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Managing editor & film and television critic with a Bachelor's of Arts in English Literature with a Writing Minor from the University of Guam. Currently in graduate school completing a Master's in English Literature.
Following last week’s two-part premiere of HBO Max’s Made for Love Season 2, our beloved characters nearly caught in matters they are not supposed to know about. The third episode is titled, “Diane… We’re in Trouble”. It is written by the series’ co-executive producer, Shepard Boucher, and is directed by the series’ co-producer, Lisa Satriano.
In this review, I will be discussing Made for Love Season 2 Episode 3. There will be no spoilers here, as the title of this article suggests. Nonetheless, please read ahead at your own discretion to avoid any possible revelations.
Plot Synopsis
According to WarnerMedia, here is the synopsis for Made for Love Season 2 Episode 3.
When Hazel shows a sudden interest in his work, Byron takes advantage of the opportunity to include her in his day-to-day. Jasper makes a breakthrough — but not with his intended target. In the pasture, Lyle and Fiffany lean on the past to get them through an increasingly difficult time, while Herb searches for a way out of his own surroundings.
WarnerMedia
Discussion
Shortly after “We’re Losing Time”, the multiple stories of Made for Love get a bit hectic. The episode begins with a neat little musical number involving two characters who want to be concrete with their existence. We also get the return of the “Love is Strange” song from an earlier Season 1 episode, but what has also piqued my interest in the episode’s whistling tune of “Do You Know the Muffin Man?” Could it be that the Gogol company is luring outsiders to their deaths via The Hub? That might be a possibility, with individuals such as Jasper shedding their former identities and taking on new ones in what is claimed to be the “afterlife”. The music team did a terrific job in this part, and I always trust the entire crew of this show to insert something in every episode that is worth remembering.
The screenwriting continues to drive the story in a great direction, and while these smaller narratives seem to have nothing in common, we can perhaps tie them together through rhetorical canons.
Discovery
According to Richard Toye’s Rhetoric: A Very Short Introduction, discovery involves “reflecting on the nature of the audience” and “deciding what is really at issue”. One character finds a way to connect with Zelda the dolphin (voiced by Ashley Madekwe), much to Jeff’s (Raymond Lee) shock. The only other person to accomplish this was Dr. Fiffany Hodeck (Noma Dumezweni). Since the series’ pilot, Zelda has always been treated as a test subject and experience and not an animal, or rather, a living organism that requires care and nurture. With the dolphin finally being given a voice — literally — Nutting et al will help us identify matters that involve not only humans but other species as well. In the long run, this will help obtain post-human status, where every species in the ecosystem can live in a state of harmony.
By this point in the series, Byron Gogol (Billy Magnussen) discovers an alternative option to contribute to humanity other than the Made for Love chip. As I said with last week’s episodes, The Hub is a place with Heaven-like qualities. Gogol believes that uploading psychological data to the network will be key to achieving immortality, and I do think that this may work. Although, he also finds out that human rights may have been violated, and he sets out to clear this up.
Additionally, as teased by the previous episode, Herbert Green (Ray Romano) inevitably discovers that he has been living in the Hub for quite some time. One of the characters implicitly claims that the Gogol company site is indeed very much like Heaven; they tell him, “Anything can be part of the Hub, Mr. Green. That’s its beauty. All the things that you never got to do in life, you can do them here”. If his illness can be treated, then other feats can be achieved as well. However, this is not an issue but is now seen instead as a hopeful solution. What could possibly go wrong?
Memory
With the rhetorical canon of discovery also comes the canon of memory. Toye states that memory helps “to internalize relevant facts and phrases”. In the pasture cube, Lyle Herringbone (Dan Bakkedahl) and Hodeck discuss identifying different signs and symbols that serve as “trauma triggers”, or as Herringbone adds, the “stabbing reminder” of a different life had they not decided to work at Gogol. I do think this works, and I feel the need to develop a theory that links Hodeck to another character of the show. This could prove that there may be a deeper connection than what we notice on the surface.
The Crew of Made for Love
Made for Love is created by Alissa Nutting, Dean Bakopoulos, Patrick Somerville, and Christina Lee. The series is based on Nutting’s novel of the same name.
Lee, Nutting, Bakopoulos, Somerville, Liza Chasin, SJ Clarkson, and Daisy Mayer serve as the executive producers. Janet Knutsen, Cristin Milioti, and Andres Anglade serve as the producers. Shepard Boucher serves as the series’ co-executive producer, while Lisa Satriano serves as the co-producer.
Jovan Robinson serves as the executive story editor. Anthony McAfee and Andy Morrish serve as the editors for the episode, while Daniel Ruiz serves as the assistant editor. Brandon Mastrippolito serves as the director of photography.
Keefus Ciancia scores the music, while Christine Greene Roe serves as the music supervisor. Jason Lingle and Jeff Lingle serve as the music editors.
Leslie Woo serves as the casting director. Courtney Bright and Nicole Daniels serve as the original casting directors. Julina Baber serves as the casting associate, while Jalal Haddad serves as the casting assistant.
Jordan Ferrer serves as the production designer, while Jennifer Eve serves as the costume designer. Eddie Williams and Olcun Tan serve as the visual effects supervisors. Tarn Fliehler serves as the art director, while Christy McIrwin serves as the set decorator. Dara Jaramillo is the head of the make-up department, while Arleen Chavez is the head of the hair department.
The Cast of Made for Love
Cristin Milioti portrays the female lead, Hazel Green; alongside her is Billy Magnussen as billionaire tech CEO, Byron Gogol.
Caleb Foote plays Bennett Hobbes, while Sarunas J. Jackson plays Jasper. Ray Romano plays Herbert Green, Hazel’s father. Dan Bakkedahl and Noma Dumezweni portray Lyle Herringbone and Dr. Fiffany Hodeck, respectively.
Mel Rodriguez reprises his role in a guest appearance as Ignacio, Hodeck’s ex-husband, while Kym Whitley returns as Judiff. Raymond Lee plays Jeff. Ashley Madekwe voices Zelda the dolphin.
Leanne Suter appears as a local news reporter.
Performances and Character Developments
I really enjoyed many of the performances in this third episode of Made for Love Season 2. I want to start by discussing Herbert, who is obviously wiser than the younger characters have let on. Romano’s character is not completely oblivious to the matters at hand, but this also makes me wonder if he will find a purpose inside the Hub.
In the long run, this will definitely benefit him since the Gogol structure also benefits his lover, Diane, so I do think that this will serve as more of a healing experience than a detriment. This also serves as an opportunity for Herbert to interact with people in the Hub who are not his daughter, so I am curious as to how this will turn out. In spite of this second chance that he is given, I am unsure as to whether Herbert will be given a second chance at being the father that Hazel needed. Only time will tell.
I also have to commend Jasper’s interactions with a few other characters in the episode. As an FBI agent, I feel he has been trained with all the proper skills to extract information, and he will use any means of meeting the objectives. Jackson comes off as pretty suave when it comes to that, so there is no doubt he will find all the answers he is looking for.
Final Thoughts on This Week’s Made for Love
“Diane… We’re in Trouble” is a funny title for this episode of Made for Love, especially when the sex doll does not have a huge role here. The only thing that she continues to do is scare the living Hell out of Bennett Hobbes (Caleb Foote), and in the next episode of Season 2, it only gets funnier; but I digress.
Overall, the writing is splendid and there are moments in the episode that are worth cherishing. It only gets better from this point on. The only thing I look forward to with the rest of the season is how it utilizes supporting characters who are already introduced in the show. We get more of this in the next episode, so stay tuned for my review on that!
Made for Love Season 2 is now streaming via HBO Max!
Have you seen Nutting’s series? If so, then what are your thoughts on it so far? Let us know! For more dark comedy-related news and reviews visit and follow The Cinema Spot on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!
Also, if you’ve read to the end of this article and want to know more about Made for Love, you can purchase Nutting’s novel via our Amazon Associates link here!
Managing editor & film and television critic with a Bachelor's of Arts in English Literature with a Writing Minor from the University of Guam. Currently in graduate school completing a Master's in English Literature.
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