Diksha Sundriyal
Prime Video’s ‘Merv’ follows the story of Anna and Russ, who discover that their breakup has caused their dog to become depressed. To cheer him up and save his life, they must find a way to make him happy again. So, Russ comes up with the idea of taking Merv on a vacation to Florida, where they can stay at a dog hotel that caters to the needs of furry friends. When Anna unexpectedly joins them, she and Russ are forced to confront the issues of their relationship, especially the way they broke up. By the end of the movie, they make a decision that changes the course of their lives. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Anna and Russ’ Breakup Does Not Affect Their Feelings for One Another
‘Merv’ begins sometime after Anna and Russ’ break up. Enough time has passed for both of them, or at least for Anna, to consider seeing other people. However, the moment she and Russ are in the same room, it becomes clear that they still have feelings for each other. It makes one wonder why they broke up in the first place, and it turns out that it wasn’t because they fell out of love. It was due to the unfavorable circumstances and miscommunication about their intentions. Russ and Anna clicked so well with each other that everyone around them, including Anna’s best friend and Russ’ parents, believed that they would end up together. Even the vet was shocked to discover that they’d broken up because they were so perfect for each other.
But then, Anna found out that she was infertile, and it broke her heart because she’d always wanted children. She loved Russ, and they were ready to move on to the next phase of their relationship, which involved having kids. But the discovery that she couldn’t have kids threw Anna into a devastating state of sadness. So, when Russ proposed to her, she thought it was his uninformed attempt to cheer her up. She felt that he thought that marriage would fill the hole that her infertility had left in her heart, which made her angry enough to not only refuse him but also break up with him.
Russ, on the other hand, couldn’t explain to her that he wanted to marry her out of love. He wanted her to know that even if they couldn’t have children, he would still love her. The proposal was not an attempt to divert her from her grief, but it was a way for him to express the depth of his feelings for her and to tell her that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. However, his timing didn’t align with his intentions. When Anna reacted differently than he’d imagined, he was completely thrown off and had to accept the fact that their relationship was over. Merv, like every other person around them, was shocked by this development and could not believe it.
Anna and Russ Finally Communicate Their Feelings
The reason for Anna and Russ’ breakup wasn’t that she was infertile or that he didn’t show his love properly. It was because the situation led to their feelings being miscommunicated. Anna was so heartbroken with the discovery that she receded into herself, and Russ didn’t know how to reach out to her. She had closed herself off, and eventually, he felt that a proposal was the only way for him to show his love and get her to open up to him. But all Anna saw was his desperate effort to cheer her up when she just needed some time to process this huge discovery about herself and the impact it would have on her life. Had she communicated these feelings to Russ, things wouldn’t have gotten so out of hand. Had he known what she was feeling, he would have also told her that his proposal had nothing to do with her sadness, but was all about how much he loved her. This communication happens after they break up, Merv becomes sad, and they take a trip to Florida.
When Anna visits Russ’s parents with him, she realizes that she has left all the other relationships behind because of the breakup. At the same time, she also remembers how happy she had been with him, and this makes her hold his hand on the way back. When he asks her to clarify why she did it, she confesses that she still has feelings for him and wants to get back together. However, he points out that he cannot go through the sadness and heartbreak of the breakup the next time something challenging happens, and they are unable to sort through it. So, when the vacation ends, he decides that they should part ways for good, even if it means he will have to give up Merv’s custody. He knows that as long as Anna is in his life in any way, he will never be able to move on. Although she is not happy about it, she must respect his decision. However, with both Merv and Anna gone, Russ becomes even more miserable.
This leads him back to the same animal shelter where they got Merve, and he gets another dog, named Angelina. While he thinks that Angelina’s presence will help him be happier, he is shocked to discover that the dog isn’t really responding the way he expected. She can sense his sadness and is reacting just as Merv did. One day, he takes Angelina for a walk in the same park where he used to go with Merv, and he crosses paths with Merv and Anna. The moment she is in front of him again, he realises that he still loves her. So, he pours out his feelings towards her, and the conversation ends with them agreeing to get back together. Later, Anna proposes to him in front of their dogs, and he says yes, confirming that they are going to get married and live happily ever after.
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