Too Much Recap: Testing, Testing

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So far this season, we’ve observed Jess and Felix in various settings – at home, work, with friends and family, and even alone together. However, what we haven’t witnessed yet is them as a couple in public. Their intense, private relationship represents the heart of their fast-paced romance; though it might seem like they’ve been dating for months, it’s only been a week since they met. As Elizabeth Bennet would say, “society” can be challenging for whirlwind romances, as they require compromise and adjustment, which could potentially lead to their downfall. Jess and Felix still have much to discover about each other, such as where Felix attended school or how Jess behaves when she’s anxious.

In the series “Notting Kill,” Jess is often concerned about whether she might be overlooking any warning signs from Felix. During a video call with her mother, she reluctantly lists some of these signs: Felix is a musician who usually wakes up late due to a past cocaine addiction affecting his natural sleep patterns. The story begins with a flashback scene showing Zev discussing his Weezer-themed bar mitzvah, which Jess later admits was a warning sign she overlooked. However, her doubts about her ability to spot potential issues in others seem to run much deeper. She struggles to recognize Felix’s red flags just as much as she struggles to see her own.

Jess has some concerns about Felix’s peculiar tattoo: it reads “Poly” on his rear, which he claims was a mistake by the tattoo artist during a session with his friend Polly. When Jess inquired about it, Felix explained that he didn’t realize the word had multiple meanings related to relationships. Jess finds it intriguing that Felix sports a girlfriend’s name as a tattoo in such an unconventional location, and even more so that he seems oblivious to the differences between polyamory, polygamy, and monogamy. While it may seem outlandish to assume that someone who wears makeup would be unfamiliar with modern relationship concepts like polyamory in 2025, Jess goes along with this assumption.

In different parts of her life, Jess seems to have things under control, as Kim put it. Jonno finds her blending well, particularly since she’s managing the red flags he warned her about herself, and invites her to a dinner at his house that evening, hosted by his wife Ann. I couldn’t help but be thrilled when — after Jess and Felix strolled around Notting Hill taking photos in front of the iconic blue door and other charming houses — Naomi Watts herself appeared at the door! She stole the show with her performance; sporting a bob haircut and a voluminous, oversized-sleeved white blouse with matching pumps, she was both elegant and humorous. There was something brittle about her, reminiscent of a wealthy woman, but she was quirky enough to make a story about a soap dish and an elderly woman in Marrakech believable. Her chemistry with Richard E. Grant was electrifying.

As Felix and Jess stroll towards Jonno’s, Felix shares with Jess that there’s a troubling underbelly hidden beneath the glamorous façade of Notting Hill. Having been raised near such houses due to his parents’ wealth and connections within the neighborhood, he’s seen its ugly side – yet Jess is so enchanted by its romantic appeal and her own jitters that she fails to fully comprehend his warning or ask additional questions. All she manages to say is for him to act normally and remove his hat before they enter.

At Jonno’s bar, Kim, the boss, and Josie from work are each immersed in their individual activities. Lena Dunham is masterful at crafting scenes like this, and her skill at creating a vibrant party atmosphere remains unmatched. Each character, except for Josie who simply tags along, has a specific goal for this gathering. Kim is intrigued by the idea of exploring lesbianism, either with Josie (whom she’s unsure if she’s gay, a notion the boss dismisses as she’s “wearing two T-shirts”) or Ann’s cousin Imogen; the boss aims to use drugs, engage in sexual activities, capture everyone’s attention, and observe their behavior; Ann yearns for emotional connection; Jess seeks validation, and Felix wants the entire event to end.

During dinner, Kim encounters subtle disrespect from Jonno as he steers the conversation towards “butt implants.” Meanwhile, the boss drones on about Berghain, ignoring Felix’s indifference. Jess shares excessive details of her life with Ann, starting from her health issues like UTIs and PCOS, moving on to her fear of swallowing, and ending with Astrid. Initially taken aback by Jess’s openness, Ann finds herself drawn to Jess’s honesty. Despite her claims that Jess and Felix are refreshing, Ann is eventually captivated by Jess’s straightforwardness. They end up going to the bathroom together to do cocaine and converse. Their conversation covers a wide range of topics, including Ann’s old dog Lettuce and Jonno’s emotional affair with Kylie Minogue. Ann perceives empathy in Jess’s expressions when in reality, she is intrigued by both Jess and herself. It is beneficial for Ann to take an interest in her boss’s wife, regardless of how aloof she appears.

In the meantime, Felix feels overwhelmed by the company’s demands as Boss presents unconventional ideas, such as only communicating through eye contact with people he does not intend to sleep with. Trying to escape this environment, Felix wanders around the house and comes across a picture that catches his attention. It’s a group photo from boarding school, and in it, he recognizes himself. He later learns that he attended school with Viola, Ann and Jonno’s daughter, whom he also dated. However, this detail doesn’t surface until later on.

At present, the gathering continues. Jess frets that, upon discovering her use of cocaine, Felix might behave strangely; however, his normal behavior leaves her questioning if he’s acting even more peculiar. “You’re an adult,” he nonchalantly suggests. It appears he wishes to share a secret glance with you, conveying their mutual thoughts about the eccentric dinner guests and their questionable values, but tonight, Jess and Felix seem to be operating on different wavelengths. Instead of being present in the room, she finds herself transported to Ann’s attic, indulging in cocaine from a silver tray.

Jess explains that she can’t refuse her boss’s hospitality, but Felix isn’t critical about it. He cautions, “You understand where this is going, don’t you?” It seemed for a moment as if the story might head in a different direction when Ann and Jess were together in the bathroom, but ultimately, people just dance. Kim seeks advice from Imogen about pursuing a lesbian relationship, and Imogen touches her, almost her private area, though we don’t see if Kim ends up going home with her. Initially, Kim planned to leave with Josie, but Jonno may have ruined things when he mentioned their relationship dynamics in front of Josie. In the meantime, Jess and the Boss become closer over their shared belongings, while Felix heads into the kitchen to snack on leftovers.

Jonno is able to identify Felix at last, recalling that he used to date Viola during their school years. After seeing the photo, Jonno thought he recognized him earlier but Felix managed to avoid recognition. It turns out that Felix had broken Viola’s heart and dropped out of school just 6 months before the U.K.’s A-level exams, which I am familiar with as I was an avid viewer of the E4 series “Skins” during my teenage years. However, Felix claims it was actually Viola who mistreated him, and he didn’t drop out of school; instead, he left due to his parents running out of money. In a drunken and drug-induced state, Jonno confronts Felix aggressively, and their altercation escalates into a physical fight on the floor. The scene is intense and captivating, with moments that are both amusing and poignant.

When Jess and Ann unexpectedly witness an argument, Jess becomes visibly upset, while it’s only her who appears disturbed. Ann clarifies about Jonno, who remains unfazed, that he often ends up lying down at the conclusion of gatherings, with him currently snorting lines off the coffee table. Later, outside, Ann places the exquisite soap dish Jess had mentioned to Felix, the one she bought from a Moroccan vendor, into her handbag. In an inebriated state, Jess seems intent on instigating a confrontation. “All of this has been a string of warning signs … I thought I’d find my English dream with someone like Mr. Darcy or Hugh Grant from The British Jones Chronicles,” she laments.

Since Felix is genuinely fond of Jess, her attempts to spark an argument only cause him to chuckle. Although he may feel criticized by her scrutiny of his potential issues, he recognizes similar red flags in her behavior too. He lists them from least to most alarming: she often ends sentences with a question mark, writes excessively lengthy messages, claimed to be sober when she wasn’t on occasion, frequently discusses her ex, and even set herself on fire during their very first encounter. Despite being overwhelming at times, he finds it endearing. “Just the right balance, then a bit extra,” he comments before they share a kiss, and the camera sweeps around them in a full 360-degree rotation.

In this moment, things feel great, and it seems genuine. Felix argues that recognizing someone’s flaws (or “red flags”) doesn’t mean you can’t love them; on the contrary, stronger forms of love are those capable of acknowledging their faults while still loving them. However, since Jess entered the room after Jonno and Felix had already discussed Viola, she didn’t hear that information, which makes me worry that it might cause problems between them in the future.

In a classic romantic comedy twist, things are going smoothly between Jess and Felix, but this success puts me on alert. We’re almost at the midpoint of the season, and everyone knows what usually happens around this time in a rom-com: the couple breaks up.

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2025-07-10 19:56