It’s a dream many share: pack up your troubles and escape to the Big Smoke for a fresh start. And that’s exactly what you’ll find in Netflix‘s new show Too Much. Created by Lena Dunham and her husband, British musician Luis Felber, it marks Dunham’s return to television after eight years. But don’t expect a carbon copy of Girls — the show takes a different approach from her provocative hit series. Although it does look at modern life, it leans more towards a traditional romantic romp.
With a star-studded cast, Too Much follows Jessica, played by Megan Stalter, a TV ad producer who leaves New York for London after her relationship implodes. Her ex-boyfriend Zev, played by Michael Zegen, has left her for Wendy Jones, a fashion influencer played by Emily Ratajkowski, setting up the premise for Jessica’s transatlantic fresh start. Too Much is almost as if Hacks and Girls had a baby, telling a tale of heartbreak and the messy process of rebuilding one’s life.
Dunham herself doesn’t lead the way this time, appearing instead as Nora South, Jessica’s sister. Having written or co-written all ten episodes and directed eight of them, Too Much was an opportunity to return to storytelling about contemporary womanhood, calling on her own lived experiences to help. As she told Variety, “It’s certainly not quote-unquote based on a true story, but like everything I do, there is an element of my own life that I can’t help but inject.”
It has a distinctly British feeling, with a resemblance to classic romantic comedies like Bridget Jones’s Diary, particularly in its view of a woman wading through the chaos of dating in 2025 and career pressures. Jessica is endearingly flawed and prone to overthinking. She finds herself in ridiculous and cringeworthy situations, like when she first lays eyes on her love interest, Felix, in a nasty pub toilet, played by Will Sharpe (you might recognize him as the tour guide in the brilliant A Real Pain). Familiar rom-com tropes are exacerbated by a light touch of social media anxiety and the navigation of a new urban life, with Slater narrating the show, interlaced with flashbacks to her past.
Who Is in ‘Too Much’?
Casting Stalter as Jessica was a good choice — she’s a natural. Ironically, she gained fame through social media, so she knows the benefits and pitfalls of online fame firsthand. Stalter built her career online with funny videos and sketches before landing her breakout role on TV in Hacks. Her performance anchors the series, playing out Jessica’s journey from heartbroken New Yorker to tentative London resident. Finding humor in the character’s neuroses while never making her seem pathetic is a good touch.
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People like to work with Dunham, and she called on trusted peers for the supporting cast, such as Richard E. Grant as Jonno, Jessica’s boss. Leo Reich makes his acting debut as Jessica’s colleague, Boss, who is a massive Dunham fan. A Rabbit’s Foot reported that landing the role was “literally a dream come true” for Reich: “When the series (Girl’s) first aired in America, Reich — aged 13 — got a VPN so he could watch it.” Another co-worker, Zoey, is played by brilliant director Janicza Bravo, who told The Upcoming she admired Dunham’s directing: “She says yes to everything… She’s got really strong and clear sense of what she wants… but she says yes immediately… she doesn’t shut anything down.” The show also features many cameos, including the return of everybody’s favorite hot priest, Fleabag‘s Andrew Scott.
The Baby of ‘Girls’ and ‘Hacks’
Too Much may not be getting the same explosive reviews as Girls, but don’t let that deter you. Kaiya Shunyata stated on Roger Ebert’s site, “While it’s a smaller story than her hit series Girls, Dunham quickly reminds us why she was heralded as one of the great writers of her generation.” The London Standard reported, “It will make viewers laugh, it will make viewers cry. And it’s one of the most enjoyable portrayals of young London that I’ve seen in years: it reminded me how much I love this city, it made me want to go out, to pints, to pubs, to party. But it’s not Girls. Nowhere near.” But when it comes down to it, Dunham probably wants to show a different side of the coin.
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Girls was a sensation, sparking conversations about privilege, body image, and economic pressure, uncomfortable and unafraid to make its characters unlikeable. Too Much is softer, prioritizing the romantic comedy elements over thorny social commentary. And this makes the love-making scenes slightly jarring at times. Too Much also draws comparisons to Hacks through Megan Stalter’s casting — both series feature sharp-tongued female protagonists facing setbacks and finding humor in the gap between ambition and reality. Too Much benefits from strong central performances and Dunham’s heartfelt affection for the genre. Focusing on Jessica and Felix’s core relationship, their natural chemistry carries the tale in a grounded approach to modern love.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
