“With Love” Review: A Year in the Romantic Life of a Latin American Family in Portland

Lily Diaz (Emeraude Toubia) is looking forward to a Nochebuena party with her extended family. Especially since she recently separated from her old boyfriend and is afraid that all of her Tia will try to set it up with her single son and other acquaintances. But the first order is to tell her grandmother Martha (Rene Victor) that her brother Jorge Jr. (Mark Indelicato) was attending the liturgy when he was not present.

On his way to take Jorge to the party:

There, he introduces his whole family of friends. They meet a friendly wine shop clerk who deals with a customer who refuses to speak to them. He asks the clerk to go to the party, but he has a plan; she still gives him his number and feels the vibration.

When he arrives at Jorge, his natural roommate Nick (Desmond Haim) offers to sleep with him. But he tells him that it wouldn’t have happened now if it hadn’t happened years ago. He is surprised to see that Jorge Henry’s girlfriend (Vincent Rodriguez III) is the clerk he flirts with at the wine shop. He decided to keep his mouth shut because Jorge was quite nervous.

Lily’s mother, Beatrice (Constance Marie) and father Jorge Sr. (Benito Martinez), is having a dry season until Beatrice’s sister Gladys (Gloria Calderon Kellett) offers to buy her a vibrator. “Pleasure Palace has a 2-for-1 sale. Two for me and also one for you,” he joked.

When Lily and Jorge Jr. went to the party, they all seemed to like Henry; even Martha called everyone in the room when Henry explained the idea of ​​being bis*xual to her. This was more difficult for Lily. He tells his cousin Sol (King Isis) that he was the one who broke up with his girlfriend. Because something in their relationship didn’t feel like “this”. Sol, who turned his way to his job as an oncology resident. Which tells him that he may have left the perfect man.

At the hospital, Sol comforts Santiago (Rom Flynn):

Yang is at the discotheque and takes wine from them out of gratitude. And his father Laz (Andre Royo) as the Santiago’s mother is taken from life support. Santiago met Sol during her mother’s months of care. He tells them that she saw Dr Miles Murphy (Todd Grinnell) needs to be more open to who he ends up inviting in the afternoon. Sol likes Miles but is hesitant because they are trans and not binary, but Santiago convinces him to say yes.

This continues with the Love of what Calderon Kellett (with Mike Royce) created in ODAAT. A traditional and universal story yet inclusive and representative. During the party, Beatrice joked with Henry that she had met “97.9% of all Latinos in Oregon”. Which highlighted one of the most exciting aspects of With Love: The action takes place in Portland, Calderon Kellett’s hometown. We love that he put it there instead of the more traditional Latin American forts like New York, Southwest, or California. This would reflect his life when he was in a big, noisy Latino family, but not many people look like him.

But what we appreciate most about this show because it accepts traditional – but warm – juices! – romcom formula and make it inclusive. Jorge Jr.’s worries. About Henry stems more from whether the family likes him than Henry is a boy. Sol’s gender isn’t indicated by a neon sign, though that will be part of the story as she establishes a thriving relationship with Miles. Miles loves Sol because they are fun and down-to-earth, and fabulous.

That will be the mere crux of the story there.

We also appreciate this series sharpening some of the blunt edges of traditional Hallmark-style rum coms, especially since we see Tia Gladys as an uncompromising horn. But we’re also curious about Beatrice’s lack of spark with Jorge Sr. and some other non-s*x storylines, but at least don’t pretend that people don’t make Love.

All the shows are solid, but Tubias Lily plays a nice late 20s mess about what she does wants in her love life, along with the sadness she feels when everyone but her is happy at a Nochebuena party – she even tries to reunite with her ex. But he sends them out into the streets, hoping that they both get what they want. Indelicato, who you may remember playing Betty’s sister in Ugly Betty, is just as charming as Jorge Jr., who actually wants to make sure of his parents love Henry as much as he does.

If you think Hallmark’s Christmas movies are a little too spicy for your liking, With Love will take the itch you might have for a warm, family-oriented Roma girl with just a bit of performance and perks.