At this juncture of the season, we've been privy to Jess and Felix's individual spheres—their homes, workplaces, circles of friends, and familial bonds. We've also witnessed their intimate moments alone, yet, until recently, their coupling in public remained unseen. The intense, secluded realm they share forms the bedrock of their whirlwind romance, which, despite feeling like an eternity, has spanned merely a week. When introduced to external influences, akin to the concessions and adjustments necessitated by "society," as Lizzy Bennet might eloquently phrase it, such stormy affairs risk disintegration. Jess and Felix still have myriad facets of each other's lives to uncover: Felix's alma mater, or Jess's nervous anxieties revealing her true Jess-y nature.
Throughout much of "Notting Kill," Jess finds herself preoccupied with identifying any potential red flags in Felix. During a FaceTime call with her mother, she inadvertently lists them: Felix, an indie musician, indulges in daily slumber due to a former cocaine addiction permanently disrupting his circadian rhythm. The episode commences with a nostalgic flashback where Zev recounts his Weezer-themed bar mitzvah, a red flag Jess admits to Wendy she overlooked, yet her doubts about her discernment run much deeper. She's just as blind to Felix's red flags as she is to her own.
Other aspects of Felix trouble Jess: a tattoo emblazoned on his derriere reading "Poly." When quizzed, Felix explains it's a memento from his friend Polly, whose name the artist misspelled. Jess finds it "super cool" that Felix sports his girlfriend's name on his buttocks, and even more amusing his apparent ignorance distinguishing between polyamory, polygamy, and monogamy. It's a stretch to believe a man adorned with lipstick and nail polish is unaware of polyamory in 2025, yet I'll play along.
Elsewhere in her life, Jess is "keeping it tight," as Kim would phrase it. Jonno, impressed by her adherence to the ten red flags he himself had highlighted, invites her to a dinner party at his house that evening, hosted by his wife, Ann. Imagine my delighted gasp when, after Jess and Felix meandered around Notting Hill, snapping pictures in front of the film's iconic blue door and other picturesque abodes, the door swung open to reveal Naomi Watts, in all her glory. She steals the episode with her effortless charm; donning a springy bob, a flowing white blouse with oversized sleeves, and matching white pumps, she exudes elegance and humor, brittle in that quintessential rich woman manner yet quirky enough to captivate with tales of a soap dish and an ancient woman in Marrakech. Together with Richard E. Grant, they ignite the screen with electric chemistry.
As they stroll towards Jonno's, Felix imparts to Jess a somber undercurrent lurking beneath the allure of glamorous Notting Hill. Having grown up amidst such opulent houses, not only due to his parents' affluence but also his familiarity with the neighborhood's less savory aspects, Felix paints a less than idyllic picture. Yet, enchanted by the area's romanticism and caught up in her own jitters, Jess finds it hard to heed his words, too absorbed to pose any further inquiries. All she manages to utter is a plea for him to "act normal" and discard his hat before entering.
Inside Jonno's, Kim, Boss, and Josie from work are present, each immersed in their individual predicaments. Lena Dunham excels in crafting such ensemble scenes, her prowess undiminished in orchestrating a stellar party atmosphere. Among them, each character harbors specific desires for this gathering, with Josie being the exception—her role seemingly reduced to mere presence. Kim yearns to explore lesbianism, targeting either Josie (whose sexuality Kim doubts, a notion Boss dismisses by noting her "double T-shirt" attire) or Ann's cousin Imogen. Boss seeks drugs, sex, attention, and observation all at once. Ann craves a genuine emotional connection, Jess aims to prove herself, while Felix longs for the evening to conclude swiftly.
At dinner, Kim encounters subtle prejudice before being drawn into a conversation about "butt implants" by Jonno. Boss rambles incessantly about Berghain to a disinterested Felix, while Jess regales Ann with intimate details of her life, ranging from UTIs and PCOS to her "glottal terror" and culminating with Astrid. Initially, Ann appears perturbed by Jess's openness, despite her emphatic assertions that Jess and Felix are refreshing. However, as their conversation deepens, Ann becomes captivated by Jess's unpretentiousness. Ultimately, she leads Jess to the bathroom for a cocaine session and an intimate chat, covering topics from Ann's deceased dog Lettuce to Jonno's "emotional affair" with Kylie Minogue. Ann perceives "genuine empathy" in Jess's eyes, when in reality, it's curiosity shining through—curiosity about Ann and, by extension, about herself. Taking an interest in her boss's wife can only benefit Jess, regardless of Ann's cool demeanor.
Meanwhile, Felix finds himself slowly descending into madness amidst the company's chaotic ambiance. Seeking refuge from his boss's outlandish notions—such as only maintaining eye contact with individuals he knows he won't have sexual relations with—Felix roams the house and stumbles upon a framed photograph that brings him to an abrupt halt. It's a school uniform-clad class picture, and to his astonishment, he spots himself within its confines. It transpires that Felix once attended boarding school with Viola, Ann and Jonno's daughter, and they even shared a romantic past—a revelation that unfolds later.
For the time being, the festivities must continue. Jess is fraught with worry, fearing that Felix, having noticed her cocaine indulgence, will act unusually. Yet, his unperturbed demeanor leads her to believe he's even more eccentric. "You're a grown-up; you know what you're doing," he nonchalantly shrugs. Clearly, he yearns to share a silent, 'are-these-people-crazy?' glance and gossip about the dinner guests' warped values. But for the first time since they met, Jess and Felix are out of step. Jess is elsewhere entirely—she's in Ann's attic, partaking of the cocaine laid out on a silver tray.
Jess excuses herself with some excuse about not being able to refuse her boss's hospitality, but Felix, though judgmental, doesn't press the issue. "You know where this is headed, though, right?" he warns. She ponders if he means everyone will ultimately end up engaging in sexual activity, and honestly, for a moment, I shared the same query; when Ann and Jess were lounging in the bathroom, I thought the episode might take a different turn. But predominantly, people merely dance. Kim ventures into the living room to seek advice on embarking on a lesbian relationship with Imogen, who touches her "nearly there," though we never witness whether Kim leaves with her. Kim had originally intended to depart with Josie, but Jonno might have thwarted her chances by "saying something" about their dynamic directly in front of Josie. Meanwhile, Jess and Boss bond over the contents of their bags, while Felix wanders into the kitchen to nibble on leftovers.
It's in the kitchen that Jonno finally recognizes Felix. He thought he had spotted him earlier, shortly after Felix saw the photograph, but Felix evaded him. Now, however, Jonno recalls not only that Felix dated his daughter Viola during their school days but also that he broke her heart and left school six months before their A-levels, the British university entrance exams that I'm familiar with due to my avid watching of the E4 series 'Skins' from ages 13 to 17. Felix retaliates by claiming that Viola was actually mean to him and that he didn't drop out—he exited school because his parents ran out of money. Jonno, drunk and cocaine-fueled, confronts Felix with hostility, and their altercation concludes with them rolling around on the floor in a fistfight. It's a fantastic, dynamic scene between Sharpe and Grant, hilariously and poignantly executed in all the appropriate moments.
When Jess and Ann stumble upon Jonno and Felix engaged in a heated argument, Jess immediately loses her composure, her distress standing in stark contrast to everyone else's relative calm. "He's always like this at the end of a party," Ann comments nonchalantly about Jonno, who continues his reckless behavior, snorting lines on the coffee table undisturbed. Meanwhile, Jess continues her tantrum outside, where Felix, ever thoughtful, places the exquisite soap dish she had raved about—a gift from a Moroccan artisan, courtesy of Ann—into her purse. Drunk and seeking confrontation, Jess laments, "This entire situation is riddled with red flags... I came here searching for my English dream, picturing myself in bed with Mr. Darcy or Hugh Grant from those British romance novels."
Felix, genuinely fond of Jess, finds her attempts to provoke a fight amusing rather than offensive. He may feel slightly judged by her scrutiny of his imperfections, but he's well aware of her own red flags, which are as plain as day. He enumerates them with a wry smile, from the mild to the more alarming: her habit of ending sentences with upward inflections, sending excessively long texts, pretending to be sober when she's not, incessantly talking about her ex, and, most memorably, accidentally setting herself ablaze on their very first day of meeting. She's overwhelming—but in a charmingly quirky way. "Just the perfect amount, with a dash extra," he teases, before pulling her into a kiss, the camera swirling around them in a mesmerizing 360-degree shot.
This tender moment is convincingly portrayed, underscoring Felix's point that acknowledging someone's flaws—their red flags—need not hinder love. In fact, the strongest forms of love embrace these imperfections. However, Jess enters the living room after Felix and Jonno's conversation about Viola, missing out on crucial context that hints at future conflicts between them. In a classic romantic comedy twist, the seamless bliss shared by Jess and Felix alerts me to impending drama. We're nearly halfway through the season, and we all know what typically transpires at this juncture in such tales—the couple faces a breakup.
