Modern Love‘s “How Do You Remember Me?” tells a queer love story like none we’ve ever seen. Sure, that sounds cliche and people usually drop that kind of language to bring viewers in. But seriously, we mean it from top to bottom, left to right. This love story was one where it wasn’t the LGBTQ characters gong through trauma porn. No. It was a love story where neither were the bad guy and where people took the time to appreciate that a particular person in their life stood by them during a moment that they needed it the most.
Take Ben, the man who has clearly moved on from his past even when confronted by it on a busy street. And when the flashbacks began we were sure that Robbie, who was with his friends, was the one who broke Ben’s heart. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Robbie was there when Ben needed him. Their relationship was admittedly young and just in the beginning stages. But the fact remains that one human being stood by another and offered comfort and understanding.
Of course, things didn’t go as we expected. Ben needed time to be by himself and he felt overwhelmed by Robbie’s eagerness to help. So, during his recollection of events he made it clear to Robbie that he should go before Ben retreated to the bathroom to have a moment to himself. Almost instantaneously you could tell that Ben knew he had made a mistake. But like most of us when we’ve made a decision, he was conflicted on whether he did the right thing when Robbie was just trying to help in “How Do You Remember Me?”.
On the Robbie side of things, or from his perspective, Ben was colder and more standoffish about having him leave. Ben needed his space and made it known that they had a night together and that’s it. Yes, it’s kind of fucked up to hear that from someone you thought you’d made a connection with. And yes, Robbie was simply trying to help. But even in the midst of things coming this opposing perspective, it’s made clear that these two care for each other.
How can we tell? Because of that hug. Hugs can be healing, grounding, and life changing. And Ben and Robbie hugged in “How Do You Remember Me?” as a means of offering comfort to each other as one was going through something life-changing and possibly life-shattering. And just for a moment they were two human beings sharing a moment that spoke to the kindness that we as human beings are capable of.
That’s why we think that Modern Love‘s “How Do You Remember Me?” is unlike any story we’ve ever seen before. Because when Ben and Robbie passed each other on that street, there was no maliciousness between them. They were just two human beings who appreciated the time they spent together and decided to move on. No huge drama, no pain for the sake of pain. Just a queer couple who had a short but meaningful existence together.
And sometimes stories like these are what we need when it comes to the LGBTQ community. Simple, complex, and engaging stories that show that we’re just like everyone else. And that show those who have never experienced our lives in this manner, a new perspective on who we are and who we can be if given the chance. And that can open doors into people’s hearts and minds in a way that brings forth positive change that supports the LGBTQ community.
Who wouldn’t want that?
Modern Love season 2 is available on Amazon Prime.
