SPOILER ALERT: This interview accommodates spoilers for “Too A lot.”

Jessica Salmon, performed by Megan Stalter in Lena Dunham‘s new Netflix sequence “Too A lot,” is in contrast to any romantic lead we’ve seen earlier than. Followers of “Hacks” or Stalter’s on-line comedy will acknowledge the erratic, tragic-but-self-assured angle that’s made her characters so widespread. However right here, it’s encased in deeper, extra painful circumstances.

Jessica begins the sequence sitting in mattress when she discovers, by way of Instagram, that her ex-boyfriend Zev (Michael Zegen) has proposed to his new girlfriend, Wendy (Emily Ratajkowski). She begins sobbing and screaming, however there’s nobody to listen to her however her canine.

It’s Jessica’s first day in London, the place she’s moved briefly for a piece alternative. There, she displays on the worst elements of the breakup — particularly, the night time she acquired drunk and broke into Zev and Wendy’s condominium to scream at them each. However she tries to embrace her “Notting Hill” and “Bridget Jones’s Diary”-inspired fantasies of London and heads out to a pub, the place she mets Felix (Will Sharpe), a moody musician who’s instantly taken along with her quirks and basic American-ness. Shortly, the 2 fall right into a whirlwind romance.

As a lot enjoyable as they’ve collectively, the brand new relationship makes it onerous for them to disregard the ache of their pasts. Jessica nonetheless isn’t over Zev, which she channels into an obsession with Wendy. She consistently information movies of herself speaking to Wendy, which she posts to a non-public Instagram adopted by nobody. Felix is newly sober after years of drug and alcohol dependancy, however he nonetheless hangs out with all of the individuals he abused these substances with — together with his ex of 10 years. The extra Jessica and Felix get to know one another, the much less they’ll run away from the elements of themselves they’ve tried to cover.

Every little thing climaxes when Jessica unintentionally makes her non-public account public, and her movies about Wendy immediately go viral. She begins to panic, however she’s on set taking pictures an advert with Rita Ora and doesn’t have time to dwell. After rescuing the shoot from an egotistical director who flakes on the final minute (Andrew Scott) and getting encouragement from Ora to forgive herself for the Wendy fiasco, she goes dwelling to Felix able to rejoice. However he confesses that he’s been relapsing on medicine and alcohol, and that he bumped into an outdated buddy (Jennifer Saunders) and had intercourse along with her. Jessica leaves her condominium and tells him to get his stuff out by the tip of the day, throughout which her sickly canine dies. She meets Felix on the vet, the place the 2 have an explosive combat.

Later, Jessica will get along with Wendy, who’s on the town for work and asks to see her. Wendy has suspicions about whether or not Zev and Jessica have been truly damaged up when she began relationship him, and talking with Jessica, she realizes she was lied to. The 2 bond over the way in which Zev handled them, and Jessica apologizes for harboring a lot anger towards Wendy. Wendy says she hopes Jessica finds somebody good for her, and when she says that she did however the relationship was ruined, Wendy says, “Are you positive? I all the time say I can forgive just about anybody who’s prepared to make an apology, and who tells the reality.”

Jessica goes to Felix, who’s at a protest about local weather change, to inform him that her time in London is over, however that she forgives and loves him. “Do you wish to get married?” “I really feel prefer it’s a bizarre time,” she replies — cops are dispersing the protest, and Jessica is actually getting arrested as Felix proposes. However after a short while bounce, they’ve a small marriage ceremony.

Stalter spoke to Selection concerning the chaotic ups and downs of Jessica and Felix’s relationship and what she thinks about their spontaneous marriage.

Jessica makes loads of errors, however nearly by no means appears to really feel disgrace — beginning with the primary episode, when she unintentionally lights herself on fireplace. She’s mortified that Felix noticed that after they simply met, however she’s nonetheless comfy letting him in. The place does that high quality come from?

It’s so attention-grabbing, the place you see this character at first. Though she’s crashing out and breaking into her ex’s home, her coronary heart’s open. She’s so desperate to have a brand new expertise and get her spark again. On the time she meets Felix, she’s like, “Why not? Let’s see!” When you already set your self on fireplace and broke into your ex’s home, it’s type of like, “What’s the worst that would occur?” She got here to London for the fantasy of getting a brand new begin. She romanticizes it a lot. She must be embarrassed, however she’s assured sufficient that she even goes for the second kiss. I like that about her, that she wears her coronary heart on her sleeve and doesn’t all the time make the standard selection. If I kissed somebody and so they weren’t shifting their lips and we had that awkward second, it’d be onerous to go in once more for the second, although he does present up for her.

Inform me about Jessica’s obsession with Wendy. She’s a feminist, and is aware of that she shouldn’t blame Wendy for Zev’s selection to interrupt up along with her, however she nonetheless calls Wendy a bitch and makes all these indignant movies about her. How does she rationalize her relationship to Wendy?

Her fascination with Wendy is so relatable. You don’t actually hate the brand new individual. It’s nearly serving to her have an outlet for that ache that she’s feeling. And when the movies turn into public, she’s like, “Wait, I don’t truly wish to harm anybody.” One of many elements that made me probably the most emotional about this present was studying that scene with Jessica and Wendy, the place they arrive collectively. As a result of, finally, she is a lady’s woman. She is aware of that she’s truly mad at Zev. Actually, she’s approaching too robust to Wendy, being like, “Are we going to be finest pals?”

She does that with each woman she meets, even ones she doesn’t appear to love, just like the Pollys (Adèle Exarchopoulos, Celeste Dring, Elle Piper). What drives the way in which she speaks to different ladies?

There’s simply one thing so weak about her. She needs so deeply to attach and be cherished and to like that she is ready to take a step with Felix [by meeting his ex and friends]. She’s at an insecure place from the breakup when she meets these ladies, and she or he’s like, “OK, I’m intimidated, but additionally I wish to be their finest buddy.” As a result of she’s open to like, and desires to be part of the group. Even when she’s insecure about these ladies, I don’t assume she has any hate or unfavorable emotions in the direction of the ladies themselves.

How self-aware do you assume she is about her outbursts? She retains speaking and speaking even when the individuals she’s speaking to get weirded out. Does she not notice that? Or is she conscious and simply unable to cease herself?

I feel it’s a little bit little bit of each. Even in moments the place she’s conscious, she will’t cease herself. Like on the workplace ceremonial dinner the place she’s oversharing along with her boss’ spouse [Naomi Watts], she simply can’t assist however be open to like and reference to different individuals, which is one thing I actually love about her. She’s additionally in her personal world in sure moments due to what she’s been by way of, so I really feel like she doesn’t all the time perceive how she’s coming throughout, but it surely’s type of endearing.

After drunkenly breaking into Zev and Wendy’s condominium, she decides to take a break from alcohol and tells Felix she’s sober, however she makes him uncomfortable when she begins consuming and experimenting with medicine once more at that ceremonial dinner. Her conduct by no means rose to dependancy territory like Felix’s had, however there was clearly an issue at the least for a short time. What do you make of her relationship to substance use?

It actually speaks to her attempting to maintain every little thing collectively. It’s just like the promise of being like, “No, yeah, I’m sober too,” after which not being sober. Once you’re assembly somebody new, earlier than you’re feeling secure, you’re feeling that you need to conceal elements of your self and current your self a sure method.

And she or he was with somebody for a very long time that made her current herself a sure method and costume a sure method — like that scene the place Zev is judging her sailor costume, however that’s who she is and what she needed to put on. I feel that’s why she’s saying it. She’s attempting to cover part of herself, however finally, she’s falling for Felix as a result of she doesn’t need to. He says on the finish of that episode, “No, you’re ‘an excessive amount of’ in a great way. You’re simply sufficient and a little bit bit extra.” And I assumed that was such stunning writing from Lena.

There’s an episode early on the place Jessica begins itemizing Felix’s “purple flags,” however they don’t cease her from relationship him. She permits herself to to dwell out her London fantasy, however she’s additionally sensible sufficient to realize it’s extra sophisticated than that. At that time within the season, what’s her perspective on the connection? Does she assume it’s gonna final?

It’s that feeling of, “Wait, I’m beginning to really feel secure, however that makes me so scared to lose it.” She’s having a tough time letting go of her ex, although she’s falling for Felix and doesn’t wish to be with the ex. I really feel like typically, once you’re in a wholesome relationship, you set off one another since you’re lastly secure and may reveal issues that the opposite individual isn’t gonna go away you over. She’s wanting to carry onto that. So she’s further conscious of purple flags, and she or he’s further protecting, and scared and obsessed over Polly, but additionally she’s so excited. She’s actually needed this new begin, and he’s so completely different than her ex.

What’s her emotional relationship to intercourse all through all of this? She appears so excited to be with somebody who’s extra on her stage than Zev was, however she additionally appears to make use of intercourse to manage when she feels lonely.

I bear in mind Lena speaking about how “Women” was about intercourse, and this present’s about being in love. So there’s a extremely particular method the intercourse scenes are proven. I feel they’re so loving, and so weak and sensible. I additionally like that the vitality between Jessica and Felix feels completely different than Jessica and Zev throughout intimate moments, since you are completely different with completely different individuals. She’s extra comfy with Felix and extra herself than within the outdated relationship, and that displays these sorts of scenes.

Let’s speak about work. Within the episode the place Jessica and Felix keep up all night time, it seems like foreshadowing for her oversleeping or messing up on the workplace. However she truly simply takes care of enterprise, as a result of she’s good at her job, as she continues demonstrating all through the season. What emotions does she have about her work, and the way does it have an effect on her relationship?

The profession stuff made me emotional, as a result of when she was within the unhealthy relationship with Zev, even at work, she didn’t really feel succesful and assured. Then you definitely see her get extra assured in her skills and actually step up. She’s not good, however she pulled off a lot in London. It actually moved me, particularly as a result of [the show] shouldn’t be all about that — that’s not the place she’s getting all her validation. However to see her profitable meant quite a bit, as a result of I really feel so related to the character, and our lives are a lot greater than only one factor. We’re not our careers, but it surely’s a lot extra emotional than only a job for her.

Proper as she begins having all these wins, Felix relapses on medicine and cheats on her, and she or he instantly breaks up with him. It feels good to see her rise up for herself, however Felix can also be going by way of a troublesome time, and so they do appear to have potential collectively if he can get issues straight. Then Wendy encourages her to rethink whether or not issues are actually over and she or he runs again to him. Are you rooting for the connection, or is it unwise for Jessica to forgive him?

I had loads of talks with Lena about this, as a result of I’m so protecting over Jess. I’m like, “He did this to her, and I’m upset!” However after all it needed to occur like that, as a result of each characters settle for the opposite individual not being good and never all the time making the perfect selections. He positively self-sabotages, and so they each have a lot trauma that they’re working by way of. And so they each type of cheat on one another in some unspecified time in the future — though when Jessica’s with Andrew Scott’s character, I assume it’s fairly early on. I don’t know in the event that they’re official. However I’ll say is: I like that she stood up for herself, however I finally love that they settle for one another, and it’s so romantic for them to do this and settle for these flaws in one another.

For the massive combat they’ve, Lena stored me and Will separate from one another the entire morning, so the stress was actually excessive. Often, we’re laughing and playing around. It put us in a distinct headspace. And that was a extremely onerous scene, as a result of we improvised. And I assumed it was actually stunning to have the ability to present them having that unhealthy of a combat and nonetheless finally accepting one another.

Proper after Jessica forgives Felix, he rashly asks her to marry him. Why do you assume she agrees? What do you are expecting for them shifting ahead?

It was actually a romantic a part of the present when Jessica realizes that Felix thinks she’s an excessive amount of in a great way and accepts that. Then Jessica might be the primary individual to just accept him, totally, for who he’s after doing one thing like that. I feel that made him wish to bounce in, like, “This individual in entrance of me is de facto seeing me and accepting every little thing about me.” I feel that’s why they wish to get married. They each have by no means felt like that. Like, “You’re messy and imperfect and you actually tousled, however I need I settle for you.” They’re each in a spot the place they actually wanted that.

However what’s the road between accepting one another and glazing over their issues?

That’s the factor about relationships. It’s not such as you’re allowed to make errors and preserve doing these issues. It’s extra like, “OK, you made a mistake, however now we have to do the work.” I might love to have the ability to do extra seasons and see what occurs, as a result of issues don’t simply abruptly work out completely since you acquired married. Actually, it’s a time to handle every little thing. These sorts of errors don’t simply cease in case you don’t do the work on your self. So it’s actually attention-grabbing to me to see the place Lena takes issues.

By the tip of the season, do you assume Jess has made sufficient progress to actually maintain Felix accountable for that work?

I feel neither of them are. Possibly they really feel prepared, but it surely’s onerous to say that each of them are able to get married. And that’s what makes it so thrilling that they do. Once you’re in love, you truly set off one another quite a bit, however that that’s so fascinating to me. So no, I don’t assume that they’re able to get married, however I’m definitely glad that they did.

This interview has been edited and condensed.