Most critics find the anthology charming and hopeful, a revival of the romantic comedy told in short, self-contained stories. The praise clusters on the acting, and on one episode above all: Anne Hathaway’s portrayal of a woman living with bipolar disorder is singled out by reviews at both ends of the scale as sensitive, raw and the strongest thing in the series. John Carney’s restrained direction and the natural performances it draws out also earn credit.
The reservations gather around schmaltz and privilege. Several reviews find the New York on show narrow and affluent, its romantic problems too comfortable to grip, and the cast short on everyday variety. The spread is wide. Three critics come down against it: Vulture calls it emotionally empty and retrograde, faulting shallow characterisation and a refusal to engage with the social forces shaping love; The Telegraph and Collider find it too polished or too contrived, while still admiring the acting. Digital Spy, reviewing later, is warmer about a single second-season story.