Too Much Recap: Memory Lane

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In the second half of its season, “Pink Valentine” delves deeper into Jess’s past with Zev, offering a prolonged, hour-long exploration. If “Ignore Sunrise” expanded the introductory sequence, “Pink Valentine” rewinds it: We witness a condensed account of their relationship deterioration. Tensions between Jess and Felix indeed escalate, but not in the manner initially anticipated.

Previously in the series, I had expressed my concern about the excessive trade-off of character development for plot in “Too Much“. However, I was proven wrong with the episode titled “Pink Valentine”. This installment is entirely focused on character, delving deep into Jessica Salmon’s life, revealing her troubled relationships, family issues, and insecurities. Until now, Jessica’s eccentric behavior had been generally tolerated or even found charming, but in this episode, it is simply sad. It’s not amusing, endearing, or trendy; it’s just a reflection of Jessica’s struggles. Nonetheless, it truly embodies who Jessica Salmon is.

In the initial portion of this episode, it seemed like Jess, despite being self-centered, out of sync, and with misplaced priorities, might have a valid reason for losing her cool. This is due to the fact that she was abandoned for someone who resembles Emily Ratajkowski, and later, when it’s discovered that the man she becomes infatuated with is friends with someone who looks like Adèle Exarchopoulos. Notably, the French actress portrays the notorious Polly of tattoo-on-buttocks fame; she arrives accompanied by two other Pollys, all of whom are close to Felix.

At the “Hackney Donkeyfest,” where Felix’s band was playing, Jess encounters the Pollys. This gathering, much like Jonno’s dinner, serves as a trial of sorts for their relationship, but this time it’s Jess venturing into Felix’s circle. While Felix attends to his band setup, he leaves Jess with the Pollys. Eager to learn about any past connection between Felix and either of them, she seeks out information regarding a tattoo on one of them. The tattoo turns out to be the name “Felix” inked on Polly One (Exarchopoulos)’s back. This revelation leaves Jess bewildered. She queries Polly about their past relationship, to which Polly casually replies in her French manner that they were lovers for a decade before deciding they could love each other more as friends. This situation is utterly confusing to Jess.

As events unfolded with the band that night, I found myself engrossed, almost to the point of neglecting Jess. The Pollys shared their suspicion that Felix might not be sober, a notion he later denied. This revelation, combined with my hazy recollection of our break-in at Zev’s, pushed me over the edge and led me to make a decision I wouldn’t normally take – to try ketamine. I had been maintaining a sober front, possibly in solidarity with Felix, but when it became clear that this night was not going my way, I let go of all inhibitions.

Polly One tried to reach out to me, saying there was no reason for jealousy between us – their relationship brought out the worst in each other, and they were better off as friends than as a couple. Despite her efforts to get through to me, under the influence, Polly appeared to me like a cat.

Watching the Pollys criticize Jess for ruining the atmosphere at Donkeyfest is heart-wrenching, as they quickly pin the blame on her. Unfortunately, all of Jess’s apprehensions about not fitting in, not being as cool as them, and being distant from Felix prove to be true. It’s tough to feel overly sympathetic for Jess since she doesn’t seem eager to connect with the Pollys herself. On the other hand, encountering people from your lover’s social circles can be thrilling because you get a glimpse into sides of them that were previously hidden, but it seems like Jess lacks enthusiasm in learning more about Felix’s life before she joined the scene. Instead, her focus appears to be on solidifying her own standing.

It’s hard to tell if Polly Three is being kind or rude when she sends Jess home, but either way, she advises Jess to relax with a soft pillow and reflect on her memories. When Jess arrives home, that’s exactly what she does. She tries calling Felix multiple times, seemingly unaware that he’s currently performing on stage, before giving up. The episode then transitions into a flashback sequence, taking us back eight years to when Jess first met Zev at the Alligator Lounge in Brooklyn.

Initially, Zev appears endearing and kind; Michael Zegen, portraying him, masterfully captivates the stage with a sharp sense of humor and casual self-assurance. He handles pizza receipts at the Alligator Lounge for Jess when her friends abandon her; on her 29th birthday, he stands outside her office with a cupcake and expresses his love for her for the first time. He’s gentle with her nephew and exceptionally caring towards her grandmother, whose feet he massages. His interactions with Jess’s family are so heartwarming that Nora implores her husband, Jameson, to emulate him. However, the bond between Nora and Jameson serves as a foreshadowing of what’s to come: they harbor deep animosity towards each other, and their hostility is starkly contrasted by the romantic affection between Jess and Zev.

The relationship between Jess and Zev begins to deteriorate after they start living together. Initially, it’s minor disagreements like him disliking the excessive pink decor in their home. Later, he criticizes her for not addressing her “anxious attachment style.” During a dinner party with his Ivy League friends, he reprimands her for discussing reality TV when the conversation was about Lacanian jouissance. He also finds fault with her clothing choices and, despite them having an enjoyable time at her nephew’s school play, suggests she should accept her role in life more willingly. Jess found the play to be bittersweet, as it brought her joy but also made her regret that they weren’t experiencing as many creative moments together as she had anticipated. Zev argues that she places too much importance on performance and should be content with enabling other artists to earn a living. While there is some truth in his assessment of Jess’s focus on performance, the way he portrays it as a defect is preposterous. After all, isn’t every artist eager for their work to be appreciated?

As a passionate film enthusiast, let me rephrase this scene in first person narrative: Despite the evident strain in our relationship, I reluctantly agree with Jess to adopt a dog, whom we name Cutesie. She finds solace in her new companion while I’m off living my life, but my joy is short-lived when a run-in at the park leaves Cutesie in jeopardy. A rude woman, who seems more fit for the underworld than earth, unprovokedly attacks Jess and my dog. Instead of standing by her side, I unfairly place the blame on Jessica. Chastising her like an overbearing father, I say, “You desperately want this pet, but can’t seem to put in the effort required.

Previously, Zev’s actions had labeled him as a jerk, but the dog incident reveals he is malicious. His character worsens after meeting Wendy Jones at an event. Zegen portrays the malevolent lover with equal conviction as the charming wit. The thought of another woman causes him to turn against Jess entirely. It’s heartbreaking that he disregards how difficult it is for her to let go of Cutesie; it’s heartbreaking that Jess encounters him on a coffee date with Wendy in their neighborhood. At work, a PA named Casey does as little as bringing Jess a latte – earlier, Zev had made himself a pot of coffee without asking if Jess wanted any – and this is enough to make her sleep with him. By this point, she is so desperate for affection, so desperate for love, that one forgets her initial persona was all about being the center of attention. This is a woman whose self-confidence has been completely eroded; this is a diminished woman.

In my perspective as a movie reviewer, I must admit that I was hoping for a glimmer of empathy from the character Zev towards Jess, given their past relationship. Yet, when she reveals her pregnancy, which could be from either Zev or Casey, he fails to show any trace of emotion. The conversation where she informs him about the pregnancy and ends their relationship is a masterclass in manipulation, bordering on gaslighting if such a competition existed.

Zev’s skillful manipulation is evident as he manages to shift the blame onto Jess for not ending things sooner, implying that someone else who wanted him could have had him instead. His language towards her is harsh and disrespectful, using vulgar terms. This scene is brutally executed, leaving viewers breathless, even though we were already aware of Zev’s unappealing character. The coldness he displays in this moment puts us right beside Jess, making us feel the shock and pain she experiences. Despite all our previous encounters with him, nothing could have prepared us (or her) for such heartlessness.

Lena Dunham skillfully molded authentic character Zev and an engaging narrative about his relationship with Jess in less than 30 minutes, using every creative resource at her disposal. “Pink Valentine” is similar to a full-length film condensed into a TV episode, and considering the new perspective we now have, Jess’s infatuation with Wendy becomes more complex, shifting from a flat portrayal (a lovable, slightly crazy girl obsessed with her ex’s fiancée) to a three-dimensional depiction (an abused woman fighting to escape her abuser and rediscover herself). In a series that spans multiple seasons, we might get several episodes exploring Jess’s relationship with Zev in detail, but here, the Gordon-Lished version delivers a powerful impact.

As a devoted movie enthusiast, I must say that this episode truly shines, managing to keep me laughing despite its somber undertones. The script masterfully forges an emotional bond between me and Jess, and Stalter delivers a stunning performance that draws me even closer to her character. Her scenes involving the contemplation and eventual decision about an abortion are particularly moving; it feels like I’m riding a rollercoaster with Zev right alongside Jess.

Jess sheds tears throughout her abortion procedure — from the moment she goes under to when she wakes up, her eyes well up with tears. The humor kicks back in as we witness Jess’s sister and mother relocating her from the city to Long Island in a taco truck. To make matters more amusing, her mom serenades Jess with Carole King’s “It’s Too Late” in an attempt to boost her spirits. They even take a detour to an animal shelter along the way and adopt our beloved Astrid. It seems like things might be looking up for Jess.

Through their journey to London, encounters with Felix, and even after Jess wakes up post-Donkeyfest to find Felix in her apartment due to Gaz, Felix queries Jess about her festival departure. She explains it was because he was acting strangely under the influence of cocaine and ignoring her, but Felix denies this; he was merely stressed about the performance and experiencing diarrhea instead. This revelation takes Jess by surprise, as she would naturally believe that she had pushed him away. However, there were instances where Jess acted irrationally towards the Pollys and didn’t offer the support she could have. Felix expresses his embarrassment about the show, confessing he feels like a wedding band musician. His candidness, along with their contrasting personalities (Felix being Zev’s opposite), leads her to confess her love for him. Felix doesn’t reciprocate, stating that he would if he knew how, but he struggles with expressing such feelings. It’s heartbreaking. He is tactful about it, but how can things return to normal after something so devastating? Why can’t everything simply work out smoothly?

The romantic comedy hooks you in a peculiar way. At first, you doubt the feasibility of such extravagant, implausible love stories. However, when the genre acknowledges its own implausibility with lines like “you’re right, it is unrealistic“, you find yourself contemplating throwing something at the screen in frustration.

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2025-07-10 21:56