Sometimes a show that doesn't take itself too seriously and is weirdly (sci-fi) fun is entertaining escape from stress. The 3 main characters, Hazel, Byron, Hebert do some really good acting...that made a huge difference in making up for the few cheesy parts (most of the scenes with the nun). I laughed it off or didn't care about it and just let myself be entertained!
119 Reviews
Quality writing with an amazing cast.
samratsingraur25 March 2021
Hazel's (Cristin Milioti) escape narrative has huge caper energy, but Made for Love has mysteries within mysteries, and they unfold in ways that are alternately exciting, astounding, and creepy. Milioti is the clear standout among an already impressive cast. Even when the deliberately scattered storytelling wears a little thin, she holds our attention with no trouble. Billy Magnussen's Byron Gogol is also delightfully, terrifyingly unhinged. The only thing wrong with this show is its pacing. Otherwise the outstanding cast gives us more than enough reason to keep coming back for those answers and makes Made for Love a solid installment in the techno-dystopic rom-com genre.
Quirky and Fun
heidibokor15 May 2021
I knew nothing about this show when I started the first episode. I have to say it's quirky, weird, and fun. It has some funny scenes especially when the main character knows her creepy husband is watching. The episodes are not long. Worth the watch if you want to drown out the crazy world and just watch something fun.
3 episodes in, I cannot think of anything negative to say...
yaskota0013 April 2021
3 episodes in, I cannot think of anything negative to say.. The cast is solid, the production solid, the story (get ready) is entertaining, funny, interesting, timely, relevant, well done, well told and, unfortunately in a sense, necessary.
But if you disagree, I'd respect that.
But if you disagree, I'd respect that.
Interesting and weird, love Ray's gal! ;D
midnitepantera29 April 2021
This caught me off guard, it was a fun and twisted little watch with some funny and sweet moments. But the idea of that being done without consent to someone is frightening to think of, considering all those thirsty social media gals who would have been happy to let this be done to them with their consent. Worth a watch if you want something different than the usual tv fare. :D.
I tried to wait until they all aired...
cscott233115 April 2021
...but I couldn't. This series is great. The subtle humor and great one liners have really done it for me. I love Ray Ramono too. I wasn't 100% on the Hazel(Cristin Milioti) until the second episode, but her facial expressions and comedic timing are spot on. All in all this is a great show. Unique storyline with some comedic heavy hitters. Bennett (Caleb Foote) I saw a few years back in a comedy series that never took off but I loved him in that and I love him in this. I can't wait to see where this series takes us from here. I hope it's to another season. I have really enjoyed this so far, with only 2 episodes to go.
Manufacturing Consent
owen-watts19 April 2021
This fascinatingly obtuse series adapted by the novelist Alissa Nutting from her own book has a vibe hovering somewhere between Black Mirror and Veep - about a woman escaping a seriously problematic relationship with tech billionaire and thinly-veiled allegorical caricature Byron Gogol. Not all of it works, it gets increasingly cluttered over the second season and some plot threads straight up dissolve away but the unsettling vibe and an incredibly strong cast lend it some serious weight. As a narrative reflection of contemporary issues around technology, assent and control it's super intriguing - as a straight up story it feels a little cold and lacking, the two combined make it a weird bit of TV that may genuinely end up having more to say in ten or twenty years than it does now.
Should be an 8 or at least close to
angelcorrea16 April 2021
Some people seem to forget this is a dramedy or a dark comedy (however you want to call it) and of course it has some flaws, but you can't expect a super well written Sci-Fi drama, cause it isn't intended to be one.
Great acting by Cristin Milioti, Ray Romano, Billy Magnussen and the rest of the cast. Nice music, nice cinematography.
I give a 10 in order to balance the score cause Made for Love should be an 8 or at least close to it.
Great acting by Cristin Milioti, Ray Romano, Billy Magnussen and the rest of the cast. Nice music, nice cinematography.
I give a 10 in order to balance the score cause Made for Love should be an 8 or at least close to it.
A long, familiar Black Mirror episode
daviddas99993 April 2021
I was hoping for something new, but up until episode 3 it is a Black Mirror story. And normally 1 episode is enough to get the idea of the use of technologie going wrong. I like Cristin Milioti acting and Billy Magnussen plays a creepy guy. But the tech idea is not enough for a tv series. So I hope new elements will be added the following episodes, if not, i have seen enough.
Great premise, awful writing
MnemonicDevice17 April 2021
I'm giving this show three stars because it has a great premise, a decent cast, and good production values. The problem is that the writing is so bad that all of that potential is completely squandered. After getting off to a solid start in the first couple episodes, this series quickly pulls a Vasa and founders before really even sailing out of the harbor. This is the kind of show where the writers feel the need to have the main character explicitly describe the obvious thematic parallels between her dysfunctional marriage and her father's relationship to his Real Doll because, I guess, they don't think their audience can figure it out on their own. It seems to desperately want to be a biting satire, but it has no teeth, no wit, no understanding of technology or even, it seems, of human beings. There's a certain extent to which it also seems to want to be about the characters, but despite the best efforts of some of the performers, these people barely exist in the two dimensional plane. Seemingly significant characters hang around for a couple episodes then vanish with no consequence to the overall story, or they show up late in the season and do virtually nothing. By contrast, an inordinate amount of time is spent on scenes between the psychopathic husband and his assistant without any character development for either. It seems pointless. If the writers just want them to be the archetypes of the villain and toady, they should just go for that and spare their audience the tedium of their endless unnecessary scenes together. To a certain extent, those three stars I'm giving this are actually more damning than zero stars because, honestly, there is so much potential here that it seems like it would be nearly impossible to screw it up, yet somehow these writers succeeded.
Great series!
cleverme20052 April 2021
Funny. One reviewier said of another's, they probably only watched the 1st episode since they liked the series and they felt the episodes became mind numbing. I couldn't disagree more. I thought the episodes only got better.
This series is very well written - a unique storyline. Great character development. Great acting. AWESOME Soundtrack. Sympbolism is nicely weaved into the story. I can't wait to see more.
I think this is one of the best shows streaming.
This series is very well written - a unique storyline. Great character development. Great acting. AWESOME Soundtrack. Sympbolism is nicely weaved into the story. I can't wait to see more.
I think this is one of the best shows streaming.
I had high hope for this one.
sydnee_man3 April 2021
Warning: Spoilers
This show is trying to do too much. It's hard to tell if it's a "technology domination" show, a "spousal control" show a "corporate greed" show or a "unrequited love" show. It also tries to be quirky by throwing in random weird stuff, like sex dolls and bull riding competitions. I've only seen the first 3 episodes but I don't have high hopes for the others because there's no solid point of view and I don't really care what happens to any of these people.
The only reason I gave this a 7 instead of a 6 is because the acting is pretty good and the concept is interesting.
The only reason I gave this a 7 instead of a 6 is because the acting is pretty good and the concept is interesting.
Never thought this book would make it to the screen
BeaSnow13 April 2021
I read Alissa Nutting's "Made for love" about a year ago, following the controversial "Tampa".
It was quite the weird read, let me tell you, it's one of those plots that if one tries to give a brief summary of it, it would seem like a substance abuse delirium, like peeking inside a schizophrenic mind, it makes you dizzy, but still interested.
In the tv show, they've kept a lot of the original plot but there's one vast difference that stands out to me the most - while in the book Byron is a real sociopathic narcissist, who is actually dangerous and treating Hazel coldly, with the flair of a person used to own things and people - she was just another investment to him, that had to be "shown its place" when she dared to claim a different life; whereas the tv show Byron seems a bit "safe"...Like he's a romantic comedy "villain" that is ultimately just misunderstood or lonely, providing comic relief through his own ignorance when it comes to "the real world".
It makes for a much easier watch, I'm so far up to episode 6, looking forward to the rest, don't get me wrong - but...I kinda feel they didn't do the book justice. Main characters are missing and it could have been much darker.
However - if you haven't read the book first and only watch the show - it's entertaining for sure!
It was quite the weird read, let me tell you, it's one of those plots that if one tries to give a brief summary of it, it would seem like a substance abuse delirium, like peeking inside a schizophrenic mind, it makes you dizzy, but still interested.
In the tv show, they've kept a lot of the original plot but there's one vast difference that stands out to me the most - while in the book Byron is a real sociopathic narcissist, who is actually dangerous and treating Hazel coldly, with the flair of a person used to own things and people - she was just another investment to him, that had to be "shown its place" when she dared to claim a different life; whereas the tv show Byron seems a bit "safe"...Like he's a romantic comedy "villain" that is ultimately just misunderstood or lonely, providing comic relief through his own ignorance when it comes to "the real world".
It makes for a much easier watch, I'm so far up to episode 6, looking forward to the rest, don't get me wrong - but...I kinda feel they didn't do the book justice. Main characters are missing and it could have been much darker.
However - if you haven't read the book first and only watch the show - it's entertaining for sure!
entertaining series with a poor season 1 ending (spoilers at end marked)
cherold29 June 2021
Warning: Spoilers
I was hesitant to start watching this, because I was afraid it would be like the domestic-violence-themed horror movie Invisible Man, in which a woman's life is methodically destroyed by a controlling psychopath. At the same time, one of the creators of this series did Maniac, so there was also a chance it would be weird and quirky and fun.
The end result is neither as grueling as Invisible Woman nor as fun as Maniac. Instead, it's an engaging mix of quirky humor and dark themes as a woman tries to escape the psychopath tech billionaire who is monitoring her through a computer chip in her brain.
The series is mainly a dark comedy, as protagonist Hazel moves in with her dad, who has a sex doll lover, and deals with a quirky group of good, bad, and somewhere-in-between characters.
I would have rated this 8 stars until the end, because the ending comes pretty close to ruining it all for me. To be fair, this turns out to be the first season of a continuous series, so this ending isn't final, but the story is clearly best as a mini-series so the fact that there even *is* a season 2 is itself a knock against season 1.
Below I explain why the ending sucks.
*************SPOILERS****************** I didn't like the ending because it's a bummer, but that's not why I think it's a genuinely bad ending. I do think this sort of Black Mirror finish feels "real" to a lot of people, so you can just bum people out and have them say, well, that's life, but I don't agree that bummer endings are inherently any more realistic than any other kind.
Here are my main objections: * It's sudden: Yes, we know her father's dying, but still, when Byron suddenly, in the show's last 10 minutes, says, "hey, you're dad's dying, what, I thought you knew" it feels a bit Deus Ex Machina. And the way he does it - weirdly offhanded, as though she'd certainly know this thing about the father she wasn't close to - was odd even by Byron standards.
* It makes no sense: The dad had *decided* not to seek treatment, so "I can offer him treatment" is a weird offer to accept. Perhaps the series is saying Hazel is just as controlling as Byron, but if so that's not established.
* It wouldn't work: Herbert's a bit of a loner, but no, he's not going to be oblivious that there's no one there except Hazel, that if he goes into town no one looks at him, or that no one ever visits. He's not *that* much of a loner.
* Byron isn't a doctor: *Why* can Byron help? He's a tech guy. What evidence do we have that he can treat cancer?
*She knows Byron's a psychopath: She's going to put herself *and* her father back in the hands of this guy? Seriously?
The end result is neither as grueling as Invisible Woman nor as fun as Maniac. Instead, it's an engaging mix of quirky humor and dark themes as a woman tries to escape the psychopath tech billionaire who is monitoring her through a computer chip in her brain.
The series is mainly a dark comedy, as protagonist Hazel moves in with her dad, who has a sex doll lover, and deals with a quirky group of good, bad, and somewhere-in-between characters.
I would have rated this 8 stars until the end, because the ending comes pretty close to ruining it all for me. To be fair, this turns out to be the first season of a continuous series, so this ending isn't final, but the story is clearly best as a mini-series so the fact that there even *is* a season 2 is itself a knock against season 1.
Below I explain why the ending sucks.
*************SPOILERS****************** I didn't like the ending because it's a bummer, but that's not why I think it's a genuinely bad ending. I do think this sort of Black Mirror finish feels "real" to a lot of people, so you can just bum people out and have them say, well, that's life, but I don't agree that bummer endings are inherently any more realistic than any other kind.
Here are my main objections: * It's sudden: Yes, we know her father's dying, but still, when Byron suddenly, in the show's last 10 minutes, says, "hey, you're dad's dying, what, I thought you knew" it feels a bit Deus Ex Machina. And the way he does it - weirdly offhanded, as though she'd certainly know this thing about the father she wasn't close to - was odd even by Byron standards.
* It makes no sense: The dad had *decided* not to seek treatment, so "I can offer him treatment" is a weird offer to accept. Perhaps the series is saying Hazel is just as controlling as Byron, but if so that's not established.
* It wouldn't work: Herbert's a bit of a loner, but no, he's not going to be oblivious that there's no one there except Hazel, that if he goes into town no one looks at him, or that no one ever visits. He's not *that* much of a loner.
* Byron isn't a doctor: *Why* can Byron help? He's a tech guy. What evidence do we have that he can treat cancer?
*She knows Byron's a psychopath: She's going to put herself *and* her father back in the hands of this guy? Seriously?
Pacing is not jus a bit of a problem, it is mind numbing. Dark humor gets dropped for a creepy vibe
random-7077825 March 2021
I've seen the first four episodes. My guess is the other reviewer has seen just the first episode. I don't think the pacing is a bit of a problem, but deeply flawed and makes for an unenjoyable experience. Also the show dropping the viewer into the middle of the timeline and going forward and backwards comes as an artificial and compensatory gimmick that makes a mess of the narrative. (that is not a spoiler it is obvious in the first 30 seconds)
The set up is pretty much dystopian rom-com, and it has been done better elsewhere. Really instead of subtle dark humor, the vibe is just generally a drawn out creepiness. This all comes down to bad writing. The acting is quite adequate. Yoeman talent level for TV acting. The lead actress overdoes the quirkily schtick just a bit much, but it looks like that is more bad directing than an acting problem. The dialogue and screenplay are not clever by golden age of TV standards. Not even a sliver or bronze effort. There is an unevenness and a lot of tedious sections. Once gets the sense that the writers take the audience for granted. 4/10.
The set up is pretty much dystopian rom-com, and it has been done better elsewhere. Really instead of subtle dark humor, the vibe is just generally a drawn out creepiness. This all comes down to bad writing. The acting is quite adequate. Yoeman talent level for TV acting. The lead actress overdoes the quirkily schtick just a bit much, but it looks like that is more bad directing than an acting problem. The dialogue and screenplay are not clever by golden age of TV standards. Not even a sliver or bronze effort. There is an unevenness and a lot of tedious sections. Once gets the sense that the writers take the audience for granted. 4/10.
All is not what it seems - a subtle sledgehammer
bosporan28 April 2022
Cristin Milioti plays the charismatic, yet acerbic Hazel in this creative non-linear story about the ethics of technology, agency and relationships. It is an extended Black Mirror episode, a union of The Collector (movie) and Upload (TV series), presented with a cynical, sinister core wrapped in flippant humour.
MfL tackles serious issues without being preachy or pulpit polemic and the half-hour episodes allow for a brisk pace and regular changes of tack. Ray Romano is fabulous as Hazel's father and his issues reflect Hazel's from a different viewpoint.
This is well worth the watch.
MfL tackles serious issues without being preachy or pulpit polemic and the half-hour episodes allow for a brisk pace and regular changes of tack. Ray Romano is fabulous as Hazel's father and his issues reflect Hazel's from a different viewpoint.
This is well worth the watch.
Ray Romano steals it
julieshotmail25 April 2021
While I immensely enjoy every scene Ray Romano is in (7 stars for his funny self), I find this entire series a bit messy. The idea that this is a fusion of comedy, drama, science fiction, and horror is a cop-out. It seems that it just does not know what it wants to be, and that's how this show begins to break down. Different subplots, scenes, and characters seem disjointed; there is no cohesive theme, therefore you are left wondering, what exactly is the point?
Maybe my favorite new series...
davidfitzhugh15 April 2021
This might be my favorite new series. It's hilarious, creative, and deep all at the same time. The humor is offbeat and sharp, not to mention really dark. The writing is on point and well thought out. The entire production is visually beautiful, every single scene is artistic. The music is killer, the acting is flawless, and the CGI is dope AF. I never thought I would be able to enjoy a show with Ray Romano, due to his previous roles. But this, I like. This is the kind of series I could watch over and over again.
Pretty good as a one and done. No sequel required.
doctordbx30 April 2021
The story is not bad although does seem to suffer from some pacing issues with a few backstory filler episodes thrown in. Taken for what it is though, and interesting premise with an equally interesting conclusion it's definitely watchable and entertaining.
The character of Byron is almost comic book in his depiction of an awkward billionaire who has forgotten what the real world is like, and as we dig deeper, understand he is trying to solve the problems with the world that drove him to solitude.
The character of Hazel is perhaps not as fleshed out as Byron, even though she is in the majority if scenes, but perhaps that's the point. She missed ten years of development as an adult and never grew beyond her early 20s. She is perhaps more selfish than Byron who is trying to make the world a better place, when she is just trying to make things better for herself without caring about anyone else.
Quirky, funny, lightweight. Don't read too much into it though. You'll forget it not long after finishing it.
The character of Byron is almost comic book in his depiction of an awkward billionaire who has forgotten what the real world is like, and as we dig deeper, understand he is trying to solve the problems with the world that drove him to solitude.
The character of Hazel is perhaps not as fleshed out as Byron, even though she is in the majority if scenes, but perhaps that's the point. She missed ten years of development as an adult and never grew beyond her early 20s. She is perhaps more selfish than Byron who is trying to make the world a better place, when she is just trying to make things better for herself without caring about anyone else.
Quirky, funny, lightweight. Don't read too much into it though. You'll forget it not long after finishing it.
Interesting concept, poorly executed
lusciousmuffins8 April 2021
The concept for this show had a lot of potential; alas, most of that potential is squandered with poor execution.
This show jumps forward and backward in time in a way that is disjointed and difficult to piece together without serving any purpose. While storytelling can be very well served by showing events out of sequence, in this case the flashbacks and flashforwards only detract from the impact of the show.
The intriguing questions "Made for Love" raises about the morality of technology, wealth, and relationships end up getting short shrift among the exceptionally convoluted scripts of each episode. Moreover, everything is sacrificed on the altar of absurdism to a degree that you can't really connect with any of the characters.
While the show makes clear that you are supposed to rout for the heroine, it doesn't give you much reason to. Without giving too much away, she's been victimized by her own poor choices as much by her husband. Moreover, the manner in which she treats other people makes her neither likable, nor sympathetic. She doesn't come across as brave, strong, or noble, but instead, selfish, stupid, and hypocritical. To be fair, none of the other characters are much better; with a cast comprised mostly of other equally unlikable weirdos, with a few caricatures of popular stereotypes filling in the gaps like so much background noise.
In the end, whatever this show could have been gets lost amid a storm of poor plot construction and inept character development. You can't identify with any of the characters, so you don't really care what becomes of them. That in turn renders questions about the morality of their choices or the greater relevance of the ethical quandaries they face moot. What you are then left with is an empty husk of interesting set designs and missed opportunities, which does not offer enough entertainment value to hold your interest. Ultimately, "Made for Love" ends up being nothing more than a mildly interesting mess.
This show jumps forward and backward in time in a way that is disjointed and difficult to piece together without serving any purpose. While storytelling can be very well served by showing events out of sequence, in this case the flashbacks and flashforwards only detract from the impact of the show.
The intriguing questions "Made for Love" raises about the morality of technology, wealth, and relationships end up getting short shrift among the exceptionally convoluted scripts of each episode. Moreover, everything is sacrificed on the altar of absurdism to a degree that you can't really connect with any of the characters.
While the show makes clear that you are supposed to rout for the heroine, it doesn't give you much reason to. Without giving too much away, she's been victimized by her own poor choices as much by her husband. Moreover, the manner in which she treats other people makes her neither likable, nor sympathetic. She doesn't come across as brave, strong, or noble, but instead, selfish, stupid, and hypocritical. To be fair, none of the other characters are much better; with a cast comprised mostly of other equally unlikable weirdos, with a few caricatures of popular stereotypes filling in the gaps like so much background noise.
In the end, whatever this show could have been gets lost amid a storm of poor plot construction and inept character development. You can't identify with any of the characters, so you don't really care what becomes of them. That in turn renders questions about the morality of their choices or the greater relevance of the ethical quandaries they face moot. What you are then left with is an empty husk of interesting set designs and missed opportunities, which does not offer enough entertainment value to hold your interest. Ultimately, "Made for Love" ends up being nothing more than a mildly interesting mess.
My rating for Season 1 was/is a 10
whatithinkis13 May 2022
Much better than what the ratings would suggest
chaosallover18 June 2022
Good casting and acting. I feel that Billy Magnussen would play a great 'Homelander'. So much reminded me of Antony Starr's character. Both the leads were pretty good as were the supporting cast.
I liked the humor and intriguing plots and subplots. Well done show, sad that it got cancelled. Hope some other network picks it up.
I liked the humor and intriguing plots and subplots. Well done show, sad that it got cancelled. Hope some other network picks it up.
made for what?
juwedy22 April 2021
The show is just mediocre at best. There's not a single character you can sympathize with (maybe except the dolphin) and the character development occurs rarely if any. The story and plot are superficial. The Acting is tolerable (Kudos to Cristin Milloti and partly Ray Romano)
In a nutshell, you won't miss much if you skip this.
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