Love Story Season 1 Episode 7 Review: Obsession
The walls of Carolyn’s new reality slowly begin to enclose around her on Love Story Season 1 Episode 7, “Obsession,” as she’s forced to handle the onslaught of paparazzi.
Despite Carolyn and John becoming newlyweds, there’s a noticeable shift in their dynamic that intensifies in its uneasiness as the episode progresses.
There are multiple instances where Carolyn and John — both separately and together — deal with the paparazzi. It’s clear Carolyn bears the weight of their incessant behavior, and it understandably takes a toll on her.
From the episode’s get-go, John has a rapport with the paparazzi, indicating his undeniable familiarity with fame.
He talks to the paparazzi like they’re acquaintances of his which is quite jarring to watch, especially from Carolyn’s perspective, who does little to hide her uncomfortableness.
The first time we see the paparazzi hound Carolyn without the presence of John is during her interview at Ralph Lauren. This highlights the level of fame she now possesses.
It’s an extremely embarrassing and overwhelming moment for Carolyn. She doesn’t want to attract attention to herself, and this is reiterated in her decision to turn down posing for the covers of Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar.
The episode does a perfect job at visually portraying Carolyn’s struggle for privacy by crafting shots from the perspective of a paparazzo’s camera. The aspect ratio changes and a filter is used to illustrate the camera quality of the ’90s. It’s immersive and allows us to feel like we’re in Carolyn’s heady state of dealing with this surge of exposure.
Another well done visual representation of how Carolyn is perceived comes in the form of a wedding store’s display window. Carolyn sees a cardboard cutout of John next to a mannequin wearing a wedding dress with the phrase, “it could have been you” plastered on the glass.
Such a display is so tone deaf and shows the public’s inability to offer a modicum of understanding to Carolyn’s reality. It reinforces the idea that Carolyn is living out every woman’s fairytale life when that’s far from what’s happening.
Moments later, she’s called cruel and demeaning names from the paparazzi, which stresses the constant shadow of fame and publicity she’s unable to run from.
Arguably, the first time during “Obsession” where Carolyn seems the most herself is when she shares a moment with her sister. This serves to create the contrast between those who know Carolyn on an emotional level versus the white noise and projection from the outside world.
The only reprieve Carolyn and John get from the paparazzi is in their apartment, but this sense of intimacy and contentment begins to falter.
There’s a two-month time jump toward the back half of “Obsession” and the paparazzi, along with the tabloids, have only gotten worse in their attack on Carolyn.
Carolyn is getting called a drug addict, photos of her leaving therapy are being published, and if she leaves the apartment, it’s a guarantee that the paparazzi won’t be far behind. In fact, they’re quite literally sleeping in tents outside her and John’s apartment.
When Carolyn meets up with her sister at a restaurant, lo and behold, the paparazzi are snapping photos from the outside.
Marrying John causes Carolyn’s life to split into a before and after. It’s becoming increasingly harder for her to maintain any semblance of personal identity without scurrility from the press.
Perhaps the most important part of the conversation is Carolyn recognizing John never had anonymity to begin with, so he will never understand what it means to lose it. This realization solidifies the current disconnect between the couple.
Of course, John isn’t altogether oblivious to Carolyn’s turmoil with the press, but he believes that it was never meant to get so out of hand. In all honesty, this way of thinking gives too much credit to the paparazzi’s self-control (which they don’t have).
Caroline brings up an excellent point to John that Carolyn’s relationship with the press won’t change until his does.
One cannot help but wonder if his sister’s words went in one ear and out the other because even after this sound advice, he still engages with the paparazzi. It’s genuinely unclear why he insists so much on talking to them.
The tension that’s building throughout the episode finally snaps during Carolyn’s breakdown. Sarah Pidgeon is a force of nature in portraying honest depictions of overwhelming rage and exasperation as seen with her work on The Wilds.
Carolyn’s spark is dwindled and while she admits she loves John, wants to be happy, and wants them to work, she cannot deny that the transition from complete anonymity to constant surveillance is gnawing away at her.
Even when John is offering her comfort, a shrilling buzzer disrupts the moment, which triggers further frustration out of Carolyn. The sound reflects how even in their own home; they’re still tethered to the demands of the public.
Frankly, the only time John shows some semblance of standing up for his wife against the paparazzi is after her breakdown when he goes outside and knocks one of their cameras down. It’s a bold statement, but he still needs to work on ceasing to engage with them altogether.
The final scene of “Obsession” is a testament to Carolyn’s internal suffocation.
It’s a dimly lit shot of Carolyn smoking out of the window as her gaze travels to the paparazzi’s tents. The warmth of the orange lighting contrasts against the harsh reality of her situation.
Even in their apartment, Carolyn feels like an animal in a cage and her anxiety lingers with the audience.
Stray Thoughts
- Carolyn and John should have a proper conversation with Caroline on how she maintains her privacy.
- John meeting with a political consultant and choosing not to tell Carolyn is only going to cause further strain in their relationship.
What did you think of this episode of Love Story? Share your thoughts in the comments below, and don’t forget to leave your own rating!
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Love Story airs Thursdays at 9/8c on FX, with next-day streaming on Hulu.
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Revati Gelda
Revati Gelda is a writer and journalist whose work focuses on the arts and their importance in today’s society. Her reporting has appeared in Hudson Valley Magazine, her alma mater’s newspaper Pipe Dream, where she served as Arts & Culture Editor, and more. Currently, she is an Assistant Poetry Editor for Decolonial Passage, a literary magazine.