Saagar Kote
Netflix’s romantic drama series ‘Too Much’ delves into the life of Jessica Salmon, a chaotic New Yorker who moves to London in search of a fresh start in her life, and to hopefully find true love. The series explores themes such as body image, love, feminism, trust, loyalty, and ambition. The narrative delivers a poignant commentary on the human soul’s deepest desires, exploring the need for romance and a sense of belonging, while also offering viewers a heartfelt experience of the trials and tribulations of complex romance in the chaos of the digital age. Jessica’s relationship with Zev is an important part of the narrative and plays a major role in the progression of the plot. It also has major implications for Jessica’s evolution as a woman pursuing authentic love. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Jessica and Zev Formed a Toxic Relationship
Jessica and Zev meet at a bar in Brooklyn and start bonding instantly. They fall for each other’s personalities and get intimate soon after. The initial phases of their relationship are very normal and safe, even to the extent of Zev bonding with Jessica’s complicated family. They seem to be very much in love and also enjoy their intimacy. However, as time passes, certain personality traits of Zev start unraveling, making their relationship a toxic one. In one scene, Zev asks Jessica’s opinion on his writing as a critic, but even before she can answer, he says that she has nothing intellectual to offer to any of his writings. He also admits that his work and personality can sometimes put him in a bad mood.
Jessica starts feeling insecure and less intelligent around Zev’s group of sophisticated and so-called intellectual friends, who disregard her presence. Zev starts exhibiting rude behavior when he starts commenting on basic things like Jessica’s sense of fashion, preying on her insecurities related to body image. He even criticizes her for choosing to watch dumb shows on television, while he does meaningful work writing about important issues. This change in Zev’s approach towards her makes Jessica even more insecure. She buys a dog in the park as she feels the emotional need to do so, but Zev starts showing that he’s not comfortable having a dog around.
In another scene, a rude woman accuses Jessica’s dog Cutesie of harming her pet, but instead of standing by Jessica, Zev proceeds to insult her and also goes to the extent of saying that if she can’t handle a dog, then she can never handle a baby if she becomes a mother. At a party, Zev meets an attractive woman named Wendy Jones and starts to flirt with her, leading to Jessica’s downward spiral. Zev starts becoming more distant from his girlfriend and pushes her into emotional isolation. The protagonist gives up her dog Cutesie just to ensure that Zev shows interest in her again.
As Zev gets closer to Wendy, Jessica starts feeling more abandoned and hooks up with a co-worker named Casey to fulfill her emotional needs. When the lead character finds out that she’s pregnant, she has a very difficult conversation with Zev, where she says that she will get an abortion. Zev shows that he doesn’t even care about her pregnancy and instantly tells her to get an abortion. This action by Zev makes Jessica realize that she can no longer be in the relationship, and she breaks up with Zev, recognizing his need to dominate and control her to satisfy his own male ego. The once bright relationship comes to an abrupt and melancholic end.
Jessica Gets Married to Felix
After navigating the toughest scenarios that life throws at her, Jessica happily marries Felix at the end of the season, bringing her love story to an optimistic end. She removes the image of Zev from her mind after months of heartbreak and accepts her new destiny. She struggles throughout the narrative to get over Zev, especially due to her insecurities related to Wendy Jones. She keeps posting social media posts privately addressing Wendy and expressing her feelings about Zev leaving her for another woman. However, when her private posts accidentally become public, Wendy realizes the pain she’s in. Jessica and Wendy meet at a cafe in London to clarify their feelings. They agree that Zev is a toxic man, and both of them deserve better.
The powerful conversation between the two of them allows Jessica to finally let go of Zev’s memory and pursue a happier relationship with Felix instead. There is no further scope for her to even consider getting back together with Zev, as she has found a better person who loves her for who she is, and doesn’t judge her or insult her like Zev did. Even if Zev apologizes to Jessica in the future or realizes his own shortcomings, the lead character wouldn’t consider the possibility of starting a relationship with him again, as she will presumably be in a happy marriage with a kinder man.
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