dylan, if they really would work as a couple or if they should just leave things be. The things Evie loves about Dylan, are the very traits that leave her unsure of their romantic future.

Love/Hate

At the end of the episode, Luke apologizes to Dylan for telling Evie about his feelings. This is all forgiven and tied up way too neatly considering Luke should still be in his own feelings about Phoebe and the fight he and Dylan had over her. Thankfully, this is addressed in an episode later in the season.

2.2 Agata

We finally see how Evie met Dylan when we travel back six and a half years ago when Luke, Evie, and their flatmate throw a housewarming party. Dylan’s date, Agata (Katrine De Candole), doesn’t speak English, and Dylan struggles to communicate with her in Danish… until Angus reveals Agata’s German. A lot is lost in translation for awhile, but eventually Agata makes it clear she’s not interested in Dylan. Things aren’t much better for Evie when her date has sex with another girl… on her sofa… during the party.

Luke has the worst time of all as he spends the majority of the party chasing down his girlfriend Jo (Laura Aikman), who’s late for the party. When she finally arrives, she cuts short his very obvious and public marriage proposal to pull him aside and dump him. Luke, like everyone on this show, is a hot-ass mess when it comes to finding love, but he seemed to genuinely care for this girl - even going so far (too far) as to participate in everything Jo likes.

In the present day, Dylan Skypes with Agata, who now speaks English and wishes him the best. Abigail tells Dylan she might be moving to Manchester, and he says he thinks he might want her to stay. Angus’s divorce is finally final.

Love Lines

Guy Evie likes on moving to New York: “You should come visit. We’ll be in Williamsburg.”

Evie: “I’m actually more of a Brooklyn girl.”

GEL: “Williamsburg is in Brooklyn.”

2.3 Amy

Six years ago, Dylan met a lovely young woman in a coffee shop. After spending the day talking and drinking way too much coffee, they have a one-night stand at Dylan’s place. Of course, one-night stands on this show are never simple. Dylan learns that Amy is Evie’s younger sister when they run into each other at Luke and Evie’s flat.

The guys help Evie and Amy go through their dead father’s belongings so Evie can sell them to make rent. Evie and Dylan are only six months removed from their own one-night stand, and despite Evie’s assertion that she didn’t want it to become a thing, she doesn’t like seeing Dylan and Amy together. Dylan is flighty like their dad, and Amy, she says, is super needy. Luke suggests Dylan move in with them to solve their current roommate/cash problems.

In present day, Luke agrees to serve as Angus’ wingman as he dives back into dating, but bails when they meet women at the bar.

Love Lines

Luke: “This is why incest is illegal, isn’t it? All the awkward conversations that come after.”

Amy: “Except this isn’t actual incest.”

Luke: “It feels a little incest-y.”

Amy: “No, it doesn’t. And the word is ‘incestuous.'”

Luke: “You’d be the expert.”

2.4 - Liv

Three and a half years ago. Angus’ ex, Helen, was still the worst. The gang (Dylan, Evie, and Luke) accompanies them for a day trip to the venue they’re thinking of using for the wedding. When they miss the bus back to town, they’re forced to stay the night in Angus and Helen’s room, much to Helen’s annoyance. Dylan gets dumped by Liv, who we never actually meet, via text because his emoji game is weak.

Luke has a flirty conversation with a woman in the sauna, and spends the whole day and night trying to find her to re-connect. Desperate, he sets off the hotel’s fire alarm in order to drive the woman out of her room, but once he sees her, the thrill is gone. Evie has a dirty dream about Dylan, who’s sleeping on the floor next to her. These two have been repressing their feelings since forever. Oddly enough, Evie spends time at the bar where she meets Abigail (the girl Dylan is seeing in the present day; he met her at the wedding). The two really hit off and swap stories about their love lives. Evie leaves her email address for Abigail the next day, but the manager tosses it after blackmailing Angus into booking their venue for the wedding in exchange for not charging Luke for the fire alarm stunt.

In the present day, Luke sees an ex, who’s a psychologist, to help with dealing with his grief over Phoebe. This was really the highlight of the episode (along with establishing an Evie-Abigail connection sure to cause drama later). It makes a lot of sense that grief would lead to Luke re-evaluating his life and it’s nice to see a deeper dive into his character. Abigail decides to stay and gets a new place.

2.5 Isabel

Two and a half years ago, Luke, Dylan, and Evie attend the tech awards where Luke and his team hope to win an award for an app they developed. This was an unexpected look into another aspect of Luke’s life; I don’t think I knew what he did for a living before now. Luke and company face stiff competition from Jonno (Evie’s not date from season one), who’s dating the daughter of one of the judges.

Evie gets whiskey drunk and kisses Dylan, but he’s not in it. This is particularly painful because you can see the hope all over her face, and it’s not something she allows herself to feel when it comes to love. Honey and shortbread.

Present day: Evie takes Dylan and Luke to the restaurant where she and Mal had their first date so she can track down the whiskey they drank and buy it for their reception.

2.6 Emma

One year and three months ago, Dylan breaks up with his girlfriend, Emma, after kissing a co-worker, Cara (who has a boyfriend).

Anti-romantic Evie panics on Valentine’s Day when she learns it’s also Mal’s birthday, but her special dinner is ruined when Mal has an allergic reaction. Though Mal takes it all in stride, this does call into question Evie’s commitment. How do you forget your boyfriend’s birthday AND not realize he has a nut allergy?

Luke runs into his ex, Jo, but can’t get it up when they try to shag for old times sake. He’s still hung up on Phoebe.

Present day: Dylan admits that he did like Cara, but they never had sex, and he only broke up with Emma because he thought it was the right thing to do. Emma reveals Cara got married and she’s engaged. Dylan has a bad habit of waiting too long. Determined to not make the same mistake, Dylan buys Abigail a present for her apartment and she gives a drawer to keep his stuff in.

Love Lines

Evie: “Dylan, what do I do?”

Dylan: “You could write him a poem.”

Evie: “I’d rather break up with him.”

2.7 Jonesy?

Three months ago, Dylan receives the invite to Evie’s engagement party and he decides on a boys night out to dull the pain. When Angus wins a lot of money at the casino, an old classmate of theirs, Jonesy, suggests they blow it all at a strip club.

Evie clashes with Mal’s parents when she learns they’ve taken over the wedding planning without her, and crashes the boys night at the strip club, and they all get kicked out when Angus has sex with a stripper in the champagne room.

Present day: Dylan meets up with Jonesy to have the chlamydia talk, but she says they never had sex that night. Whoops.

The episode ends with Dylan and Abigail entering the pub for Angus’ divorce party, and she’s anxious to meet Evie.

Love/Hate

Evie ignoring all these big-ass neon signs that she shouldn’t marry Mal.

Love Lines

Jonesy: “Have you met someone?”

Dylan: “Yeah. I actually met someone great.”

Jonesy: “Well, when that goes tits up, you know where to find me. Around and about, and usually out.”

2.8 Abigail (Again)

The day after Angus’ party, Dylan becomes worried when he can’t reach Abigail after she dipped out on the party. As he, Luke, and Evie walk to her flat, they recall the night before to figure out why Abigail left.

From Luke’s perspective, while he was trying to avoid having sex with a pretty girl at the party, he notices Abigail looking at Evie from across the pub before she left.

Evie says they met, and then went to the bar to get everyone’s drinks, and nothing happened. We see that at the bar, Evie assures Abigail that there’s nothing between her and Dylan, despite the things she told her three years ago.

Luke has to eventually admit that Abigail and Angus caught him jerking off at the party to avoid giving into the temptation to sleep with the beautiful woman. So, if it’s not something Luke did or Evie, maybe it was Dylan.

Dylan says they only had one real conversation at the party and everything was fine, but the conversation was Abigail asking if he’d ever slept with Evie after their first time and Dylan lies and says no.

Dylan calls Angus who tells about the conversation he and Abigail had with Jane, Dylan’s ex who dumped him at Angus’ wedding in the premiere episode. Jane lets slip that Evie was getting tested for chlamydia with Dylan. Now Abigail knows that Dylan is a lying liar who lies.

While he rushes into Abigail’s flat to apologize (she forgives him), Evie is outside with Luke and says she and Mal are done. Dylan and Evie have the shittiest timing and there better be a third season. Things don’t end badly for everyone: Angus’ stripper is pregnant and they’re getting married.

Love Wins

• The look of sad confusion on Luke’s, Evie’s, and Dylan’s faces as they take in Angus’ big news was heartbreaking. These three try so hard to find love and be happy, and Angus just stumbled upon it in a strip club.
• Evie and Angus’ conversation about her relationship with Dylan, Mal, and Angus’ bad marriage was one of the best scenes of the season. Angus is often played for comic relief, but seeing him be serious and open about his unhappy relationship with Helen was needed. I loved his admission that Helen sensed he never loved her as much as she loved him, and it lead to her being permanently angry (and mean) with him.
• Luke seeing a therapist to deal with his love/sex issues was a nice development, but it feels like it all got tossed away when he ends up having sex with Nicole in the finale. Later, he admits to Evie that he wants what she has with Mal (before learning they broke up). I’m curious to see if this is something he continues to work on in season 3. And there better be a season 3!