Made for Love (TV series)

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Made for Love
Made for Love 2021 Television Series poster.png
Official poster
GenreDark comedy
Created byAlissa Nutting & Dean Bakopoulos and Patrick Somerville and Christina Lee
Based onMade for Love
by Alissa Nutting
Starring
Music byKeefus Ciancia
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of episodes8
Production
Executive producers
ProducerJanet Knutsen
CinematographyNathaniel Goodman
Editors
  • Andy Morrish
  • Al LeVine
  • Anthony McAfee
Running time25–29 minutes
Production companies
Distributor
  • WarnerMedia Direct
Release
Original networkHBO Max
Original releaseApril 1, 2021 (2021-04-01) –
present (present)

Made for Love is an American dark comedy television series based on the 2017 novel of the same name by Alissa Nutting. The series premiered on HBO Max on April 1, 2021.[1] It stars Cristin Milioti, Billy Magnussen and Ray Romano. In June 2021, the series was renewed for a second season.[2]

Premise[]

After a woman escapes from a suffocating 10-year marriage to a tech billionaire, she discovers her husband had her fitted with a tracking device. The device, which he implanted in her brain, allows him to track her location, watch her live, and know her "emotional data" as she tries to regain her independence.

Cast[]

Main[]

Recurring[]

Guest stars[]

Production[]

Development[]

Made for Love is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Alissa Nutting.[3] WarnerMedia gave the series a greenlight in June 2019 for their streaming service HBO Max. Patrick Somerville was the season one showrunner and writer, with S. J. Clarkson directing.[6] On June 28, 2021, HBO Max renewed the series for a second season.[2] Executive producers Christina Lee and Nutting are showrunners for season two.[7]

Casting[]

In July 2019, Cristin Milioti was cast to lead the series.[8] Ray Romano was added in September 2019, with his deal only for one season.[9] Noma Dumezweni would join in October 2019, with Billy Magnussen, Dan Bakkedahl and Augusto Aguilera added in November 2019.[10][11][12] In December 2019, Raymond Lee was cast in a recurring role.[13] In July 2021, Caleb Foote was promoted as a series regular for the second season.[4] In November 2021, Sarunas J. Jackson who guest starred on the first season was promoted to a series regular while Chris Diamantopoulos and Angela Lin were cast in recurring roles with Paula Abdul to guest star for the second season.[5]

Episodes[]

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
1"User One"Stephanie LaingAlissa Nutting & Dean Bakopoulos and Patrick Somerville and Christina LeeApril 1, 2021 (2021-04-01)

Hazel Green, wife of billionaire tech CEO Byron Gogol, escapes from the Hub, a massive virtual reality complex where they lived together for 10 years without leaving. She hitches a ride with a radio DJ who drops her off. Hazel, fearing she is being tracked, runs into a strip club and steals some clothes. Lyle finds Hazel, causing her to flee and chop off some of his fingers with an axe. Hazel hitches a ride to his dad’s hometown, where she encounters a stranger receiving a call from Byron, informing her that Byron has implanted a device called “Made For Love” in her brain that tracks her sight, emotions, and whereabouts. Hazels runs into her dad’s home where she finds him having sex with a sex doll named Diane. In shock, she faints and falls over.

Flashback: 24 hours before escaping, Hazel’s every move is being tracked by Byron’s devices. She attends Gogol Inc’s board meeting, where Byron reveals he knows she is lying about being happy.
2"I Want a Divorce"Alethea JonesAlissa Nutting & Dean Bakopoulos and Patrick Somerville and Christina LeeApril 1, 2021 (2021-04-01)

Hazel wakes up and tells her father Herb that she wants to leave Byron. She leaves the house with a shotgun, and encounters Lyle again. After failing to convince her to come with him, she shoots him several times, leaving him injured. Herb picks Hazel up and they try to find Herb’s old plane to help her escape farther. They go to the Third Saturday Ride Night at a bar called The Spotted Rose where Herb joins a mechanical bull-riding contest so they can borrow the plane. Herb is thrown off the bull, and the two head back to Herb’s house in defeat, only to find Byron waiting for them. Hazel walks in and tells Byron, “I want a divorce.”

Flashback: Hazel loses consciousness, shattering a glass. Byron’s lackeys shave off a lock of her hair and surgically implant the Made for Love chip in her brain.
3"I Want This Thing Out of My Head"Alethea JonesAlissa Nutting & Sarah SolemaniApril 1, 2021 (2021-04-01)

Byron argues with Hazel and tries to convince her that she still loves him, even if only indirectly. Hazel rejects this and goes on a walk, seeking out the bartender from The Spotted Rose. She asks the bartender to masturbate while looking at her with her eyes wide open, which Byron witnesses. Byron leaves Herb's house in a fit of rage.

Flashback: Hazel and Byron are interviewed for an episode of a fictional television program, Weekend America. Viewers learn more about the Hub, and it is revealed that Byron and Hazel have been confined to the Hub since their first date and marriage (on the same night), that Byron only sleeps two hours per night, and that Byron prefers to eat "Flavor Balls" over normal food.
4"I Want a New Life"Stephanie LaingKim Steele & Sarah McCarronApril 8, 2021 (2021-04-08)

In an effort to convince Hazel to come back to the Hub, Byron seeks to build a smell cube for her, and sends his assistant Bennett out to provide Hazel with some sample scents. Herb demands Hazel pay rent to continue staying with him. To make ends meet, Hazel steals phones from unwitting college students and pawns them off. At the pawn shop, she encounters her old friend Bangles just as Bennett arrives to have Hazel smell the samples. Bangles and Hazel force Bennett to leave. They go back to Herb’s home and after drinking alcohol, they taunt Byron by having Bangles moon Hazel, which Byron sees through her eyes.

Flashback: During Hazel’s college years, Byron finds Hazel scamming college students by selling fraudulent tickets. He asks her out on a first date, which is in a virtual reality cube. After awing her by showing her the capabilities of the cube, he convinces her to marry him and to leave with him on the same night.
5"I Want a Lawyer"Stephanie LaingChristina LeeApril 8, 2021 (2021-04-08)
6"I Want You to Give a F*** About Me"Stephanie LaingSarah McCarron & Sarah LaBrieApril 8, 2021 (2021-04-08)
7"I Want to Feel Normal"Stephanie LaingAlissa NuttingApril 15, 2021 (2021-04-15)
8"Let's Meet"Stephanie LaingAlissa Nutting & Patrick Somerville and Christina LeeApril 15, 2021 (2021-04-15)

Release[]

The series premiered on April 1, 2021 with the first 3 episodes available immediately.[1]

Reception[]

For the series, review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 94% based on 53 critic reviews, with an average rating of 7.20/10. The website's critics consensus reads,"Made for Love's satirical riffs on technology are undeniably clever, but the most valuable special effects in this twisty odyssey are Cristin Milioti's charisma and comedic timing."[14] Metacritic gave the series a weighted average score of 68 out of 100 based on 18 critic reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[15]

Nina Metz of Chicago Tribune rated the series 3.5/4 and found the series "cheekily bewitching, both sardonic and deeply deeply disturbing..."[16] Ben Travers of IndieWire gave the series a B- and said, "Herbert is the proof that Made for Love still knows the real deal: that true love can't be quantified, only felt. The more the show lets us feel it, the better off it will be."[17]

Awards and nominations[]

Year Award Category Nominee Result Ref.
2021 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series (Half-Hour) Nathaniel Goodman (for "User One") Nominated [18]
2022 Critics' Choice Movie Awards Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series Ray Romano Pending [19]

References[]

  1. ^ a b "MADE FOR LOVE Debuts April 1 on HBO Max". WarnerMedia (Press release). March 22, 2021. Archived from the original on March 22, 2021. Retrieved March 22, 2021.
  2. ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (June 28, 2021). "'Made For Love' Renewed For Second Season On HBO Max". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
  3. ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony. "'Made For Love' Showrunner Christina Lee On Season Finale's Last Minute Twist, Elon Musk Inspiration And What's Next For Hazel & Byron". Deadline. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
  4. ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (July 22, 2021). "'Made For Love' Actor Caleb Foote Upped To Series Regular On Season 2 Of Max Original Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  5. ^ a b c d e Cordero, Rosy; White, Peter (November 5, 2021). "'Made For Love': Sarunas J. Jackson Upped To Series Regular As HBO Max Adds Chris Diamantopoulos, Angela Lin & Paula Abdul To Cast". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 5, 2021.
  6. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (June 25, 2019). "WarnerMedia Streamer Orders 'Station Eleven' & 'Made For Love' Series From Patrick Somerville & Paramount". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
  7. ^ White, Peter; Cordero, Rosy (2021-11-05). "'Made For Love': Sarunas J. Jackson Upped To Series Regular As HBO Max Adds Chris Diamantopoulos, Angela Lin & Paula Abdul To Cast". Deadline. Retrieved 2021-12-26.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  8. ^ Petski, Denise (July 29, 2019). "'Made For Love': Cristin Milioti To Star In HBO Max Series Based On Novel". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
  9. ^ Andreeva, Nellie; Petski, Denise (September 25, 2019). "Ray Romano To Star In HBO Max Series 'Made For Love' Based On Novel". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
  10. ^ Evans, Greg (October 28, 2019). "'Made For Love': Noma Dumezweni Cast In HBO Max Series Based On Novel". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
  11. ^ Ramos, Dino-Ray (November 4, 2019). "Billy Magnussen Boards HBO Max Series 'Made For Love' Based On Alissa Nutting Novel". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
  12. ^ Hipes, Patrick (November 13, 2019). "'Made For Love': Dan Bakkedahl & Augusto Aguilera Join HBO Max Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
  13. ^ Petski, Denise (December 20, 2019). "'Made For Love': Raymond Lee To Recur In HBO Max Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 23, 2020.
  14. ^ "Made for Love: Season 1 (2021)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved June 28, 2021.
  15. ^ "Made for Love: Season 1". Metacritic. Retrieved November 24, 2021.
  16. ^ Metz, Nina (April 1, 2021). "'Made for Love' review: HBO Max's tech satire is both sardonic and deeply, deeply creepy". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved April 5, 2021.
  17. ^ Travers, Ben (March 17, 2021). "'Made for Love' Review: Ray Romano Carries HBO Max's Bizarre Tech Comedy Through a Bad Romance". IndieWire. Retrieved April 5, 2021.
  18. ^ "Made For Love". Television Academy. Retrieved 2021-12-26.
  19. ^ Major, Michael. "HBO & HBO Max Lead Critics' Choice Award Television Nominations". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2021-12-26.

External links[]

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