Love, Victor Review: Spring Flings and Big Breakups (Season 1 Episodes 9 and 10)
Victor Salazar is ready to face the music.
Love, Victor Season 1 Episodes 9 and 10 follow Victor’s return to Atlanta, and he’s got a brand new mission: coming out, and coming clean, about how he feels.
At least, that’s the plan. This is a TV series, after all; and we’re playing the long game here.
That being said, Victor’s post-NYC shift in confidence is apparent. With Simon’s jacket serving as a symbolic “torch being passed” from one titular character to another, Victor’s growth is clear from the minute he returns to Creekwood.
The show chooses wisely on when and how Victor begins to come out; never rushing the process, but instead, giving all characters involved proper time to adjust and react to potential fallout.
Victor coming out to Felix first feels right. A breakout character and fan favorite of the series, Felix is the perfect example of a boy actively slaying all forms of toxic masculinity and giving Victor the perfect emotional safety net.
The scene between them is easily one of the most moving of the series. Turpel and Cimino execute the subtly needed and stay perfectly in character while adding earnest layers of vulnerability and love between friends.
It’s refreshing to witness, and Victor’s admission of “I’m into guys” feels major — like letting out a breath he’s been holding in from the pilot, and now we get to exhale with him.
Of course, not all of Victor’s conversations can go quite as smoothly, and Victor’s priority of keeping everyone happy inevitably leads to increasing destruction as the finale creeps closer.
That’s not a detriment of the series, per se — Love, Simon’s big issue was its failure to create a flawed character in Simon Spier. Victor is much more complex, and his mistakes make him relatable (and believable) as a teen navigating the delicate throws of the high school experience.
That doesn’t mean his actions aren’t hard pills to swallow, though.
Benji’s “relationship problems” feel forced at best, and while the show seems to want to prove Benji and Kieran simply aren’t right for each other, it somehow ends up demonizing Kieran in a way that feels unnecessarily harsh.
But Kieran clearly isn’t the point of this story — proven through the off-screen break up we don’t even get to see. It’s good riddance and off to the races for an epic first kiss between Benji and Victor mere minutes after Benji throws Kieran to the curb.
This is what we’ve been waiting for from the moment Benji and Victor locked eyes. With how far he’s come, Victor deserves a perfect, mind-blowing kiss, just like Simon did not too long ago.
And for a split second, he gets it — until reality snaps back into focus, and Mia steps into frame.
Our rose-colored glasses are quickly yanked off, and we’re reminded that not only has Victor yet to break up with her, but he’s also supposedly in the middle of giving her the “perfect romantic night.”
It’s a polarizing turn for the show; Victor and Benji’s kiss feels climactic, but the disappointing reality of Victor recklessly hurting Mia undermines the otherwise poignant moment — a moment, some could argue, meant to be the heart of the entire series.
Conflict is necessary for entertainment but the need for drama feels like it should come second, not overshadow the importance of Victor’s most life-changing event.
There’s only one other major issue with Love, Victor, and that’s the dynamic between Lake and Felix.
While the two characters do share earnest moments, Felix is often used as a device for Lake’s personal growth. A vulnerable and open character like Felix deserves more from a love interest, and he certainly has earned himself richer storylines.
Lake does showcase certain redeemable qualities, and at the very least, grows beyond her archetype from the pilot. She’s genuinely funny — providing some lighter, comedic beats alongside Felix — and painfully relatable through her insecurities.
She’s also a pillar of strength in Mia’s increasingly chaotic life. Not to mention, two women being allowed to exist without an underlying sense of competition or tension never gets old.
The chemistry between Hilson and Wood flows easily, creating an organic feeling of friendship that’s a delight to watch play out on screen.
Both girls are given a gracious amount of storytime dedicated to their home lives, and Love, Victor does right by peaking behind closed doors to allow its audience to witness motives for sometimes otherwise reprehensible actions.
Mia’s outbursts feel most earned, with an absentee mother, and father who fails to consider her feelings before coming home with a new pregnant girlfriend she barely knows.
It’s a complex and compelling life that makes Mia one of the most interesting and gray characters of the series. She’s a black female lead with a fully fleshed out existence, and by finale’s end, is a leading reason Love, Victor deserves a Season 2.
There’s also Lake’s dynamic with her emotionally abusive mother, Felix’s mysterious hoarder life, Andrew’s potential redemption arc, Mia’s budding relationship with Veronica, and of course, the fall out from that big Spring Fling kiss.
Those only scratch the surface of topics to be broached if Love, Victor is given a Sophomore season, and hearts will undoubtedly break if Hulu doesn’t renew this little gem of a show.
There are a million reasons to enjoy Love, Victor, but it’s most endearing quality is how it finds a way to get behind all its characters — even the ones who surprise you.
The series goes on a journey that at times feels like a reminiscence of its source material, but gains its own legs with every passing installment. By finale’s end, Love, Victor has become its own beautiful story of self-discovery in the little town of Creekwood, Georgia.
Things in Victor Salazar’s universe may get worse before they get better, but I couldn’t be more hopeful to continue this wild ride.
What did you think of these episodes of Love, Victor? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Critic Rating:
User Rating:
All of Love, Victor Season 1 is now available to stream on Hulu.
Follow us on Twitter and on 
Instagram!
Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!
Kat Pettibone
Kat Pettibone is an aspiring TV writer, artist, and poet. As a Pacey Witter Fan Club lifer who never missed a TGIF, she has dreams of becoming your generations small screen Nora Ephron. She's also an avid lover of coffee, dogs and all things spooky.