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Have you ever fallen in love?
More so, have you ever fallen so in love?
Have you ever fallen so in love that you’ve imprisoned your significant other and connected your minds with a chip?
Well – that’s what multi-millionaire Byron (Billy Magnussen) has done with his girlfriend, Hazel (Cristin Milioti).
Made for Love is the latest series from HBO Max’s ever-growing library of original content, and so far, the large majority of them have been huge hits. (Even The Flight Attendant turned into a massive success for the service and has since been snapped up by international broadcasters. It has even been renewed for a second season despite it being advertised as a limited series.)
I only had the chance to watch the first episode of Made for Love — titled “You’re User One” — as part of the South by Southwest film festival. Although, I believe the first episode alone has been enough for me to judge (for myself at least) whether it will be another hit for HBO Max.
The answer? A solid yes.
Discussion
Made for Love is a love story of Black Mirror proportions, meaning that it’s not a love story for all involved. Hazel has found herself trapped by her abusive boyfriend in what appears to be a type of studio set. This includes her house and garden but no way of escape. Byron is a tech entrepreneur. Think of a cross between Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos, but with the looks of a fashion model. He has created a chip that will unify two loved ones together in what will essentially create a shared mind. Unbeknownst to Hazel, she has been implanted with this chip. When she escapes the paradise prison created to hold her, she soon discovers escaping is no easy feat. The reason is Byron can track her every move and even measure her emotional state.
Based on Alissa Nutting’s novel, this high-concept black comedy might sound like a lot to take in. However, I promise you that they do a lot better explaining it than I probably have. While I was excited to watch the series, my expectations were still blown out of the water just by this debut episode. It’s exciting, darkly funny, and at times, infuriating to watch.
Performances
Hot off her leading role in the time-bending comedy Palm Springs, Cristin Milioti delivers yet another home-run performance with the multi-faceted Hazel. She’s able to show us the grief, torment, and abuse Byron is putting her through even when she’s smiling during a party. Milioti can do this just by acting with her eyes and giving the briefest emotional glimpses that many might miss if you blink.
As for Byron, he’s played by the bubbly and lovable Billy Magnussen. He does a fantastic job of making you absolutely f****** hating him. At first, he seems like the best boyfriend who gives everything he can for Hazel. We soon see that he’s scheming and manipulative using his good looks, charm, and amazing brain to get exactly what he wants.
The show itself is an ensemble cast with the likes of Noma Dumazweni and Ray Romano in supporting roles. Although, their appearances are so small in the pilot episode. I can’t really speak on their performances or characters other than I enjoyed what screentime they had.
Final Thoughts
HBO Max has decided to release the series weekly, albeit in a rather odd fashion. On April 1st, three episodes will be made available. These will be followed by three more on April 8th before culminating on April 15th with the final two episodes. While it’s not unusual for an online weekly series to debut with two to three episodes, this semi-binge strategy seems weird and makes me think it should either be dropped weekly or all at once. If WandaVision has proven anything, it’s that weekly episodes on streaming services work wonders at keeping the conversation going. How much did you hear about Netflix’s The Witcher four weeks after its debut compared to WandaVision on Disney+?
Obviously, I can’t speak for the whole season of Made for Love. After only watching the first episode, I was hooked and will most definitely be tuning in for the upcoming episodes.
