Sumith Prasad
Mack and Adam have an intricate relationship in Netflix’s romantic comedy film ‘Players.’ While attending college, they tried to get together but their efforts to form a relationship didn’t work out well for them. They then decided to remain friends, only for Adam to become the ever-reliable support system of Mack. After several years, Mack and Adam confront their love for one another very differently. While the former learns about it from her friends, the latter tries to run away from it by getting together with another woman. Still, the turn of events makes them reveal their feelings for each other! SPOILERS AHEAD.
The First Try
Mack and Adam do end up together in ‘Players.’ When Mack and Adam first tried to get together as a couple, the former was dealing with the death of her mother. Since she was extremely vulnerable at the time, Adam was feeling guilty thinking that he was taking advantage of her emotional state, which made him hesitant about “trying.” Mack, however, saw this hesitation as a sign of their incompatibility. She believed that they were not meant to be a couple, only for her to pursue different sorts of relationships with varying men. While Mack and possibly Adam were having casual relationships one after the other, the latter was struggling with his love for her.
Even though Mack and Adam didn’t pursue a romantic relationship after their first attempt after leaving college, the latter never stopped loving the former. Since Mack was convinced that they were not meant to be, Adam didn’t get an opportunity to express his feelings honestly. Furthermore, as the years went by, he must have gotten trapped inside the friendship he unwillingly formed with her. As far as Mack is concerned, Adam has become a dependable friend, which explains why she doesn’t bother to revive anything romantic with him. She may have considered the possibility of losing what they have now in pursuit of something that didn’t work in the past.
Meanwhile, Claire and Nick become a part of Adam and Mack’s lives respectively. Adam tries extremely hard to hide his feelings for Mack. He must have thought that he could move on from her and build a relationship with another woman. Claire, however, doesn’t struggle much to see Adam’s undying love for Mack. Once she gets convinced about whom her boyfriend really loves, she leaves him.
The Long-Awaited Union
When Claire leaves Adam, the latter gets an opportunity to be true to his feelings. But Nick’s presence in Mack’s life stops him from being honest to his “friend.” As an immensely selfless person, Adam even helps Mack get together with Nick, all the while hiding his feelings for her. He prioritizes Mack’s well-being and happiness over what he wants, which is why he becomes one of the masterminds behind the latter’s efforts to woo the war correspondent. Adam has always put Mack first and he continues to do so regardless of who he is in her life. While Adam accepts his role as a friend in Mack’s life, she learns about the former’s love for her.
When Mack learns that Adam has been loving her for years, it doesn’t take long for her to understand that he is the “one.” When Mack has been pursuing Nick, she changes alarmingly for him. She pretends to love Branzino and be interested in Byzantine art without knowing what’s Byzantium. She accepts that Nick doesn’t like anything she loves. But when the world-renowned journalist rewrites her feature because he doesn’t like any part of it, she realizes that he doesn’t like her as well. After breaking up with Nick, Mack soon realizes that Adam is exactly who her ex-boyfriend fails to be.
Adam knows the value of her memories. He understands her whenever she becomes sad right away. He not only accepts who she truly is but also encourages her to remain honest about herself. With Adam, she can eat whatever she wants and choose to watch a baseball game rather than attend a museum program or a classical music performance by faking interest in those events. Mack doesn’t feel pressured to be anyone else to share her life with Adam, which convinces her to let him know that she loves him too.
