This article includes discussions of childhood sexual abuse and substance use disorder.
MAJOR SPOILERS for Too Much season 1 are ahead!
Netflix’sToo Muchis a wild rom-com that subverts expectations, leading to a shocking ending for Jess and Felix that sets up season 2.Lena Dunham’s new showfollows Jessica “Jess” Salmon, who moves to London for a fresh start after a breakup with her boyfriend of seven years, Zev. When she arrives, she meets a man named Felix, an indie musician who is trying to figure out where he wants his life to go now that he’s sober.
The two start a relationship but struggle as a couple. Jess is still fixated on Zev and his fiancée, Wendy Jones, an omnipresentcharacter in Too Muchwho has relatively little screen time. Meanwhile, most of Felix’s female friends are people he’d previously been sexually involved with. Jess and Felix get together, break up, get back together, move in together, and break up again. This leads to an emotional ending that will shock many viewers.
Why Felix & Jess Get Married At The End Of Too Much
Felix & Jess Make An Impulsive Legal Decision
Too Much shows what can happen when you bring two deeply flawed and damaged people together in a relationship. Neither Felix nor Jess knows how to be a good partner in a relationship, but they love each other enough to try and find a way. Unfortunately, this results in almost nonstop fights and miscommunications, plus a little bit of cheating.
Pullquote: The fact that they kept coming back together, no matter what was said or done, probably gave them a sense of security.
Given how chaotic their relationship is, Felix and Jess’ decision to get married at the end of Too Much seems completely out of the blue. They jumped straight from breakup to marriage with zero in between. Somehow, the decision makes sense, though.
They both are desperate for someone who will accept all of them, including their flaws and messy bits. (Although I know the main character hates that word, I think it fits perfectly for this couple.) The fact that they kept coming back together, no matter what was said or done, probably gave them a sense of security.
The Real Reason Jess & Zev Broke Up
Zev Likes To Tear Down Strong Women
When details about Jess and Zev’s relationship are initially sprinkled into the story, it seems like Jess might have been at fault. She’s presented as the crazy ex. The reality of their relationship isn’t revealed until halfway through the series. That’s when the audience learns that the truth is more ambiguous.
Even if before he became a massive douchebag, Jess and Zev weren’t compatible. She needed someone who was happy to give her more affirmation, and he needed someone more independent. They also both needed to go to therapy to heal from their own family traumas.
However, the end of Too Much season 1 revealed that Jess wasn’t a factor in their breakup. Other than the fact that they have strong personalities, Jess and Wendy have nothing in common. Still, Zev went through the same cycle with both of them, though.He acted like the sweetest boyfriend and then proceeded to tear both women down, blaming them for his manipulative and cruel behaviors.
How Jess' Christmas Commercial Gets Made
Jess Steps Up When Everything Is Falling Apart
The entire reason why the company sends Jess to London is to coordinate the production of the Christmas commercial. It serves as the B-plot throughout Too Much season 1. However, everything falls apart when it comes time actually to film the commercial. The director walks out. The executive producer isn’t responding because he is handling a situation with his wife.
Rather than wasting everyone’s time and money,Jess steps in to direct the commercial, allowing her to achieve her dream. She makes significant changes to the script, removing the dancing elves. Jess tells the film crew to instead focus solely on Rita Ora’s Santa Claus and singing.
Ultimately, the commercial is wildly successful, proving that Jess always had the capacity to achieve her creative dreams. The creativity and imagination were already there. All she needed was the resources and the opportunity. Luckily, all the pieces fell into place, setting up her career path for Too Much season 2.
Why Felix Doesn’t Want To Talk About His Family
Felix Has A Traumatic Past That’s Hard To Talk About
As much as Jess doesn’t want to talk about her relationship with Zev, Felix is equally cryptic about his past. He won’t talk about his family or let Jess meet them. However, it turns out he has a really good reason to want to push that part of his life out of his mind.
Felix was emotionally neglected by his parents, who were never around. When he was around, his dad was especially harsh towards Felix about his school performance. The only time they had positive interactions was when it came to music.
On top of all that, he was being sexually abused by his nanny, the only person who was ever around for him. As a boy, he undoubtedly felt stigma and shame about what was happening to him. Sadly, the sexual abuse explains a lot about why he dropped out of school and left home as a teenager. The trauma also makes him predisposed towards substance abuse and addiction.
If you or someone you love is experiencing sexual abuse, help is available. Please call 800-656-4673 (US) or visitRainn.org(US) orFindahelpline.com(International) for resources.
If Too Much continues with season 2, I can only hope that he goes back into recovery for his substance use disorder and decides to pursue therapy. He deserves to have someone there to listen and help him process the trauma he experienced.
Jess & Wendy’s Surprising Friendship, Explained
Jess & Wendy Both Experienced Zev’s Cruelty
The most surprising part of Too Much isn’t the fact that Jess and Felix get married at the end of season 1. Instead, it’s the fact that Jess and Wendy develop a friendship. Jess projects her anger for her breakup with Zev onto Wendy, even though she didn’t do anything to Jess. When the show started, it was hard to imagine that she would ever let go of that feeling. Meanwhile, I wouldn’t have blamed Wendy for never forgiving Jess for the social media account bashing her.
Through their conversation, they both realize that neither one is the enemy.
However, when Wendy travels to London for work, she asks to meet up with Jess. Through their conversation, they both realize that neither one is the enemy. Societal attitudes might tell them that they should hate each other, but they both went through the same terrible situation with Zev.
It’s heartwarming to see that Wendy returns Jess’ shirt and apologizes for wearing it in a letter. They might not be the best of friends, but they will undoubtedly have a unique bond going forward.
How Too Much’s Ending Sets Up Season 2
Too Much Season 2 Could Explore Jess & Felix’s Marriage
Netflix’s Too Much ends in a way that feels satisfying and conclusive, even if the show doesn’t get picked up for season 2. However, there are a few clear directions that the show could go in season 2. Jess and Felix rushed to get married before really fully knowing each other’s lives and families.
As such, the second season would most likely explore the couple learning about each other while being married. They also haven’t met one another’s families beyond the wedding, so there could be conflicts that occur when they spend time together. Felix also isn’t shown taking steps to become sober again after his relapse, which could be explored further in the second season.
There are also side characters whose stories are set up in the finale. Josie apologizes to Kim at the wedding and expresses an openness to having a sexual relationship again. On top of that, Nora and Jameson just got back together.Too Muchseason 2 could include subplots that explore where these two couples are after the finale.
