Hulu's episodic remake of High Fidelity burst onto the scene -- or rather, the internet -- at the perfect time for lockdown viewers to relish this cozy, feel-good series. The show, based on the film and book of the same name, modernizes the familiar and nostalgic ins and outs of the life of a record-store. Not only that, but it charges it with a warm, retro aesthetic that is pleasing to the eye and nourishing to the home-bound soul.
Perhaps one of the biggest updates of the show is Zoe Kravits playing the role originally held by John Cusack, and doing it great justice. Kravits carries viewers on an adventure of love, loss, and the thing that almost everyone can relate to -- the over-analyzation of said love and loss, and trying desperately to understand what went wrong.
IT'S RELATABLE: She's Alienated From Mac
There comes a time in many relationships when one, or both, of the people involved cease to remember what it was like when things were good between them.
Viewers see this moment realized in an early scene of the show, where Rob attempts to make Mac remember a moment from the past when they agreed to remind themselves if they ever strayed from how happy they were. But when she asks, Mac simply can't remember.
IT MAKES NO SENSE: She Cheated On Mac
Rob cheated on Mac on the very night that she knew they might get engaged. In fact, she did it after having found the ring he had bought for her.
Her decision to then come home from said incident and make clear that she would indeed like to marry him pretty much set their relationship up for failure, and it's unclear how she didn't see this coming at the time.
IT'S RELATABLE: She's Afraid Of Commitment
By the end of the first season, it becomes clear that the foundation of Rob's relationship issues have to do with a basic fear of commitment.
This isn't surprising, as people involved in romantic relationships in both romantic fiction and real-life all commonly suffer from this challenge. After all, commitment to one romantic partner is a big responsibility that not all feel like they're ready to take on just yet.
IT MAKES NO SENSE: It's Been A Year
In the timeline of High Fidelity, it has been over a year since Rob and Mac split up. Yet, when the viewer finds out this information, it comes as quite a shock -- Mac's behavior would have viewers easily thinking that the two split up only a week ago.
Everyone takes breakups differently, but the extremity to which hers still impacts her daily life a full year after the fact is rather concerning.
IT'S RELATABLE: Sending A Late Night Text
Many can relate to the familiar feeling of dread when thinking back on a text sent in a moment of impulse. In Rob's case, she spent quite a lot of time crafting the playlist she ultimately sent Mac, so one would render that such a text was well-thought-out in the sending.
However, she never actually intended to send it -- until that tricky late-night moment of spontaneity that viewers know so well.
IT MAKES NO SENSE: Her Middle School Boyfriend
Rob's endeavor to go back and get in touch with all of her "top five" boyfriends is a bit absurd in the first place, but what is odder than this is the fact that one of the men on her list (Kevin Bannister) wasn't technically a man when she dated him -- he was a child. Specifically, they were middle schoolers at the time.
Rob legitimately counts a childhood romance in her top five list, much to the confusion of all. What exactly makes a middle school fling count as a relationship? Also, if something like a childhood crush makes it to the Top Five Boyfriends list, isn't that a bit sad?
IT'S RELATABLE: Envying Mac's New Partner
As much as one might want to get along with the new partner of an ex, it isn't always so easy in reality. Rob is forced to interact with Lily, Mac's new girlfriend and fiancee, and it's as awkward as expected.
Even though she tries to be amicable, the viewers are let in on the fact that Rob is actually struggling with not being openly jealous and resentful. It's hard to blame her for this, however, since most anyone who's gone through something similar will know how hard it is to see a past lover living a happier life with someone new.
IT MAKES NO SENSE: Being Oblivious To Clyde
Rob and Clyde's friendship begins as a date. The two even sleep together! It's confusing, then, when Rob basically friendzones him and then uses him as a fake boyfriend in order to confuse Mac at a party.
Such behavior would be inconsiderate in relation to a true platonic friend, but it's even worse when considering how obvious it is that Clyde has feelings for her. Rob just being dense would be fine but in the series, she seems more like she's using Clyde for her own means while being oblivious as well. Frankly, it's just rude.
IT'S RELATABLE: Self-Absorption
As obnoxious as it is that Rob gets so self-involved that she hardly hears anything going on around her and in the process completely overlooks the lives of her friends, it's still a reasonably common occurrence.
Excusable? That's debatable. But anyone who has been lovesick knows how all-consuming it can become!
IT MAKES NO SENSE: Contacting Her Exes
One of the strangest things in the show is also the show's main premises. Namely, Rob's quest to track down her top five exes and interrogate them about why they rejected her.
It's difficult to ascertain what Rob thinks she will actually gain from this. She seems like a reasonably mature adult despite some understandable flaws and quirks, so one would think it's obvious that deferring to the opinions of others -- especially exes -- isn't going to fulfill her in the way that she thinks it will. And yet, she does it anyway.