Too Much Recap: The Way We Were

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In my summary for the last episode, I hoped we’d explore the roots behind Felix’s inability to declare his love for Jess. Despite being open and expressive in other aspects of his life, Felix has never hesitated to share honest truths with her or show affection. He’s always been considerate, understanding her emotions and catering to her needs. There’s a hint of the Nice Guy Syndrome in him, as we’ve noted; this suggests a man who should be comfortable expressing his feelings. Yet, he remains silent on this point. What could be preventing him from doing so?

The reason for Felix’s foul mood after visiting his family can be traced back to his parents. Upon returning home from a day in the suburbs with his kin, Felix decides to share the cause of his discontent with Jess, but he cautions her that once revealed, it cannot be taken back. In simpler terms, once he unveils this hidden aspect of himself – the part he keeps concealed so as not to disturb the surface – the illusion is effectively shattered. As far as Jess is concerned, Felix can be perceived however she wishes; he can be like Wendy, a figment of her emotional imagination. This persona might fit some of Jess’s moods, and it could represent a rebound infatuation. Having been hurt by Zev’s cruelty, being adored by someone who exists solely for her affection would serve as a painkiller. Similarly, Felix finds solace in the idea of being a ghost with no burdens; it offers him an escape from the nagging, persistent hold of his past.

The danger in being deeply in love is exposing our hidden aspects and trusting that our partners will continue the journey with us. This is where Felix often encounters difficulties; as Auggie explained earlier, he hasn’t been able to shake off his illusions for a long time. We discover in “Terms of Resentment” that such issues can be passed down: His parents are trapped in their own fantasies too. However, unlike them, they cannot let go of the life they had before they lost a significant portion of their wealth, to the point where Felix’s father, Simon, has to borrow £1,000 from his son.

Initially, signs pointed towards some event happening within Felix’s family, as we discovered during his argument with Jonno in his Notting Hill residence that he had to leave boarding school due to his father’s financial struggles. In “Terms of Resentment,” Jess expresses her desire to accompany Felix to his family home, intrigued by its old-world charm and grandeur. However, Felix advises against it, claiming he has matters to attend to and that visiting one’s parents is more about being invited than making the invitation oneself. Moreover, it becomes apparent from this conversation that Felix likely does not want Jessica to meet his parents because they no longer reside in their once-magnificent estate.

En route to the suburbs, Felix swaps his prized BMW for a less desirable vehicle, pocketing £1,000 from the transaction. Upon arrival, he spends 40 minutes waiting for his mother, Aiko, to collect him from the station. If she were to sell her Rolls-Royce, Aiko could earn some extra money, but it’s clear that she cherishes anything connected to her past life. In the car, Felix shares a photograph of Jessica and Astrid with Aiko, who expresses concern for their wellbeing. Aiko has an unpredictable sense of humor, exhibiting this by recklessly driving the Rolls-Royce, smoking frequently from the window, and expressing confidence that Felix’s father, Simon, will find a way to recover their lost wealth, referring to their former riches. Felix reassures her that they can enjoy their fresh start if they acknowledge that it’s no longer feasible to recoup all of their lost money: It has been 14 years since they last resided in their old home.

Aiko believes that Simon will eventually repurchase the property. On their way home from the station, she drops by the house. As Jess had suggested, the residence appears similar to Pemberley. Aiko informs Felix that she frequently visits the location, and whoever now owns it typically leaves the doors unsecured. She suggests that he explore inside while she steps outside for a smoke. Initially hesitant, Felix eventually enters the house. It seems unoccupied, with no current resident in sight. As Felix navigates through the rooms, memories of his childhood flood back, as if his younger self were guiding him.

Both of his parents were artists – his mother was a painter, while his father, although we don’t know what he did for work or how he became wealthy coming from an immigrant family who delivered milk to make ends meet, was a pianist. They were frequently distant or enigmatic, keeping themselves and their children at arm’s length. His father complained about Aiko running away with Leland Fellows, and his mother, while soaking in the bath, told him she was going off to her own world, since Simon was isolated in his. Felix recalls being scolded for poor school performance, feeling his sister’s affection, being left alone with a fever and a nanny who made him express love towards her because she provided food, clothing, and care. As a child, he felt lost and confused about his own life. The house was like an amusement park, filled with wonders, but there was no love to help navigate it.

In their smaller home, now called a “bungalow”, Aiko continues to call Felix her “favorite playmate” even in adulthood. During dinner, Simon persists in believing they will soon leave this place, while Aiko expresses her desire to never live there. Alaia, older than Felix by ten years, remains stuck in a developmental phase from the ’90s, keeping her butterfly hair clips until her 40s and planning to move into a friend’s “boiler room” once she finds employment. The Remen family dynamics are as unusual as the Salmons’, but their struggles seem more self-inflicted than due to external factors. Only Felix can accept reality: They’re no longer wealthy, and it’s unlikely they will regain that status. This understanding distances him from the rest of his family, causing both conflict and frustration.

Following dinner, outside, Felix hands his father the thousand pounds he earned from selling his car. His dad mentions he intends to use half of it to pay bills and half as a down payment for reacquiring their old home, which some might find overly optimistic. Reminiscent of something his own father once told him, Simon says, “Don’t let wealth dictate your life.” He explains that everyone has a certain amount of luck, and when it runs out, one can’t keep chasing it. He seems to have accepted the fact that eventually, children will take on the responsibilities left by their parents. “We spent our resources on you,” he shrugs, implying that now it’s Felix’s turn.

Felix’s disheartened state causes him to retrieve his money upon leaving the house. Upon returning home to Jess—who had spent her day watching documentaries on BBC and dealing with an uncomfortable condition her grandmother calls “honeymoon cystitis” due to excessive use of her intimate parts—he initially keeps the reason for his melancholy a secret. However, as Jess persistently inquires, in her characteristic caring manner, he confides in her. He reveals that the nanny they hired when he was young, who he recalled demanding his affection, sexually abused him. This incident seems to be the root of Felix’s reluctance to express love openly: The abuser had made him say it repeatedly. Felix further discloses Aiko’s recurring suicidal thoughts, Alaia’s stunted emotional growth, his father’s frustrating denial, and the fact that he was never comforted with a bedtime tuck-in as a child to Jess.

In a tender and heartwarming scene reminiscent of romantic movies like ‘The Notebook’, she gently wraps him up, much like a burrito, and sings him a Bob Dylan song that her father used to sing for her. This simple act pierces through one of his defensive walls. With a single tear sliding down his cheek, he confesses his love for her. Despite any initial skepticism or cynicism towards romance, even the most hardened heart can’t help but be moved by this moment. It was a moment that left me in tears.

I often find myself growing weary of modern TV shows’ excessive use of flashbacks. Instead of focusing on how characters react to current events, many shows seem fixated on delving into their past traumas, shaping our perception of them primarily through these backstories rather than their present actions and reactions. Take for instance the episode of Girls where Jessa and Hannah visited Jessa’s dad in upstate New York. That scene effectively illustrated the impact of Jessa’s family dysfunction on her in the present, without needing to show a flashback of her childhood to depict past events.

As a passionate cinephile, I’ve been intrigued by the Netflix adaptation of “Terms of Resentment,” which seems to align with their educational and expository style. Unlike Lena Dunham’s previous work in “Girls,” where flashbacks were used sparingly, they play a crucial role here. In “Too Much,” flashbacks are not so much about shaping actions but rather enriching them. They help us understand Zev’s past to empathize with Jess’s struggles, and they reveal how this history impacts her relationship with Felix, which is the main focus of the story.

Similarly, the flashbacks delve into Felix’s family’s downfall, providing context that enhances our understanding of their dynamics and Felix’s decisions. In essence, these flashbacks serve as a vital tool for character development rather than a substitute, especially given the limited number of episodes available in this series. This narrative approach is more reminiscent of a novel than a film, but when executed well, I find myself immersed without minding the increased emphasis on storytelling over visual spectacle.

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2025-07-10 23:54