modern love essay strangers on a train

There Actually Is a Definitive Ending to the Latest 'Modern Love' Episode in Real Life

Aug. 13 2021, Published 9:40 p.m. ET

Spoiler Alert: This article contains spoilers for Modern Love Season 2.

There’s nothing quite like an unrequited love story, and the third episode of Modern Love is truly that, but with a twist ending. The Modern Love episodes are all based on true stories published in the New York Times’ “Modern Love” section, and “Strangers on a (Dublin) Train” is no different. Well, except for the fact that it’s actually a “Tiny Love Story” and leaves much guessing up to the reader.

So, the writers of the Modern Love episode decide to embellish a bit on the original author’s story. The real-life story leaves us wanting more, and even with the embellishments, it was important to keep the integrity of a similar ending. So here’s everything we know about the ending of “Strangers on a (Dublin) Train.”

The ending of 'Modern Love' "Strangers on a (Dublin) Train" is left up to our interpretation.

Long story short, a young man ( Kit Harington ) and a woman ( Lucy Boynton ) meet on a train that’s going from Galway to Dublin. Throughout the ride, the two hit it off with an innocent flirtation, deep conversation, and some classing teasing. But instead of exchanging phone numbers, trying to keep it romantic, they decide to meet up back at the station in two weeks.

It is romantic, but unfortunately, due to circumstances outside of their control, they’re not able to get back to the station. They’re kept apart by an emerging threat in the world, and authorities don’t allow them to meet up. So, the man does what he can to find her.

He remembers hearing the name of her street — Oxmantown Road — and decides to go find her, Love Actually -style, knocking on every door. The ending is just a pan-out of how long this road really is. Does he ever find her? Well, it’s left up to our interpretation.

"Strangers on a (Dublin) Train" is based on a true story.

All the Modern Love episodes are based on true stories, but this one is particularly tragic. It was submitted by Cecilia Pesao, who was traveling from Paris to Barcelona (a much longer train ride than the Dublin one, for what it’s worth).

She writes in her 100-word story, “On March 19, I’d wait for his train at the Gare de Lyon railway station. We didn’t know that coronavirus would confine us in different countries.”

This is something that we can all understand — the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted all of our plans. Some of us were in long-distance relationships that couldn’t make it, and others had plans to move across the world. For these two passengers, they might never meet again. Or would they?

I'm just a girl... pic.twitter.com/xtgUsSsXij — ceciliapesao (@ceciliapesao) August 13, 2021

Cecilia spoke with Esquire about how the real-life story ended. While they really didn’t exchange numbers, she revealed, “He contacted me on Twitter. He found me and he wrote to me, so that's how we stayed in contact after. I was in Paris and he followed me to send me a message that he was stuck.” So much for a modern take on a classic love story — thanks to social media, it wasn’t too hard to find and contact each other.

In some ways, it’s sweet that he made the effort though! They actually continued talking, but it fizzled out and they never saw each other again. He doesn’t even know that Modern Love is retelling his little locomotive love story — could this publicity bring about a new ending?

Modern Love Season 2 is streaming on Amazon Prime now.

'Love, Victor' Might Finally Explore a Bisexual Love Story (SPOILERS)

This Queer Quarantine Love Story Captures the Hearts of Everyone Who Reads It

Netflix's 'Love Alarm' Is a Modern Day Love Story You Need to Binge-Watch Right Now

Latest Prime Video News and Updates

• About Distractify
• Privacy Policy
• Terms of Use
• Connect with Distractify
• Link to Facebook
• Link to Instagram
• Contact us by Email

Opt-out of personalized ads

© Copyright 2024 Distractify. Distractify is a registered trademark. All Rights Reserved. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.

Modern Love Season 2 Episode 3 Ending, Explained

Written and directed by John Carney, the third episode of the second season of acclaimed romantic comedy anthology series ‘Modern Love’ paints a timely and quirky tale of butterflies and heartache. The story, titled ‘Strangers on A (Dublin) Train,’ begins with two strangers in the titular train. He is a tech guy, she is a student of medieval studies, but it is seemingly love at first sight. The couple does not exchange phone numbers and decide to meet at the Dublin railway station two weeks later. But life has different plans for them. Kit Harington of ‘ Game of Thrones ’ fame acts against Lucy Boynton (‘Sing Street’) in this comedy of errors. The finale is kept open-ended, and if you are looking for answers, allow us to decode the ending for you. SPOILERS AHEAD.

Modern Love Season 2 Episode 3 Recap

A medieval studies student Paula takes a train from Galway to Dublin to meet her mother. While looking at her fellow passengers, she passes on the talkative guy, the hippie musician, and the seeming serial killer. But then, her eyes catch a decent-looking guy in a jacket. Michael chooses to sit opposite the Angelina Jolie type, and Paula passes silent judgment at him. But Jolie gets down at the next station, and Paula is back in the game. In the meantime, Michael starts small talk with Paula, which quickly turns into quirky exchanges.

As it turns out, Michael has an aversion for sitting opposite the train’s direction, which is why he chose the other berth. Michael works in tech, but he creates business algorithms for advertising agencies. The world is shocked by an emerging threat, and tea or coffee is no more allowed on the train. The train trudges on while the whole train ships the couple with a cute and awkward song. Michael and Paula decide to meet at the station two weeks later, as Michael hopes things would be normal by then. But the decision bites them back in the end.

Modern Love: Strangers on a Train Ending: Do Michael and Paula Meet Again?

In the course of the journey, both Michael and Paula make lasting impressions on each other’s lives. The heartache is too much for both of them, and the recent restrictions create more anxiety. Michael writes messages to Paula, messages he can’t send, while Paula records good night messages for Michael. Paula finds it implausible that Michael would meet her at the aforementioned time and date, but Michael is a hopeless romantic who refuses to give up on his train affair. In the end, Michael disregards his brother’s warning and ventures out to the station. The station is closed, and lady police stop Michael at a roadblock. The police officer finds Michael’s excuse preposterous, and she cannot allow Michael to go to the station.

However, Michael is not a person who would accept defeat without a hard fight. Michael begins to think of ways to meet Paula, and the thought reminds him of an address he overheard on the train journey. In an early scene, Paula divulges her address to a delivery person. Michael suddenly remembers the name of the road Paula told the delivery person earlier – “Oxmantown Road.” Michael does some web search to find that the road actually exists. He goes to the street and spies on the neighbors while binging on ‘ Lord of the Rings .’ A woman walks towards Michael’s car, and he takes her for Paula but is mistaken. We see the length of the road in the last shot, which gives the audience an elaborate idea of the arduousness of the task. In a brilliant masterstroke, the story ends without a conclusion.

At this point, the audiences must be asking whether the devoted but doomed lovers meet again. The story is based on an account by Cecilia Pesao, who wrote to the New York Times about meeting the love of her life on a train journey from Paris to Barcelona. They agreed to meet again back at Gare de Lyon station, but the onset of the pandemic kept them locked in two separate countries.

We don’t know exactly what happened in real life, but going by what we are shown, Michael should be able to find Paula with enough dedication. More importantly, since Paula is the one who is telling the story (since her counterpart Cecilia wrote the letter in real life), she could have only known about Michael pursuing her address if they did actually meet again. Therefore, even though the ending itself might be ambiguous, there are enough hints in the story that certainly suggests that Paula and Michael do meet again and possibly even end up together.

Read More: Shows Like Modern Love

SPONSORED LINKS

• Movie Explainers
• TV Explainers
• About The Cinemaholic

Home » Streaming Service » Amazon Prime Video

Modern Love season 2, episode 3 recap – “Strangers on a Train”

“Strangers on a Train” might be more about romance than love, but its refreshing relevancy saves it from going too far off-track.

This recap of Amazon Original Modern Love season 2, episode 3, “Strangers on a Train,” contains spoilers. 

In his second directorial effort this season, John Carney not only keeps his distance from the states — for a much more obvious reason — but he opts to explore modern love in favor of modern romance.

A riff on the title of the classic Alfred Hitchcock film, “Strangers on a Train” surprisingly isn’t just about a chance encounter between two people on a train. It’s not about them falling in love either. Instead, it’s about what happens after they meet. As boring as that sounds, Carney makes one of the most entertaining episodes to date.

Modern Love season 2, episode 3 recap

The story starts with Paula (played by Lucy Boynton ) as she boards a train to Dublin. As we come to find out, she is on her way home from a shortened semester at school. Along her journey, she encounters a handsome passenger sitting across from her (horizontally) named Michael (played by Kit Harrington ). He’s also on an impromptu vacation, and it’s eventually revealed that the entire episode takes place at the very beginning of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. That’s not the twist though. The twist is that the episode doesn’t entirely take place on the train. Instead, it takes place in the aftermath of the couple’s meeting.

You see, when the train finally reaches Dublin, figuring that the virus isn’t as big of a deal as everyone else is saying it is, Michael tells Paula that he wants to be old-fashioned. Rather than get her number or social media accounts, he wants them to meet back at the same train terminal in exactly two weeks. Now, I’m paraphrasing, but he says something to the effect of, “If it’s meant to be, it’ll happen.” 

As you might expect, he quickly begins kicking himself in the arse once he realizes that the virus is definitely a cause for concern and that he will not make it back to that train terminal due to lockdown protocols. The remainder of the episode documents those two weeks captured from both Michael and Paula’s perspectives.

Now, do the two eventually meet up? Do they get their happily ever after? Well, you’ll just have to find out for yourself because, to my knowledge, this episode is actually the first wholly original one. While every other one is based on the New York Times column of the same name, this one was written solely by Carney for the show. Nevertheless, it continues to capture the essence of the show’s magical message and explores modern human connection in a way that has become more familiar than it should be.

Forget the fact that Harrington and Boynton are our two leads. Forget that the story takes place during the pandemic. Their plight is genuinely interesting. In this episode, Carney raises a question that I’m almost certain the late Nora Ephron would want to know the answer to as well: Has technology, which was created to help us, actually broken us?

While this episode is easily one of my favorites, it falls just short of being perfect for a reason I’m not sure I won’t spoil until my last recap…

What did you think of Modern Love season 2, episode 3, “Strangers on a Train,”? Comment below. 

Article by Dempsey Pillot

Dempsey Pillot joined Ready Steady Cut in May 2021, and he is an entertainment critic and content producer with extensive experience with written reviews and interviews. As well as being a loving full-time father, husband, and confessed cinephile, Dempsey is an Assignment Editor at Spectrum News NY1, a local news network covering New York City.

Echoes Season 1 Episode 3 Recap – “Party”

Why is Roscoe Conklin not in Reacher Season 2?

This website cannot be displayed as your browser is extremely out of date.

Please update your browser to one of the following: Chrome , Firefox , Edge

Modern Love Season 2: Where Are They Now?

The new season of the anthology-style show is emotional, sentimental, and heartbreaking at times, featuring stories of coming out, missed connections, falling in love, and even falling out of love.

The first season on Amazon Prime Video’s Modern Love landed on the streamer in October of 2019, a.k.a. an eternity ago. So it’s reasonable that you forgot just how many tears you shed in the process of getting through a whole season. ( A lot .)

So grab a box of tissues, because it’s time to make your way through Season 2, which dropped on August 13. The new season of the anthology-style show is emotional, sentimental, and heartbreaking at times, featuring stories of coming out, missed connections, falling in love, and even falling out of love. And of course, each episode is based on an essay adapted from the New York Times column of the same name, written by real people. We tracked down each essay to determine the differences between them and their corresponding episodes, as well as where the writers are now. And may we suggest you read the essays, all linked below—but again, don’t forget the tissues.

Episode One, "On a Serpentine Road, With the Top Down"

Episode two, "the night girl finds a day boy".

The second episode of the season tells the love story of the “Night Girl”—who has a circadian rhythm disorder called delayed sleep phase syndrome—and the “Day Boy”. The lovebirds don’t exist on the same sleep schedule, but ultimately make it work, moving in together in an apartment filled with skylights, always bright by the light of either the sun or the moon. The episode is extremely faithful to Amanda Gefter’s 2016 essay —the only part of the episode that was fictionalized is her sleeping through a lunch date with her boyfriend’s mom. Gefter is a science writer specializing in fundamental physics and cosmology and the author of “Trespassing on Einstein's Lawn”. She and her Day Boy, Justin, got married in 2017. "He proposed on a beach and it was 2:00 in the morning, and we were basically the only people there," she told the New York Times . "It was so meaningful to me that he had proposed during my day — that this thing that had almost broken us, the biggest challenge in our relationship, had led to this beautiful moment where it felt like we had the entire universe to ourselves."

Episode Three, "Strangers on a Train"

Episode 3 is based on a Tiny Love Story written in 2020 by Cecilia Pesao. Only 11 sentences long, the episode starring Kit Harington and Lucy Boynton took some creative liberty with the story. In reality, Cecilia's train crush found her on Twitter a few weeks after their planned meet-up had been foiled by the pandemic, and they exchanged numbers then. Esquire talked to Cecilia about the train ride, where she is now, and whether or not she has told the guy their story was being made into a Modern Love episode (spoiler: she hasn't!) before the episode premiered. Read her interview here .

Episode Four, "A Life Plan for Two, Followed by One"

The series’ fourth installment follows a young girl navigating a lifelong crush on her best childhood friend. It’s based on Marina Shifrin’s 2013 essay , which it’s largely faithful to. While the episode is set in Brooklyn and Shifrin and her best friend grew up in Illinois, the two really did grow up together, sleep together once in college, and eventually, years later, rekindle their friendship. Today, Marina Shifrin is a comedy writer and author of a book of essays called “30 Before 30: How I Made a Mess of My 20s, and You Can Too”.

Episode Five, "Am I …? Maybe This Quiz Will Tell Me"

Episode 5 follows a young girl trying to figure out her sexuality—with the help of BuzzFeed quizzes. It is loosely based on Katie Heaney’s 2018 essay “Am I Gay or Straight? Maybe This Fun Quiz Will Tell Me.” This episode diverges most from its source material, taking Heaney’s essay about dating in adulthood and grafting it onto a school-aged girl. While the episode’s protagonist discovers her sexuality in grade school, Heaney, in reality, was 28 when she matched with Lydia through an OkCupid personality assessment quiz. Heaney did work at BuzzFeed herself, though, crafting the kind of quizzes taken by the protagonist of her essay’s episode. She’s the author of five books with a sixth forthcoming, and works as a senior writer at New York Magazine’s The Cut . She and Lydia got married in April 2019.

Episode Six, "In the Waiting Room of Estranged Spouses"

The sixth episode of the Amazon series follows a former soldier, who gets a divorce following his wife’s affair with her coworker. He then, wildly enough, meets the ex-wife of the man who his ex-wife cheated on him with in the waiting room of his psychologist’s office. They go for coffee and connect, which begets his journey to healing. The episode is starkly similar to Benjamin Hertwig’s 2016 essay —he even really ran into his wife’s lover at the grocery store—aside from one fairly large detail: he did not ever date the woman he ran into in the psychologist’s office. Benjamin Hertwig is a Canadian writer, painter, and ceramicist, and the author of a book of poetry called Slow War .

Episode Seven, "How Do You Remember Me?"

“How Do You Remember Me?” shows the casual run-in of two former lovers, and their differing memories of one fateful night spent together years before. It is based on Andrew Rannells’ 2017 essay “During a Night of Casual Sex, Urgent Messages Go Unanswered,” and written and directed by Rannells himself. While the episode, unlike the essay, also explores Rannells’ date’s point of view on the situation, the plot is unchanged from his written account of the story. Best known for his roles in The Book of Mormon , Girls , and The Boys in the Band , Rannells still lives and works in New York—where he really did walk by his former lover on Ninth Avenue two years after the unfortunate end to their date.

Episode Eight, "A Second Embrace, With Hearts and Eyes Open"

The final episode of the season, “A Second Embrace, With Hearts and Eyes Open” is based on Mary Elizabeth Williams’ 2014 essay of the same name, and is extremely faithful to her story of love, loss, and reconciliation. She’s a writer, speaker, consultant, and currently a doctoral student of Medical Humanities at Drew University. She’s also the author of two books, the most recent of which is on her experience with metastatic melanoma and the immunotherapy clinical trial discussed in the episode that saved her life. Her and her husband are still together today , with one of their daughters is in high school and the other in college.

@media(max-width: 73.75rem){.css-1ktbcds:before{margin-right:0.4375rem;color:#FF3A30;content:'_';display:inline-block;}}@media(min-width: 64rem){.css-1ktbcds:before{margin-right:0.5625rem;color:#FF3A30;content:'_';display:inline-block;}} TV

‘The Bear’ Season 3 Finale Is an Exorcism

A Guide to Every Cameo in ‘The Bear’ Season 3

‘The Bear’ Season 3 Has a Stellar Soundtrack

‘The Bear’ S3, E9: Just Apologize, Berzatto!

You Know Who Returns on the ‘The Bear’ S3, E8

‘The Bear’ S3, E7 Has Me Worried About Sydney

Can Ayo Edebiri Direct Everything from Now On?

‘The Bear’ Season 3, Episode 5 Recap

‘The Bear’ S3, E4 Has Two (!) Major Cameos

‘The Bear’ S3, E3 Gave Me Heartburn

‘The Bear’ S3, E2 Spells Pure Doom for Carmy

'Modern Love' turned one woman's story into an episode starring Kit Harington that ended in fairytale. In real life, the woman never saw the man again.

• A "Modern Love" episode fictionalizes Cecilia Pesao's love story of a missed opportunity. 
• The episode follows Kit Harington and Lucy Boynton as they meet and fall in love on a train. 
• Insider spoke with Pesao who said her real-life story didn't have a Hollywood ending like the episode.

Cecilia Pesao thought she had landed in a love story fit for Hollywood when she met a man on a train.

"Instant crush," Pesao wrote in her submission to the New York Times' "Modern Love" column, written right at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic last year. "A perfect, flirtatious, six hours. The beginning of our love story?"

But she didn't get her Hollywood ending. That only happens in the TV adaptation of her experience. 

"Modern Love" returned with its second season on Friday, and one episode titled "Strangers on a (Dublin) Train," starring Lucy Boynton and Kit Harington, shared Pesao fictionalizes story of her chance encounter.

During an interview over Zoom, Pesao told Insider what actually happened and while onscreen viewers get a happy ending, in real life her story ended a bit differently.

Cecilia Pesao met a stranger on a train in Europe just as COVID-19 was beginning to spread around the globe

Pesao, a 44-year-old product developer, boarded a train going from Paris to her hometown of Barcelona on February 19 last year — months before a pandemic would upend how we meet people and fall in love. 

Despite the train being relatively empty, Pesao sat near a man with whom she eventually struck up a conversation. She thought he was French at first, but later found out that they shared the same native language.

"I realized he was Spanish," Pesao told Insider, noting that she's Argentinian. "We both are Spanish, which is funny because we spent 15 minutes trying to understand each other in different languages."

Their conversation continued for the whole rest of the six-hour train ride, turning flirtatious.

In our modern world where technology rules communication, one might have expected the pair to exchange phone numbers or social media handles — anything that would enable them to stay in touch. 

But not these two. They threw caution to the wind and planned on meeting back at the same train station one month later.

"These kinds of things only happened in movies like 'Before Sunset,'" Pesao said, referring to the 2004 film where a chance train encounter between two strangers, who fall into a spontaneous romantic adventure, decide to meet again at the train station without exchanging personal information.

"I never thought it could happen to me," Pesao added.

Related stories

But before their next meeting could happen, COVID-19 spread and shut down all travel in Europe. Pesao never saw the man again. 

Pesao submitted her story to the New York Times, where it was eventually selected for the TV show

While she was feeling down about the missed connection, a friend suggested Pesao watch season one of "Modern Love." She realized it was all based on true stories and decided to submit her own essay.

"In the end, I was not only stuck physically, but emotionally," Pesao told Insider while reflecting on being quarantined and unable to see the man on the train again.

A month after her story appeared in the Sunday print edition of the NYT, she was contacted by Amazon, notifying her that her story was selected for the series.

Trish Hoffman, executive producer of "Modern Love," told Insider that there was a lot of internal debate surrounding COVID-fatigue. But Cecilia's story felt right for an adaptation in season two. 

"We felt like there was a fun aspect to this too – that wouldn't be so heavy during a time when there were so many real things happening that were very difficult," Hoffman said. 

The show gave her story a Hollywood ending that didn't happen in real life

There are several similarities, and one major difference, between Pesao's real experience and the version people see in the "Modern Love" episode.

Pesao has dark hair, a direct contrast to actress Boyton's blonde hair in the show. Still, Pesao's character in the episode, Paula, resembles her in a couple ways. The glasses worn by Pesao's fictionalized-self are the same ones she had on in a picture she sent to the NYT.

The product developer told the creative team at Amazon that she had planned on reading during the commute — a strategy for avoiding small talk with strangers. 

"I brought some books to not be bothered," Pesao said. "So when I saw that [in the show], I thought, 'It's really like me.'"

In the episode, Harington's character Michael tracks down Paula by recalling a phone conversation she had in front of him. She had mentioned her address, so Michael then drives to her neighborhood and camps out in his car to wait.

The ending suggests the possibility that love can prevail in the time of COVID-19, but that's not how Pesao's story ended.

The man on the train did recall clues in order to track her down online. Pesao had showed him something funny on her phone, and he caught a glimpse of her last name and used it to find her on Twitter. They exchanged numbers and chatted a bit more, hoping they could ride out the two-week quarantine and meet up again.

"He was really kind to me during confinement," Pesao said. "He called me once or twice to check how I was doing and [comforted me because] it was hard. He was my knight-in-confinement."

But the two eventually stopped talking, and her knight began dating someone else.

"It's not a Hollywood story. We never met again," she said, adding that she never told the real man that their story was turned into a column and eventually a TV episode. "I didn't have the courage."

Although it wasn't what she had hoped for, Pesao said at least she got something she didn't expect out of the failed chance of romance. 

"It's not the best end because I would prefer a different one," she said, "but it makes you feel alive."

Watch: How COVID-19 is impacting US Army basic training — where training continues with new physical distancing measures

• Main content

• Cast & crew
• User reviews

Strangers on a (Dublin) Train

• Episode aired Aug 13, 2021

Two strangers meet on a train from Galway to Dublin in March 2020 and decide to go old school: no numbers exchanged, only a promise that they will meet up on the train two weeks later. And t... Read all Two strangers meet on a train from Galway to Dublin in March 2020 and decide to go old school: no numbers exchanged, only a promise that they will meet up on the train two weeks later. And then a worldwide pandemic shuts down all of Ireland. Two strangers meet on a train from Galway to Dublin in March 2020 and decide to go old school: no numbers exchanged, only a promise that they will meet up on the train two weeks later. And then a worldwide pandemic shuts down all of Ireland.

• John Carney
• Kit Harington
• Lucy Boynton
• Jack Reynor
• 41 User reviews
• 1 Critic review

• Paddy Neachtain
• Georgeous Girl

• Crazy Smiling Guy

• Garda Molloy
• Eco Warrior

• Coldplay Fan
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

Did you know

• Trivia Kit Harington (Michael) and Jack Reynor (Declan) have a discussion about medieval studies and Declan asks Michael if he means Game of Thrones. Harington played Jon Snow in Game of Thrones (2011-2019).

Garda Molloy : I've heard a lot of excuses today, but that really is quite touching.

Michael : Right?

Garda Molloy : *No.* It's the most *stupid*thing I've ever heard.

User reviews 41

• Aug 17, 2021
• August 13, 2021 (United States)
• Dublin, Ireland
• See more company credits at IMDbPro

Technical specs

• Runtime 36 minutes

Related news

Contribute to this page.

• See more gaps
• Learn more about contributing

More to explore

Recently viewed.

Modern Love – S02E03 – Strangers on a (Dublin) Train [Transcript]

• August 14, 2021

Original release date: August 13, 2021

“We met on a train. A perfect, flirtatious, six hours. The beginning of our love story? Trusting in the power of the universe, we hadn’t exchanged mobile numbers. Sometimes, a romantic plan isn’t enough.”

♪ We face the music together ♪

♪ And throw our hats in the ring ♪

♪ Facing all kinds of weather ♪

♪ And not afraid of anything ♪

♪ When the sun comes up, we’ll be on our way ♪

♪ And we don’t care where we land ♪

♪ And the waves are high, but we won’t turn round ♪

♪ ‘Cause your hand is in my hand ♪

♪ And, oh-oh ♪

♪ You make me feel invincible ♪

♪ ‘Cause it’s you and me ♪

♪ Through the wind and hail ♪

♪ Setting sail into the world ♪

[woman over P.A.] This is the final boarding announcement for the 10:00 a.m. train from Céannt Station Galway

to Dublin Hueston.

[indistinct chatter]

[woman speaking over P.A. in distance]

…as the train will be leaving in five minutes.

[Paula] Jesus. Look at all these numties.

Every single one of them on a device.

Glued to a screen, giving all their data away for free.

[ringtone playing]

Not a single book between them.

Sad what we’ve become.

Yeah, we’re just leaving Galway.

So will you pick me up in, like, two hours?

Mum, I’ve got, like, half my flat with me, and you want me to hail down a cab?

Come pick me up.

Aren’t you excited to have your girl coming home for a few days?

[man speaking indistinctly over P.A.]

[Paula] Ooh, we’ve got a talker, we’ve got a talker.

Please don’t sit here, buddy, please don’t sit here.

[objects clanging]

Oh, God, John Candy in Planes, Trains and Automobiles.

Keep walking, buddy.

Just keep walking.

Oh, no. Oh, Irish Greta Thunberg.

No, thank you, please.

Keep walking, pal. Keep walking, pal.

Definitely got his mum’s head in that bag.

[cats meowing]

You allergic to Tiddles and Cocoa?

Oh, it’s okay.

[cat meows]

Yeah, it’s free.

Got it. Go for the Angelina Jolie type over the bookish, interesting individual with something to actually say.

Because maybe you’d be afraid to hear it.

Understood.

[man over P.A.] Can we have your attention, please?

We are now arriving into Athenry Station, Athenry.

Would all passengers for Athenry please disembark now.

Thank you very much.

[Paula] Aha.

Back in the game.

So long, Jolie.

Hello. This is Paula.

Hi. Thanks so much for getting back to me.

Yeah, I’m expecting two packages, um, but can you send it to the Dublin address, not the Galway one?

They’re both on the account; I just checked the wrong one.

Yeah, the Oxmantown Road one.

Thanks. Thanks a million.

Anyone for any tea or coffee?

Tea or coffee? Anyone?

Yeah…

Uh, coffee? Tea?

No? Nobody for tea or coffee?

That’s grand, no coffee, no tea.

This is crazy, right?

They’re talking about closing down public transport now, too.

Yeah, I just heard that.

I’m sure things will return to normal in a few days.

You coming from NUI?

Yeah. How’d you guess?

The, uh, the huge pile of academic-looking books gave it away.

Right. Correct, yeah.

College shut down yesterday morning, so…

How about you?

I work in tech just outside of Galway.

They’ve, uh, furloughed everyone for two weeks.

Jesus. So, where are you going?

My brother’s flat in Dublin.

All of my flatmates have moved home, so I didn’t really want to be stuck in Galway if things really shut down.

Me, neither.

What’s a party town without people?

Mind you, my brother’s a complete pain in the ass, so I don’t which is better.

But he’s company.

[Paula] Invite him to your mother’s house, it’s perfect.

Shut up. You just met him, like, two minutes ago.

Yeah, and it’s going so well.

God, you’re lonely.

Where are you staying?

Sorry. Uh, you go ahead.

What does “in tech” actually mean?

I mean, it’s something I hear a lot, but I just kind of nod along, but…

So, I work for a company that targets advertising for produce companies.

So you work in advertising.

No. I-I work in tech.

I handle six or seven companies’ accounts and work with them finding target consumers for their brands, so they don’t waste their time advertising to people who are never gonna buy their products.

Uh, we run algorithms based on tracking consumer preferences, try to forecast and model their actions.

What about you?

I’m a medievalist.

They didn’t do so much of that back then.

Well, their, uh, their processors were just too slow.

[laughs softly]

Sorry, uh, do you mind, I’m just getting a crick in my neck at this angle.

Is it okay if I, uh…

Yeah. Sorry.

[exhales] Ah. That’s better.

What were you saying?

Can’t remember. Sorry.

Can I ask you a funny question?

When you first got on, how come you sat over there with her, when you had the option of the two tables?

I just prefer to sit facing the direction we’re going in.

That’s all.

Now you’re sitting the opposite way.

Yeah, but I’m facing you.

So my neurosis can take a back seat for a bit.

It’s not a big thing. Just a little quirk.

It’s not like it dominates my life or anything.

Do you want to swap seats?

Uh, so, where are you staying till college reopens?

Uh, my mum’s house.

You say that with a hint of anxiety.

Yeah, I’ve just loved being away for the last few years, so the idea of going back for a couple of weeks…

I love her, but she’s one of those people you have to physically ask to stop talking.

Plus, she doesn’t have a TV.

What? Really?

Yeah. No Wi-Fi, either.

You’re gonna kill yourself.

Yup. She just… paints, writes poetry and listens to the radio and tends to her indoor plants.

She sounds brilliant.

She kind of is.

Plus, she smokes grass.

She sounds a little like my brother.

Without all the painting, poetry or… any of the creativity at all.

Really? Bit of a stoner?

He’s like Snoop Dogg and all of Seth Rogen’s performances in all of his movies rolled into one… big joint.

I’d definitely like to meet him.

I don’t know if you’d get along.

Your mum might, though.

So, how long do you think this thing is liable to last?

I think seminars are going back on the 28th, so couple of weeks.

So, you’re a big reader?

Tell me about medievalism.

Like, in one sentence?

God, you’d know you work in advertising.

I don’t. I work in tech.

I don’t think I can even begin to explain what medievalism is in one train ride, let alone one sentence.

That’s okay.

It doesn’t want to be described.

You like things that fit in neatly, right?

I guess I do. Big Tetris fan.

Mm. Well, I like things that can’t be explained, that just go on and on, like an onion.

Yeah, but onions end.

Like a really big onion, then.

One that would take my whole life just to write the prologue to.

I like that.

I don’t like getting to the ends of things.

I’m the exact opposite.

Show me how it works, what it’s called, how it fits in, and I don’t… I don’t need to know anything else. I don’t have a scholarly mind.

I fall asleep at anything deeper than Malcolm Gladwell.

Well, still, I’m glad you sat here.

Yeah. You’re way better than the serial killer.

[strings play horror movie sting]

I’m the serial killer.

It’s me.

This is a horror, not a romance.

You should have sat next to someone else.

Okay, you’re way too good at that.

How do you know my name?

You mentioned it on the phone.

Didn’t realize you were paying attention.

And who said anything about a romance?

[gentle guitar music playing]

Sorry, is this bothering you?

♪ You look so happy ♪

♪ Upon that train ♪

♪ Strangers two minutes ago ♪

♪ Loudly laughing and sharing a joke ♪

♪ There’s nothing about each other ♪

♪ That they don’t know ♪

[fingers snap rhythmically]

♪ They’re so good-looking ♪

♪ And they’re both young, too ♪

♪ Looks like we’ve got ourselves ♪

♪ A meet cute ♪

♪ It’s impossibly cute ♪

♪ Aren’t you up for them? ♪

♪ Don’t you wish you were them? ♪

♪ It’s disgustingly cute ♪

♪ Let’s hope that nothing gets in their way ♪

♪ They’re just strangers on a train ♪

♪ Life leads them along ♪

♪ They’re just strangers ♪

♪ On a train ♪

[quietly] That was weird.

That was really weird.

I guess we’re here, then.

The end of the line.

[low, indistinct chatter nearby]

Which way you going?

North side. You?

Well, it was really nice to meet you.

Yeah, you, too.

You made the journey a lot shorter than usual.

I guess we should get off now.

Yeah. Right.

Suppose we should.

Yes, you should.

It’s like an evacuation before a coup.

I feel like I’m in a black-and-white war movie.

What the fuck?

[man over P.A.] I repeat, all Irish trains are now cancelled until further notice.

I’m that way.

085-8395…

No, no. No.

Meet me here on the 28th.

The first train back to college, when this shit is lifted.

Right here.

Two weeks from now.

I’ll be here.

You’re amazing.

I’m so glad you got this train.

You sure you don’t want my number?

I’m sure.

You’ll show up.

Pretty confident, aren’t you?

Not normally, no.

Anyway, I don’t want to spend the next two weeks texting and DMing you like a teenager.

It’s just… it’s just frustrating.

This is old-school.

Like something out of the Middle Ages.

If it’s meant to be, I’ll see you right here, the first Galway train, 28th.

Two weeks isn’t too long.

It’ll fly by.

[whispers] I really want to kiss you now.

We probably shouldn’t.

Thanks a million!

Hi, my mum.

You’re sweating.

The Uber driver wouldn’t help me with my bags, so…

Wasn’t very Uber then, was he?

Get it? Uber.

Yeah, I know, I got it. It’s lame.

How are you?

I’m cocooning.

Means I don’t have to see any of the neighbors I hate.

It’s wonderful.

Did you bring wine?

Yeah, of course.

[door opens]

I see you were expecting me.

Thought it was tomorrow.

That’s a sentence every visitor loves to hear.

I like the look.

What’s wrong with it?

You look like you should either be diving on a Victorian beach or being shot out of a cannon.

How long you staying for again?

I’m furloughed for two weeks.

What, are you in the army now?

Let’s go to a music hall and find some whores!

Well, at least you’re dressed for it.

Come on in.

I was gonna give that spare room a deep cleaning anyway.

How are ya, bro?

[Paula] So, what exactly is cocooning?

It’s total lockdown.

You’re not even allowed to go to the shops.

It’s like the blitz.

But surely that’s only if things get really serious.

I mean, they haven’t implemented it yet, have they?

No, but they’re going to.

Rumor has it.

Now… you tell me all about this boy on the train, while I roll a spliff.

Wow. It’s either shrunk or I’ve grown since I was last here.

[Declan] It just looks smaller ’cause of me stuff.

[Michael] What is all this crap?

Just bric-a-brac I find in skips and that.

Stuff this capitalist society deems useless.

So you’re like a Womble.

It’s all good stuff, man.

Anyway…

There’s a bed here somewhere, right?

I’ll have all this cleaned out in a jiffy.

But I do need to get you new sheets.

I need breakfast.

And I, lunch.

[Declan] She sounds great.

Do you have a photograph of her?

No. Now, why would I do that?

We were connecting. It was real.

Why would I just take her photograph?

So I could see her. What about her socials?

Has she got a Facebook account?

I don’t know.

Can you find out?

I don’t know her second name.

Why don’t you text her?

I don’t have her number or her email or her address.

So how are you gonna contact this woman?

I’m not.

We arranged to meet on the Galway train on the 28th

two weeks from now.

That is so fuckin’ romantic.

Strangers on a Train!

Except maybe without the double murders.

So more like Before Sunset, I was thinking.

[exhales] Oh… I fucking love this.

She’s never gonna show.

How do you know?

Because you only met her on the train for, like, two hours.

Of course she is. It was a deep connection.

She’s not gonna show. Trust me. She’s a lady.

She’s gonna wake up and forget a little bit more about you each day, and meanwhile, you’ll do the opposite.

This is why God invented phone numbers.

To keep reminding her of you again and again.

It’s military.

You needed to close the deal.

You’ve never been a deal closer, Michael.

And sadly, that has always been the difference between me and you.

[Jane] Hmm.

I think he’s actually in advertising, but he calls it “tech.”

You sure about this guy?

I know. On paper, I kind of hate him.

But it doesn’t matter.

I feel like there’s so much pressure around compatibility these days, and all we have to have in common, but what about the benefits of incompatibility?

[Declan] If you don’t have her phone number, how are you gonna do some sexting?

I don’t want to do some sexting.

She’s a modern woman.

Isn’t that the whole point of having a mobile phone, though?

That’s the entire reason they were invented: sexting.

This was a complex connection, not some teen hookup on the train.

She’s… she is amazing.

Eh, I’ll be the judge of that.

What’s she studying?

She’s a medievalist.

So, like… Game of Thrones and stuff?

Cool. I’m starting to like this girl.

[Jane] It’s nearly two years that you’ve been at college, and you haven’t met anyone.

I’d slept with the entire faculty within two months.

I’m joking.

It was more like a semester.

[Paula] Great.

I’m gonna make up my room.

No, already done.

Oh… thank you.

Fresh sheets.

I opened a window.

I wonder if it’ll feel small and reduced now that I haven’t been there in so long.

[both chuckle]

Perfect. Thanks, dude.

Well, glad to have you, amigo.

[toothbrush clinks]

[water turns off]

[takes deep breath] Night night.

Night, dude.

I’m going out.

It’s 11:00.

We can’t all be prematurely middle-aged and sorted like you, man.

I need to find a woman before we lock down.

In the city, full of women.

And I’m not that sorted, which is why I’m lying here on my own with no one to say good night to, next to a tuba and my bowler hat in the corner.

Yeah, we do worry about that, man.

How come you haven’t found someone in that massive company?

Don’t women actually have half the jobs now?

That’s a lot of women to choose from.

Just haven’t… clicked.

Plus, it’s Galway, where everybody’s drunk all the time.

You would’ve thought someone had at least… kissed you after two years.

I kissed loads of girls.

Well, then what’s the problem?

Just, no one’s stopped me in my tracks.

Well, that’s what I’m about to do.

Grab a girl in the street and give her a long kiss.

You’d swear this is going to last months.

It’ll all be back to normal in a couple of weeks.

Some forecaster you are, man.

Good night.

[door opens in distance]

[door closes]

[sighs] Fucking idiot.

[electronic dinging]

[takes deep breath]

Hi, my stranger on a train.

I didn’t get your number, so I can’t leave you a message, but if I could, I would say…

…”Thinking of you.

Good night.”

God, you’re such a loser.

[head thumps]

[clattering]

[muttering]

Tiny fucking childhood bedroom.

♪ Lockdown ♪

Let’s do this.

♪ Stayin’ out of trouble ♪

Let’s get to work.

♪ To keep fit ♪

♪ Making lots of shit ♪

♪ Locked in a bubble ♪

♪ Whiskey drinking ♪

♪ I’m thinking that my life depended on it ♪

♪ The less I know of you ♪

♪ The more I love ya ♪

♪ The less I seek from you ♪

I love this.

♪ The more I gain ♪

Get up now, get up. Raise your chin up…

♪ The precious little time we had ♪

♪ Keeps weighing in my head ♪

♪ The more I want you in my bed ♪

♪ The more I got you in my head ♪

[imitates explosion]

That was great.

There’s another two.

[both speaking indistinctly]

If we say, what, two to three…

[both stammering]

If we, if we sow now, we can win… we can winter…

♪ I want you in my bed ♪

♪ Want you in my bed… ♪

[newswoman] With the hope of covering all aspects of the Irish economy…

♪ The more I got you in my head… ♪

[newswoman] …recommendations to extend them for a further three weeks.

The current two-kilometer lockdown to remain in force.

♪ In my bed… ♪

Good morning.

What’s got you all spruced up?

[Michael] I have an appointment.

It’s the big day.

Oh, yeah, the train girl.

But hang on.

Isn’t the limit two K from home now?

I know, but…

And how far is Hueston?

Like… six.

Well, then.

I just know she’s gonna be there.

This was so right.

I know she feels the same way.

It’s like telepathy.

Let me borrow your car.

You can’t break the two K, dude.

I’m sure you’ll bump into her again.

It’s Ireland. It’s tiny.

Yeah, I can’t rely on that.

I’ve never been so sure of anyone in my life.

Well, you can’t break the lockdown.

That’s totally indefensible.

but this is a special situation.

What if I never see her again?

Special? Special how?

It seems like it’s just your situation.

Anyway, she’s not gonna be there.

[Jane] Of course he’ll show up.

I’m not breaking restrictions, Mum, it’s wrong.

Anyway, it’s my own fault for not getting his number.

You didn’t think you’d need to.

It’s totally romantic. It’s wonderful.

You relied on your connection.

It’s sheer poetry.

Sheer poetry?

[Declan] It’s amazing how you tech liberals are always the ones to break the rules.

They start out all disruptive and cool, and then it’s like, “Oh, but we don’t want to pay taxes, and we don’t want to give our workers their rights, ’cause we’re just a scrappy little startup that started over a pizza shop, and the rules don’t apply to us now that we have the wealth of a medium-sized country.”

Thanks for the character assassination.

I’m not a startup guy. I’m a computer genius.

Also, I can’t believe you’re the one who’s all rule-bound suddenly.

Where’s the fuckin’ cornflakes?

Top right of the cupboard.

You’ve never followed a rule in your life.

It’s not just a rule, it’s common sense.

It’s about caring for your neighbor and not just yourself as the lead of some bogus narrative you want to be in.

This is real life, Michael.

Exactly. It’s my life.

You are literally one step away from: “It’s a free country, and I can do what I want.”

It’s my life. I only get one.

No, it isn’t.

It’s our life, and we’re all in this together.

And for the first time, the world might actually unite.

But you’re more interested in what happened to some girl who you met on a train for half an hour.

There’s millions of them, man. They’re just girls.

Yeah, not this girl.

If you met her, you’d know what I mean.

You of all people would totally give me your blessing.

Anyway, maybe he wasn’t even that special.

His facial hair was kind of annoying.

And he works in a business I loathe.

He sounded wonderful.

Lots of people are wonderful.

What if he shows up and you don’t?

You’ll never know.

He’s not gonna show up, Mum.

He’s a really responsible type of guy, and he’s not just gonna flout the rules for someone like me.

But I need to know how this turns out.

I’ve got bets with all the neighbors on whether he’ll show up.

The whole street is on tenterhooks.

[Declan] This isn’t about you!

It’s about the world coming together!

You saw the Gal Gadot video.

Hell, we all saw it and we all cried.

Listen to Gal Gadot and her celebrity mates.

This’ll pass and get back to normal, and I’ll be on my own again.

I’ll be damned if I’m gonna miss this one chance at something real because of some temporary rules.

This woman was incredible.

I haven’t spent a minute not thinking about everything she said.

If she shows up and I don’t, I’ll never forgive myself.

It’ll-it’ll haunt me.

I’ll be like some broken ghost in a Dickens novel haunting the railway station.

I’m not gonna physically stop you, dude, but don’t ask my blessing.

You do what you want.

Anyway, she’s not gonna show.

Okay, this is my actual life we’re talking about, not some soap opera or horse race.

I know, and… I truly hope you find happiness.

You’re my little girl.

But I have a lot of money riding on this.

If she’s not there,

I’ll pay your rent for the next year.

Oh, my God.

You would stoop so low?

What’s in it for you?

Just a loan of your bicycle.

But, like, quickly, ’cause I have to be there in, like… ten minutes.

The whole year?

But only if she’s not there, so if you don’t let me go and give me your bicycle, you’ll never find out.

Fuck you, man. You’re such a manipulator.

I know. I’m in advertising.

[officer] Hi.

Are you well?

Great, yeah.

Uh, I’m just taking some exercise.

Where are you from, please?

Uh, well, I-I live in Galway, but I’m staying at my brother’s in Dublin.

Yeah, I don’t know him personally.

Where are you living?

Okay, you got me.

I’m outside the two-K limit.

I’m just gonna be honest with you, I’m staying in Inchicore.

All right, back you go.

Very really.

Uh… look, can I tell you a story?

You might get this, being a…

Being a what?

I really need to get to that train station.

There’s no trains running.

I’m not trying to catch a train.

I’m trying to catch a girl. Look…

two weeks ago, I met the love of my life on a train.

She’s a medieval student from NUI.

Really brainy, but-but funny and quirky.

And we promised to meet back here, thinking the lockdown would only last the two weeks.

Why don’t you just ring her?

I didn’t get her number or any of her contact details.

[chuckles] Why the hell not?

Because it seemed like we connected so well that we’d both show up.

Look, we had no idea how serious this was going to get.

But we connected so deeply.

She is amazing.

And if I don’t get to see her now, I can’t think of how I’ll ever get to meet her again.

I’ve heard a lot of excuses today, but that really is quite touching.

No! It’s the most stupid thing I’ve ever heard.

Anyway, she won’t be there.

‘Cause there’s checkpoints all around this area.

And there’s not a guard in Ireland that’ll believe that shit.

Now, go home.

We’re all in this together?

What do you think this is?

Some movie on Netflix? Home.

♪ Imagine all the people ♪

♪ Living in… ♪

Get the fuck home!

Right, yeah, all right.

Okay, okay, gotcha.

Fuckin’ hell.

So is that it?

Is that the end?

I guess so.

[whispers] What was it?

Cowslip…

[muffled] Yeah, the Oxmantown Road one.

Cowslip Lane?

[muffled] Oxmantown…

Ox… Oxman.

Oxmantown Road.

I have a street.

Look after that car. It’s vintage.

Text me later and let me know how you’re getting on.

And if you need provisions, I’ll cycle over.

Thanks, bro. Think I’m all set.

You’re a mad bollocks.

[♪ Aztec Camera: “Walk Out to Winter”]

♪ We met in the summer and walked till the fall ♪

[starts engine]

♪ And breathless we talked, it was tongues ♪

♪ Despite what they’ll say ♪

♪ It wasn’t youth, we’d hit the truth ♪

♪ Faces of Strummer that fell from your wall ♪

♪ And nothing was left where they hung ♪

♪ So sweet and bitter ♪

♪ They’re what we found ♪

♪ So drink them down and ♪

♪ Walk out to winter ♪

♪ Swear I’ll be there ♪

♪ Chill will wake you ♪

♪ High and dry ♪

♪ You’ll wonder why ♪

♪ Chance is buried ♪

♪ Just below the blinding snow ♪

♪ You burn in the breadline ♪

♪ And ribbons and all ♪

♪ So walk to winter ♪

♪ You won’t be late ♪

♪ You’ll always wait ♪

♪ This generation ♪

♪ The walk to the wall ♪

♪ But I’m not angry ♪

♪ Get your gear ♪

♪ Get out of here and ♪

♪ Just below ♪

♪ The blinding snow ♪

♪ Swear I’ll be… ♪

• More: Modern Love (TV series) , TV Show Transcripts

SHARE THIS ARTICLE

Leave a comment cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

My Adventures with Superman – S02E07 – Olsen’s Eleven | Transcript

Lois and Jimmy recruit mercenaries and mad scientists to help them steal a spaceship out from under the nose of Task Force X.

House of the Dragon – S02E03 – The Burning Mill | Transcript

Daemon flies to Harrenhal to begin arranging an army, while Rhaenyra meets an old friend to try stopping the war from cascading.

Mayor Of Kingstown – S03E05 – Iris | Transcript

Danger erupts when Iris confronts her past; the Mayor finds a new chess piece as Bunny and Konstantin’s rivalry reaches new heights.

Mayor Of Kingstown – S03E04 – Rag Doll | Transcript

Desperate to confirm the source of a spate of bombings, Mike extends an unlikely olive branch.

Weekly Magazine

Get the best articles once a week directly to your inbox!

Type keyword(s) to search

• WATCH THIS NOW
• BROWSE TOPICS
• CONVERSATION STARTERS
• Remember me Not recommended on shared computers

Forgot your password?

Or sign in with one of these services

• Modern Love

S02.E03: Strangers on a Train

By OtterMommy August 13, 2021 in Modern Love

• Start Topic
• Blog Entries
• FAQ Questions

Recommended Posts

Quote Two strangers meet on a train from Galway to Dublin in March 2020 and decide to go old school: no numbers exchanged, only a promise that they will meet up on the train two weeks later. And then a worldwide pandemic shuts down all of Ireland.

Link to comment

Buttersister.

I thought this would be better than it was. The supporting characters were more interesting than the leads.

It's the first season 2 ep I watched. The others? Not so fast.

I agree with buttersister.  It was rather disappointing but okay.  The brother and especially the mother were more interesting characters.

Well, what the hell? 

Hated that they incorrectly referenced "Before Sunset" instead of "Before Sunrise." They even showed a clip from the correct movie! 

The "Game of Thrones" reference was meta, a little too on the nose.

I read the true story which was different but interesting in it's own way. The guy doesn't know about the story yet.

https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/a37303196/modern-love-season-2-episode-3-strangers-train-true-story-interview/

On 8/14/2021 at 9:11 AM, Jillybean said: Well, what the hell?  Hated that they incorrectly referenced "Before Sunset" instead of "Before Sunrise." They even showed a clip from the correct movie!  The "Game of Thrones" reference was meta, a little too on the nose.

I yelled at the tv, “Wrong movie!” But I was happy to see the clip from the movie.   

And I laughed at the GOT reference. Probably because of the blank stare Kit gave his brother.   

 I liked it more than others seemed to. It was no “Before Sunrise,” but the characters were enjoyable. And I’m glad the brother turned out not to be a jerk. He was just messy. And horny. 

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

×   Pasted as rich text.    Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.    Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.    Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

• Insert image from URL
• Submit Reply
• Existing user? Sign In

Browse Forums

• Forums Home
• Forums Info, Guides and FAQ
• Manage Topic Follows
• Manage Forum Follows
• TV Show Index
• Search Forums
• Create New...

‘Modern Love’: Kit Harington on ‘Hilarious’ ‘Game of Thrones’ Shoutout & Episode Ending

Spoiler Alert

[Warning: The below contains MAJOR spoilers for Modern Love, Season 2, Episode 3, “Strangers on a (Dublin) Train.”]

When it comes to the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic we were all like Game of Thrones ‘ Jon Snow — we knew nothing. Such is the case for Kit Harington ‘s new character Michael in his Season 2 episode of Modern Love .

The star who once played the King in the North is swept up in a new adventure as one of two strangers who meet on a train from Galway to Dublin in March 2020. Hitting it off with Lucy Boynton ‘s Paula, Michael makes a promise to meet her at the Dublin train station exactly two weeks later, unaware of the impending lockdowns.

(Credit: Amazon Studios)

The catch? He passes on taking her phone number, a sweetly romantic gesture that quickly backfires. Below, Harington, who is gearing up for his Marvel debut in Oscar-winning director Chloé Zhao’s Eternals , opens up about the episode’s open-ended conclusion, that Game of Thrones reference, and whether there are more rom-coms in his future.

Your episode is the only pandemic-focused story. Was that something that drew you to the project?

Kit Harington: It was for sure. I thought it was a really intelligently done look at the beginning of the pandemic, and I think it could end up being one of those historical pieces that you look at when you want to study how we were [at that time]. That made it more than just a rom-com for me. It asks some really interesting questions about where we were morally in the pandemic, like where do your duties to yourself crossover with your duty to society? I think that was an interesting question to ask.

Your character takes a chance on fate and forgoes taking Paula’s phone number. What lesson do you think this episode is trying to teach about communication?

I definitely think he should have given his number, but then we wouldn’t have a story, right? This episode is actually a really nice breath of fresh air about the pandemic [and proves] it’s possible to write something light and profound about this horrific episode in humanity’s history. There are loads of interesting stories that I’m sure will come out of this that are worth investigating, and this is one of them. There are so many different meta elements to this piece, and shooting in the pandemic was kind of fascinating.

During the pandemic, your character Michael bunks with his brother Declan (Jack Reynor) who makes a Game of Thrones reference in the episode. Whose idea was that?

That was John [ Carney ], and it was in the original script he sent to me. When I spoke to him he said, “Look, we can take that out if you feel awkward about it,” and I was like, “No, no, no, that’s one of the reasons I’m doing this piece. It’s hilarious.” There’s something wonderful about Michael looking at his brother like, “I’ve never seen that show,” but also it can come across as [myself] going, “Don’t even mention it.” It’s got a double meaning.

(Credit: Helen Sloan/HBO)

John is great like that. He’s really bold when it comes to those sorts of ideas in his work, and I loved that moment. I love the motif of strangers on the train, where it sort of swoops in being this 1940s kind of war drama. I love Lucy walking into her childhood bedroom and it’s tiny. I think that there were some really interesting decisions in this piece that kind of speak of the absurdity of the situation they’re in.

You’ve done anthology work before. Is it difficult connecting with a character’s story in a single episode versus something like Game of Thrones ?

I really love it. Honestly, I’m such an advocate of the anthology [format] to other actors. It’s so bite-sized and manageable. It’s set somewhere between a short film and an indie movie, it’s in a little box by itself and it’s a very satisfying thing to do. I think after eight years of playing one character in a long-running TV show, it’s a very appealing thing for me to do. There’s a reason I did Criminal , there’s a reason I did Modern Love . There is a reason I’m going to go on and do another anthology piece after this. It just allows me to stretch different sides of myself in a very contained way.

This episode has a true rom-com feel. Is that a genre you’re interested in exploring more in the future?

I never say never to anything. I wasn’t that interested in rom-com, and then this one came as a surprise. One of my favorite movies is When Harry Met Sally , so I love a good rom-com, but it wasn’t something I felt I had any desire to do. For whatever reason, this piece spoke to me. I don’t tend to pick a genre for a genre, it’s what’s on the page that counts and whether it interests me. If a rom-com came along that had something to say, I wouldn’t say no.

Do you think Paula and Michael end up meeting after the episode ends?  The story concluded with quite the cliffhanger.

It’s definitely for viewers to take into their own interpretation. In my head, he meets her. What happens then, I don’t know, but in my head, he stays there and he meets her. But I love an open ending. There’s this long-running idea in Hollywood that you have to close off the story. Life’s not like that, and there’s no reason why we have to write drama like that. And I think every now and again, an ending like this is really strangely satisfying.

Modern Love , Season 2, Streaming now

Game of Thrones where to stream

Modern Love where to stream

Game of Thrones

Modern love, john carney, kit harington, lucy boynton.

Benefits to Registering & Following

(It's free!)

• Share full article

Advertisement

Supported by

Modern Love

Tiny Love Stories: ‘Sometimes a Romantic Plan Isn’t Enough’

Modern Love in miniature, featuring reader-submitted stories of no more than 100 words.

Strangers on a Train

We met on a train from Paris to Barcelona. Sitting next to one another, we argued over who could use the power outlet. “Désolé, je crois que c’est a moi.” (“Sorry, I think it’s mine.”) Instant crush. A perfect, flirtatious, six hours. The beginning of our love story? We agreed to meet back in Paris: On March 19, I’d wait for his train at the Gare de Lyon railway station. We didn’t know that coronavirus would confine us in different countries. Trusting in the power of the universe, we hadn’t exchanged mobile numbers. Sometimes, a romantic plan isn’t enough. — Cecilia Pesao

“Our Sleepy Golden Storm”

“Our Sleepy Golden Storm” is what my wife, Yiseon, calls him. The night he was born in Gimhae, South Korea, a typhoon blew in from the Sea of Japan. “Am I in labor?” Yiseon asked, hunched over a beanbag chair. “I can’t tell.” We left so late, flying down the rain-slicked neon boulevards to the clinic, that there wasn’t time for an epidural, or any painkiller other than a midwife’s massage. I had peppermint oil and blood on my hands when we first heard him cry. Outside, the storm stripped ginkgos bare, burying the sidewalks under damp gold leaves. — Joshua Cornwell

“Rich in Love and Wonder”

My grandmother Ricka taught me flower names in her garden: snapdragon, iris, tulip. She lived in coal country, but beauty bloomed there. Her bread came from the coal stove that heated the house. Floors, even in the bedrooms, were linoleum. Each visit, I chose fabric and a pattern, and she made me a dress. One Christmas, she sent some doll clothes created from scraps of all the dresses she had made for me. I was enchanted. Her life was one of poverty, but I was unaware. To me, it was rich in love and wonder. — Donna Fowler

Together at the Day’s End

Amy made room for me in her bed. “Mama, read,” she said, resting her head on my shoulder. Her eyelashes brushed my collarbone. The sensation soothed me. I never skimp on Amy’s bedtime story. After a day of “Get dressed,” “Eat your waffles,” “Zip your coat” and “Tidy your toys,” there were only the words on the page. The last 15 minutes of Amy’s day were the first time I was present for her, and I seized them. Joining her in her imagination, I did the voices, made the faces. I offered her my body to lie on. — Jennifer Cinguina

See more Tiny Love Stories at nytimes.com/modernlove . Submit yours at nytimes.com/tinylovestories .

Sign up for Love Letter to get a weekly dose of real stories that examine the highs, lows and woes of relationships.

Watch the trailer for the Modern Love TV show , coming to Amazon Prime Video on Oct. 18; listen to the Modern Love Podcast on iTunes or Google Play Music ; check out the updated anthology “ Modern Love: True Stories of Love, Loss, and Redemption ;” follow Modern Love on Facebook .

Get the Reddit app

Subreddit for the Amazon TV series Modern Love. Season 2 was released August 13, 2021.

Modern Love Season 2 Episode 3: Strangers on a (Dublin) Train Discussion

Two strangers meet on a train from Galway to Dublin in March 2020 and decide to go old school: no numbers exchanged, only a promise that they will meet up on the train two weeks later. And then a worldwide pandemic shuts down all of Ireland. Lucy Boynton & Kit Harington star.

Original column: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/28/style/tiny-modern-love-stories-coronavirus-romantic-plan-isnt-enough.html

• Web Channels
• Modern Love

Strangers on a (Dublin) Train

Two strangers meet on a train from Galway to Dublin in March 2020 and decide to go old school: no numbers exchanged, only a promise that they will meet up on the train two weeks later. And then a worldwide pandemic shuts down all of Ireland.

Kit Harington

Jack Reynor

Lucy Boynton

Miranda Richardson

Eddie Jackson

Seána Kerslake

David Michael Scott

Rynagh O'Grady

Episode Discussion

No comments yet. Be the first!

Modern Love

Strangers on a Train

Information, accessibility.

Copyright © 2024 Apple Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Internet Service Terms Apple TV & Privacy Cookie Policy Support

• Today's news
• Reviews and deals
• Climate change
• 2024 election
• Fall allergies
• Health news
• Mental health
• Sexual health
• Family health
• So mini ways
• Unapologetically
• Buying guides

Entertainment

• How to Watch
• My watchlist
• Stock market
• Biden economy
• Personal finance
• Stocks: most active
• Stocks: gainers
• Stocks: losers
• Trending tickers
• World indices
• US Treasury bonds
• Top mutual funds
• Highest open interest
• Highest implied volatility
• Currency converter
• Basic materials
• Communication services
• Consumer cyclical
• Consumer defensive
• Financial services
• Industrials
• Real estate
• Mutual funds
• Credit cards
• Balance transfer cards
• Cash back cards
• Rewards cards
• Travel cards
• Online checking
• High-yield savings
• Money market
• Home equity loan
• Personal loans
• Student loans
• Options pit
• Fantasy football
• Pro Pick 'Em
• College Pick 'Em
• Fantasy baseball
• Fantasy hockey
• Fantasy basketball
• Download the app
• Daily fantasy
• Scores and schedules
• GameChannel
• World Baseball Classic
• Premier League
• CONCACAF League
• Champions League
• Motorsports
• Horse racing
• Newsletters

New on Yahoo

• Privacy Dashboard

Kit Harington and Lucy Boynton Are Flirty Strangers on a Train in ‘Modern Love’ Season 2 Trailer (Video)

• Oops! Something went wrong. Please try again later. More content below

Love is in the air once again, as Amazon Prime Video released the trailer Thursday for the second season of its romantic anthology series “ Modern Love .” As you’d expect, the sneak peek features several meet-cutes, including an adorable, flirtatious exchange of glances between two strangers on a train, played by “Game of Thrones” alum Kit Harington and “The Politician” star Lucy Boynton.

In the trailer, which you can view via the video above, “Modern Love’s” Season 2 lineup of romantic pairings is teased, with Boynton and Harington being the first duo revealed. They walk away from the experience agreeing to meet on the train again in two weeks — but Harington’s friend says she’s “never going to show.” While we worry about the fate of that potential couple, the teaser moves on to introduce us to several more, whom you will meet properly when the season launches Aug. 13.

Per Amazon Prime Video, “In this season, love breaks all the rules. An old flame reignited. A test of friends vs. lovers. A night girl and her day boy. A romance with an ex’s ex. A one night stand. An impossible promise. A ghost of a lost lover. An exploration of sexuality. The eight-part second season of the popular series ‘Modern Love’ brings to life a collection of stories about relationships, connections, betrayals and revelations. Each episode showcases love in all of its complicated and beautiful forms, all inspired by true events from the beloved New York Times column of the same name.”

Along with Harington and Boynton, “Modern Love” Season 2 stars Gbenga Akinnagbe, Tom Burke, Zoë Chao, Minnie Driver, Grace Edwards, Dominique Fishback, Garrett Hedlund, Tobias Menzies, Sophie Okonedo , Zane Pais, Anna Paquin, Isaac Powell, Marquis Rodriguez and Lulu Wilson.

John Carney serves as writer, director, executive producer and showrunner of “ Modern Love ,” which filmed its second season in Albany, Schenectady, and Troy, New York, and Dublin, Ireland. Andrew Rannells directed an episode in Season 2 based upon a personal essay that he penned for the column.

All episodes of “Modern Love” Season 2 will launch Aug. 13 on Amazon Prime Video.

Read original story Kit Harington and Lucy Boynton Are Flirty Strangers on a Train in ‘Modern Love’ Season 2 Trailer (Video) At TheWrap