batatatamusic

First, I want to make it clear that I don’t want to compare the series with the novel. Even though I have read the second part, the series has become a work of its own for me. They changed certain elements, especially by significantly softening Luke, while Flora remains more or less the same. So I prefer to judge what I was actually given to watch rather than look at the novel to understand what the series was supposed to be.

And this is precisely where, for me, one of the main problems lies: the series raises much more interesting issues than it actually dares to develop.

To me, this is above all the story of a young woman moving from young adulthood into genuine adulthood. Flora enters a highly hierarchical and coded professional world, where social background, education, experience and connections strongly determine one’s opportunities. On top of that come family pressure, social expectations, the search for a stable job and the material difficulties faced by many young adults.

Flora is still young and lacks confidence in herself, but she has an extremely strong ambition: to succeed, become financially independent and find her place in the middle class. She learns from everything around her, observes, absorbs knowledge and takes every opportunity, without ever losing sight of her goal. Even when she receives help, she wants to feel that she has built her success herself. This is quite an interesting way of portraying female emancipation.

And paradoxically, it is the romance that sometimes undermines this message.

Flora rejects certain material and social codes, such as obvious signs of wealth, yet her aspirations remain deeply connected to individual success and social mobility. Her relationship also gives her considerable intellectual support. Luke gradually becomes almost a kind of mentor who helps her evolve. But above all, their relationship transforms Flora: she becomes more confident, more assertive and more independent in her choices. She finishes this journey knowing better who she is, what she wants and how she wants to obtain it.

We can then imagine that once her financial independence and social status become more aligned with Luke’s, she faces a real question: "can she choose the man she loves without having to sacrifice what she has become?"

And this is where the series could have been much more interesting.

Because loving someone does not necessarily mean giving up your career, your comfort, your friends or your social life. But a relationship also involves compromises, sacrifices and the ability to give. Love cannot be built entirely around the “I”. This is precisely why, for me, the romantic storyline partly fails: I do not feel enough reciprocity.

What I also find interesting in the comments surrounding the series is seeing how much people’s expectations of relationships have evolved. Viewers seem much more aware of their boundaries, of what they are willing to accept or not, and of what they believe they deserve. That is, in itself, quite healthy. But it also reflects an era in which the “self” occupies a central place.

Romantic series, especially those aimed at a female audience, ultimately reflect — and sometimes reinforce — this evolution. Yet there is no universal rule that allows us to determine what is healthy or toxic in a relationship. What is a red flag for one person may be insignificant to another. Perhaps true maturity lies more in knowing our own boundaries and understanding which ones can be discussed, moved or never crossed.

----- Luke: a transformation that is difficult to believe, but interesting to observe

Luke is particularly interesting. At the beginning, he is arrogant, narcissistic, lacking in empathy and rather controlling. Then he almost completely changes through his relationship with Flora and, above all, for her.

I have to admit that I have always had difficulty with this type of romantic arc. In real life, I am rather skeptical about the idea that someone who is deeply narcissistic or lacking in empathy can suddenly transform through love. Likewise, certain jealous behaviours do not simply disappear because the story moves forward: when they become genuinely problematic, their consequences do not disappear so easily.

So I don’t really believe in the fairy tale being offered here.

But the series at least has the merit of "showing us this transformation concretely. Luke genuinely becomes someone different. And if we accept this narrative logic, Flora ultimately succeeded in giving the man she loved a kind of “emotional education.”

Which leaves an interesting question: which man did she actually love at the beginning? The man he was, or the man he could become?

---- Underdeveloped supporting characters

I also found the secondary world far too pleasant and polished. Everyone ultimately seems quite kind, which reduces the conflicts and therefore the depth of certain issues.

I was particularly unconvinced by the SML’s storyline. It moves too quickly and, in my opinion, without any real narrative impact, other than shocking the audience. **Raising such a profound issue only to treat it so superficially does not seem very meaningful to me.**

For me, this is one of the major weaknesses of the storytelling: the series sometimes overlooks small details that may seem insignificant, but which would actually allow us to understand the characters’ motivations, contradictions and evolution much better.

--- A series carried by its main duo

On the other hand, both lead actors deserve praise. They both demonstrate a real ability to transform and a great command of their characters.

Special mention to the actor playing Luke: he manages to bring a great deal of nuance to a complex, charismatic and sometimes difficult-to-read character, while maintaining a certain consistency throughout his evolution.

The actress also deserves recognition. Here, she shows a completely different side from her previous roles, something much more sensual and mature. It is quite surprising, and precisely for that reason, very interesting.

I actually think the main strength of the series lies in this duo and in their chemistry, which works particularly well because it feels more mature and less adolescent than in many romances of the same genre.

Visually, the series is also very successful: the aesthetics, cinematography, staging and direction contribute greatly to its atmosphere.

However, the narrative choices remain, for me, its main weakness. The series sometimes overlooks small details that may seem banal, but which would have allowed us to understand the characters’ motivations, contradictions and development much better.

--In the end, I find the series much more interesting for the questions it raises than for the way it chooses to resolve them.** It talks about emancipation, independence, social success, personal transformation and changing expectations of relationships. But it sometimes simplifies these questions so much that it ends up weakening its own message.

And despite everything, it remains captivating — mainly because of Flora, Luke and the very particular chemistry between the two actors.