It’s official — Lena Dunham’s latest show,Too Much, is her biggest critical hit sinceGirls. WithToo Much’s cast led by Megan Stalter, the rom-com series, which released today on Netflix, follows Jessica (Stalter), a New York woman who decides to live her romantic best life by moving to London following a breakup. There, she connects with Felix (Will Sharpe), a struggling musician.
Reviews are still coming in, butToo Muchis currently sitting at an admirable 85%onRotten Tomatoes.While critics are in agreement that the Netflix series doesn’t quite have the same magic asGirls— which sits at 89% on RT — they agree that its blend of sweet romance and Dunham’s signature biting wit is a winning combination.
This marks a return to form for Dunham, asnone of her post-Girlsseries have achieved this level of success. Her follow-up HBO show,Camping, was a critical failure with a paltry 27% on Rotten Tomatoes and was canceled after one season in 2018. Dunham also served as an executive producer for 2021’sGeneration(75% on RT), but that too bit the dust after a single season.
What Too Much’s Critical Success Means For Its Future
All Signs Point To A Season 2 Renewal
Though theToo Muchcreator has been steadily working sinceGirlsended in 2017, Dunham hasn’t been in the pop conversation nearly as much as when her hit HBO show was on the air. But with such positive reviews, it looks likeDunham is back at the top of her game, and this can only mean good things for her new Netflix show.
Even with its critical acclaim,Too Much’s chances of getting renewed for season 2 ultimately come down to how many viewers tune into the show. However, with its high RT score and Dunham’s star power generating buzz, it’s easy to seeToo Muchbecoming a hit.
Netflix is also the perfect platform for a romance series to launch, asshows likeBridgertonandEmily in Pariscontinue to be long-running hits.Too Muchcould very well be this year’sNobody Wants This, a rom-com series starring Adam Brody and Kristen Bell that earned huge numbers for the streamer when it premiered in 2024.
Our Take On Lena Dunham’s TV Comeback
She’s Tackling Familiar Themes In A Fresh Rom-Com Way
Part of what madeGirlscapture the pop culture zeitgeist is how authentic it felt, and that’s because Dunham based much of it on her own life. Like Dunham, Hannah Horvath is a writer living in New York City, pursuing her dream of becoming the “voice of a generation” while making messy, questionable romantic decisions.
A lot ofGirls' major themes come up inToo Much, from mental health issues to wanting to find love to trying to find one’s place in the world. However,Too Muchis hardly a carbon copy of the show that made Dunham famous. While it covers familiar terrain, it’s also a much more hopeful series that celebrates the spirit of the rom-com.
Girlsworked so well because it held an uncomfortable mirror up to struggling young people, whileToo Muchtakes a softer approach by telling us it’s okay that we don’t have it all figured out yet, and sometimes not knowing can lead to a grand adventure.
Thanks to Megan Stalter’s tour de force performance and Dunham’s sharp writing,Too Muchis a triumphant comeback for theGirlscreator.
Girls
Cast
Created by Lena Dunham, Girls is a coming-of-age comedy-drama series that follows a group of four twentysomething-year-old girls now discovering that they’re on their own and must find their way through life. Central to the show is Hannah Horvath, who, after graduating college, is cut-off financially from her family. Hannah will soon discover trying to make it as a writer in Brooklyn is far more challenging than she thinks.
