The first episode of the final season sends Mickey, Gus and Bertie on a weekend getaway to not quite Palm Springs.

Ah yes, times are sad on my Netflix as I have the final 12 episodes of Love lingering in my queue. Knowing that this is the end for what’s been a fun, sincere series is a real shot to the heart Bon Jovi style, but I’m equally excited to give each episode it’s due with their own review, spoiler free.

S3:E1 “Palm Springs Getaway”

The Story

Episode 1 kicks off with things all hunky dorky between Mickey & Gus. The two look to be pretty well into their relationship since we last left them in season two. They’re watching some reality relevant on television (don’t lambaste me for not being up to par with my E! and/or Bravo shows) when the equally content pairing of Birdie and Randy walk in, interrupting their “Show Unknown” watching.

Randy, king of bad decisions and nervous breakdowns

Gus sees Mickey getting frustrated and suggests a trip to Palm Springs for the weekend. Mickey’s all for it until Randy and Bertie invite themselves along. Specifically Randy, who mentions his great aunt has a palatial place in Palm Springs that they all can stay at. Gus, not to be confrontational, reluctantly accepts and we go on a weekend getaway with the four. This being dopey Randy, things go as they seem so the house (and area) are far from palatial or geographically accurate.

What’s good

“Palm Springs Getaway” has its hitches, but it’s an excellent episode to start us off with the core purpose of the series. The four characters are what we focus on. Everyone’s job is pretty nonexistent (that’s if Randy currently has one) so the only outside factors are what the group gets themselves into. It lays a good foundation for catching us up to speed on where everyone’s relationship stands.

Comedy-wise, there are some solid cringe-worthy moments. The four crash a party that goes exactly the way Bertie fears and Gus gets himself into a horrific situation with his high-quality Bluetooth speaker (that also blares out some toe-tapping 90s tunes).

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What’s bad

The only marks against “Palm Springs Getaway” is that some of the story comes off a little forced. The acting chemistry between everyone is always stellar (which is what makes Love so great), but some the plot and dialogue get stuffed into the episode in favor of getting to the point.

Otherwise, the episode is a great getaway for getting back into the series.

Song of the episode

How can it not be Sugar Ray’s “Every Morning”? The velvety voice of Mark McGrath sounds even smoother on Gus’ quality speaker.

Episode Rating: 7.4 / 10