Sex Dolls and Dolphins make HBO Max’s ‘Made for Love’ Interesting

Published by Sex Robot Guru on October 5, 2021October 5, 2021

One of HBO Max’s latest shows is bound to have a very interesting future. Made for Love is a series adaptation of a dark comedy novel with the same name written by Alissa Nutting. It is about a woman named Hazel trying to escape her possessive and controlling husband, Byron. Her emotionally distant father is helping her to get out of that situation and find freedom.

That is where the sex doll comes in. While her father was helping her, she met his synthetic partner called Diane. In the show, the most interesting part about Diane is her appearance. She is a sex doll replica of the author Nutting! It was unexpected. However, it would help if you kept in mind that this is based on a deranged tale from a comedy book. So, expect more fun surprises to come your way. For instance, the story has a guy that is sexually attracted to dolphins. Yes, you read that right. But before we shift the focus on our sea mammalian friends, you should first get to know more about Diane.

Diane is More Than A Punchline

Diane’s existence in the show is not solely for comedic relief. She is more than that.

When Hazel first met Diane, she was disapproving. She cannot accept that a grown man – her father, more specifically, is pretending that a doll is alive. Hazel is often seen to roll her eyes whenever her dad interacts with the sex doll. Furthermore, she is annoyed at how her dad thinks that the sex doll, instead of a real woman, is his best option. In one episode, Hazel even attacked Diane while having an argument with her father. She also revealed that she was jealous of the doll because it was treated better than her.

The thing is, just like sex dolls in real life, Diane is more than a source of sexual satisfaction. She actually has a backstory. That is why Herbert cares about her so much.

In the book, it was revealed that Herbert was traumatized by a story. He once knew an elderly couple. One day, when they were having sex, the husband suddenly died from a heart attack. He was on top of his wife when that happened. Thus, the wife got trapped under her. The shocking thing is, it has been days before they were found by their son.

The story got stuck on Herbert’s head after his own wife died. Since then, the thought of dropping dead on top of his human partner haunted him. So, to avoid that, he opted for a sex doll as a partner. After his explanation, Diane made more sense to Hazel.

Hazel’s Relationship With Diane

It took time before Hazel got used to Diane. She was hostile towards the doll at first, but their relationship grew deeper as the story progressed. There was even one time when Hazel saved Diane from a robber. 

Then, on the day of Diane and Herbert’s anniversary, she opened up to the sex doll. Hazel told her about how she hated her own anniversaries. In their conversation, she recounted her worst experiences with Byron. Then, she decided that her father and Diane deserves better.

So, Hazel organized a date for them. Her father was initially against the idea because of the social stigma related to sex dolls. He is afraid of being mocked and judged by others. Still, Hazel insisted.

Thanks to Hazel, the date went smoothly. The only distractions were Shane and Byron. Byron is not relevant here, so let us skip him. Shane, on the other hand, asked Herbert where she got Diane. He admitted that he is considering getting a synthetic partner himself. His reason was not explained in the episode, but for sure, he needs a sex doll not only for his sexual needs.

This episode highlighted the essence of sex dolls. They are here to provide a human presence. Diane may not be able to speak, but she can listen. She has been doing it to Herbert for years. Now, Hazel is also warming up to her. Diane provides a third entity that helped in rebinding Hazel and Herbert’s awkward relationship. 

Now, What About the Dolphin?

You might have thought that Zelda was just another random addition to this bizarre world. However, that is not the case. It is a nod to the book character Jasper. Nutting and the showrunner, Christina Lee, admitted that they were setting up for the introduction of Jasper in season 2. 

Jasper is a handsome womanizer who was trying to move on from his lifestyle. One day, he took a dip in the ocean. There, he got attacked by a dolphin. He fought for his life, strangled the dolphin, and brought it to shore. For whatever reason, people thought he saved the sea mammal. The story went viral, and Jasper became popular as the “Dolphin Savior.” 

In case you forgot this is a comedy show, here is your reminder. Jasper developed an unexplainable fetish for dolphins because of Bella the dolphin’s bite. He even tried to have intercourse with one! 

In the end, Jasper played an important role in Hazel’s search for freedom. But that is enough spoilers for now. You either have to read the book or wait for the show’s second season to see what happened to the dolphins or how their stories intersect.

The Message

The story may be one of the weirdest you have heard of. Still, underneath the odd sense humor lies a delicate story. The story is more about establishing connections and our quest not to feel alone. 

Hazel escaped from her husband’s hub because she felt caged and not alive. In her search for freedom, she and her father worked on building back their crumbled relationship. Then, the sex doll Diane and perhaps the dolphins were excellently used to provide companionship for the characters Herbert and Jasper. 

How the author managed to balance the bizarre and the emotional was commendable. Who else can write about sexual attraction to dolls and dolphins and make it work?

Along with Christina Lee, they did a great job on the show. Viewers were captivated and are already waiting for the next season. Indeed, the future of “Made for Love” looks promising.