Honestly I can't believe we're still getting BL series this bad in 2026. This mini series runs about 7 to 8 episodes with a total runtime of just about an hour and it is so boring that I genuinely struggle to find the words. The actors are awkward, the story is as basic as it gets and there is almost nothing about this show worth saving. The makers do try to stir up some drama here and there but even that falls completely flat. Ho Won is a 23 year old university student who spots a man sitting alone at a gay bar and gets attracted to him. The man is Min U, a 33 year old who brushes Ho Won off immediately saying he's too young. Ho Won lies about his age and since he's made a bet with the bartender that he'll get this man home before the night is over, he switches tactics and eventually the two end up at Min U's place and sleep together. Despite being complete opposites in every way there's some kind of pull between them and they go on a couple of dates. But t...
Mason runs a podcast about love. Relationships and settling down while also running a match making business for queer personnel, a welcome change from the plethora of apps available. He has been married to Jarod for a few years , who has been very supportive of the business but of late Jarod feels that his work is more important for Mason thereby completely ignoring the dynamics and love and importance of their own relationship, which is kind of ironical since he runs a relationship expert podcast. Over the duration of 6 episodes, Mason struggles to find a work-life balance is threatening to taint his budding love empire beyond repair. We meet new clients every episode while we also see his dynamics and support via his best friend Ben, who himself is going through and off and on relationship with a hot guy and has body positivity issues. We also meet the girl who works with Mason and a new barista friend that Ben and Mason make over the course of time. Their antics and advice add humor and depth to the narrative. Together, they navigate a world where love is rarely perfect, but always worth fighting for. When Jarod cannot take anymore, they even go for relationship counseling, but Mason, who supposedly knows everything about love eventually is unable to save his own marriage.
Settle Down offers a refreshing take on the complexities of relationships, exploring themes like anxiety, commitment issues, and unconventional love. Each episode weaves together Mason’s personal journey with compelling client stories, exploring the highs and lows of contemporary queer love. Thankfully, the show doesn't make things soppy. Instead, it is very relatable, you laugh with what you see and you even find comfort in some of these scenes. No relationship is perfect and no individual is perfect. It all needs constant work and you can never take your partner for granted. The demise of many relationships is often a result of poor communication, and I think Settle Down tackles that perfectly. The fact that the show is created by POC, it is nice to see a mixed representation of communities in the show. The show does what many other series fail to do by capturing the push and pull of what it means to be ambitious and still be accountable to others. Kudos to the makers and the director who also plays the lead Mason. Great acting by not just him but everyone else in the casting. Not only the visuals are very good quality production, the locations, the outfits, the vibe and thoughtful creation of each character really made every single person stand out in their own way, corresponding with the whole creation. I thoroughly enjoyed this show and we can really use series like this that try and mirror the real challenges that we all face in our day to day lives without giving us stress about it. It's refreshing to see a show that balances humor, heart, and authentic representation so effortlessly. (7.5/10)
Comments