"Master of None" spoilers below.
The comedy series created by and starring Aziz Ansari has received critical acclaim since the first season was released on Netflix last year. Having won an American Film Institute Award, a Critics’ Choice Television Award, a Peabody Award, as well as recently being nominated for four Primetime Emmy Awards, this original Netflix series is one of many treats for online binge watchers.
With the show renewed for a second season set to premiere in 2017, now is the perfect time to look back on what made the first season so successful and why we should be excited for what’s to come in the second season premiere.
1. The cast is extremely diverse.
It’s 2016, and I can’t tell you how disappointing it is to still see casts of other television shows with a ten to one ratio when it comes to diversity. The white male or female lead has a plethora of similarly white friends, and then, y’know, that one black or Indian dude that’s there just for the sake of “diversity.”
Meanwhile, Dev Shah (Ansari) has an entourage consisting of a mix of white, black, Asian, straight, gay, young and old people. They’re all funny in their own right without being overtly stereotypical of who they’re meant to represent – which is all we monitories have ever asked for, like, ever.
2. The show addresses problems faced by children of immigrants.
When you live your childhood and young adulthood knowing that your parents dropped everything they were doing in their home country, no matter how good they had it, simply because they knew their future children would have it even better in America, it’s a little overwhelming to live up to their sacrifice.
In the second episode titled “Parents,” Dev and Brian Cheng (Kelvin Yu) lament on their seemingly “tough” lives, slowly realizing through out the episode that they don’t even know the meaning of the word. The flashbacks from their respective dads are the real gems, with Dev’s dad recalling all the hard work he went through just to buy Dev a computer back in the ‘90s, only to jump to the present time where Dev lazily shrugs off his dad’s request to teach him how to use his iPad.
3. The show also addresses problems faced by millennials.
"Seinfeld" was a social commentary on the awkwardness that was life in a world without texting, instant messaging and social media. Think about it; every episode of that show centered on a problem that could have easily been fixed if somebody had a cell phone.
Master of None is a social commentary that proves our world is still extremely awkward, even when we can devices that keep us all connected 24/7. Whether it’s finding a list minute date to a concert or breaking the mold in how we spend time with our crushes, the show delves into how our generation has been using technology to our advantages and disadvantages.
4. It’s just plain funny.
Dev’s friend, Arnold (Eric Wareheim), is probably the wackiest character in the entire show. From his hipster attire to the situations he gets himself into (hello, animatronic seal), everything about him is goofy and lighthearted. To this day, I still laugh at Rachel’s explanation to a stranger for why he acts the way he does: he was so excited hearing Tim Allen’s grunt from "Home Improvement" that he hurt himself running over to the television. The explanation alone is only a small taste of wacky, dry and sarcastic mix in the show.
5. The season one cliffhanger broke our hearts but taught us a valuable lesson.
For all the effort Dev and Rachel (Noel Wells) put into their relationship, they couldn’t avoid the thing their hearts desired most: a chance to do what they really wanted to, without the pressure of finding a stable job and living life the way a normal adult should.
For Rachel, that meant spontaneously dying her hair and moving to Japan. For Dev, we as the audience thought it meant chasing after Rachel if it meant being with the one he loved, but that just wasn’t the case. In the final scene, he reminds us what the series is all about: there is no template or box for our generation. For all the stress we put ourselves through to be successful, impress our parents and provide for the future, sometimes you should just live in the now and do what’s best for you.
