Hulu’s ‘Dollface’ is a relatable post-pandemic fantasy

The first season of “Dollface” graced Hulu screens back in November 2019, just a month before the world learned what the novel coronavirus is. After being renewed for a second season in January 2020 and facing rumors of a cancellation, the charming comedy is back for a second season — just in time for Galentine’s Day, aka gal-pal-centered Valentine’s Day, on Sunday.

“Dollface” follows main character Jules (Kat Dennings) as she navigates the world of female friendships in Los Angeles after a breakup in her mid-20s. With the help of her scraped-together yet well-balanced trio — Madison (Brenda Song), Stella (Shay Mitchell) and Izzy (Esther Povitsky) — Jules learns the complexities of “girl code,” like knowing when to tell the truth or a little white lie, how to have casual sex without catching feelings and that the most important personal relationship a woman can have is with her friends.

The first season tackled the ugly truth of how hard it is to make friends in your 20s as part of its celebration of the ones Jules made. Now, season two continues to glorify friendships and how they anchor you in hard times, as it explores being completely lost in life at the daunting end of your 20s — and how the pandemic has heightened those feelings.

As the gal squad navigates an imagined post-quarantine life, Madison asks Jules the most relatable rhetorical question: “So, you know how we’re nowhere near the places we thought we’d be in our lives?” That line will resonate with plenty of young people not only because it precisely encapsulates the feeling of the chaotic decade post-college, but because it’s an especially poignant expression of being two years into a pandemic in which everyone was forced to hit pause.

Feeling lost in your 20s is almost a rite of passage in modern American culture. It’s a time when most people are experiencing unprecedented freedom combined with the weight of real-world responsibility for the first time. Now, as the world opens up slowly and the “play” button has been hit — albeit at half-speed — 20-somethings are looking around at their world in even greater confusion. Are we supposed to have dream careers by now? Are we supposed to have moved out? What’s the next step? The milestones of adulthood feel further away than ever, as time has been hijacked by something completely unexpected.

In a rose-tinged magical realism scene characteristic of “Dollface,” Jules and Madison are at an airport packed with women taking flights to their futures. Cat Lady (Beth Grant) — a figment of Jules’ imagination that sports the head of her actual cat, Turtle — tells Jules, “Good luck figuring out where ya wanna go, dollface!” Indeed, how is anyone supposed to figure out what to do with their life when it’s been on hold for more than a year?

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Of course, the absolute unpredictability and unexpected nature of life is just one of many lessons that arose from the pandemic. Millennials and Gen-Zers also had the opportunity to realize that arbitrary deadlines on major life achievements are just that — arbitrary — and that maybe living in the moment is more important than focusing on those major life markers down the road, anyway.

Unfortunately, while “Dollface” portrays mid- to late-20s angst correctly, it only gets the pandemic half-right. Though it avoids the mistakes of many other attempts to help viewers grapple with the dark past and unusual present we find ourselves in, it doesn’t stick the landing.

A lot of shows produced in the last two years have stumbled with how to handle the pandemic in their fictional worlds. Netflix’s “You” used the idea of quarantine as a passing reference to describe dislikable characters who partied during a time of isolation. (Let’s not forget that cringeworthy anti-vaccine episode thrown in to forward the show’s twisted plot.)

HBO Max’s “Love Life” delved into the realities of quarantine, masks and the boom of sidewalk seating in the New York-based show in one episode — only for the pandemic to disappear like magic in the next episode. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the entire 17th season of “Grey’s Anatomy” eerily portrayed the pandemic with a realness that hit way too close to home.

“Dollface” manages to position itself better than most by focusing on the pandemic as an impactful event that stillneeds to be dealt with, rather than a blip the world has already gotten past. But it lacks the true courage of its convictions, which would keep the show in the pandemic like we all still are, continuing to explore this circumstance as an ongoing reality rather than a past trauma. Instead, the show is set in a post-pandemic fantasy world — sigh.

At least this fantasy world feels more authentic than that of other shows. It starts by depicting how excited Jules, Madison, Stella and Izzy are to finally reunite after months apart — just like those who are able to celebrate Galentine’s this weekend post-vaccine.

And it addresses anxiety-ridden themes just enough to elicit a knowing nod while still allowing every scene to deliver a punchline. Just as the weight of the show’s relatability sets in, it reminds you: Nothing is that serious. This Galentine’s Day, the breezy nature and sweet reminders of “Dollface” combine for the perfect binge-a-thon.