Diksha Sundriyal
Prime Video’s ‘Merv’ begins with Russ taking his dog, Merv, back to his ex-girlfriend, Anna, with whom he shares custody. When they broke up, neither could imagine parting from the dog they’d gotten together and loved deeply. So, they decided that Merv would stay with them in alternate weeks. While this system appears to work on the surface, the constant movement and the sadness of his owners begin to affect the dog. When he shows no signs of getting better, Russ and Anna take him to the vet, who reveals that Merv is sad. The problem is that if his sadness is not cured in time, it could worsen his situation, and the depression could be fatal for him. This means that the duo needs to find a way to make their dog happy again if they want him to keep living. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Anna and Russ’ Decision to Stay Away From Each Other Takes a Heavy Toll on Merv
One of the most heartbreaking tropes in dog movies is that the dog sometimes dies. Considering this trend, it is fair to be worried about Merv, especially since he is deeply depressed, and it seems that his owners have no chance of getting back together. Fortunately, however, this does not happen. To cheer him up, Russ takes Merv on a vacation to Florida. He thought that a week could fill his dog with the fervour and energy he used to have before. However, when Anna joins them, he is forced to reassess the circumstances of their breakup and makes a difficult decision. Clearly, he and Anna still have feelings for one another, but the way they parted shows that they might get stuck in the pattern of breaking up when things get hard. Even though Anna proposes the idea of getting back together, he doesn’t think it’s the right thing to do. At the same time, he also recognizes the fact that all this moving around on a weekly basis is taking a toll on Merv.
The primary goal of rescuing the dog from the animal shelter was to provide him with a stable home. However, the breakup has now sabotaged that, and Merv is worse off than he was at the shelter. At the same time, seeing each other every week is also not beneficial for them, as it keeps them tethered to one another and prevents them from moving on. So, Russ gives up custody and tells Anna to keep Merve to herself and take care of him. While Anna doesn’t like it, she cannot help but agree with the logic. As expected, not being able to see Russ chips away at Merv, but with a stable environment and a fixed routine, he starts to heal again. While he isn’t yet back to the way he was when his humans were together, he can be more functional. Anna accepts whatever progress comes her way because she knows that Merv will never fully heal without Russ. She, too, accepts their fate. But then, one day, she takes Merve to the park and finds Russ there, with a new dog, Angelina.
Angelina and Merv immediately bond with each other, and perhaps it is seeing them together or seeing Anna again that makes Russ spill his feelings. He confesses that he has been miserable and utterly misses Anna and the life they shared. It doesn’t take much for him to say that he wants to get back together, and she agrees immediately, because this is what she’d wanted since they were in Florida. Thus, as Anna and Russ get back together, Merv gets his family back. He is happy to see his humans together again, and on top of that, he now has Angelina as well. The family has not only healed but also expanded, and nothing is keeping Merv sad now. He is happy and, hence, healthy again, and whatever danger depression had cast on his life is now gone. Merv will live the rest of his life in proper bliss.
Read More: Do Russ and Anna Get Back Together in Merv?
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