Take the comedic style of Aziz Ansari (“Parks and Recreation”), put a show in New York City and have it created by Netflix and one has to ask, “What’s gonna happen, what’s gonna happen, what’s gonna happen?”
“Master of None” premiered on Netflix Friday, Nov. 6. The series contains 10 episodes all under a half hour, easily a binge worthy show. Although weird when judging by individual episodes, the series taken as a whole is another example of Netflix dominating the realm of original programing.
The show was co-created, mostly written by and staring Ansari. He plays Dev, an actor in his thirties living in New York City and trying to find work, love and good food. The show, although slated as a comedy, tackles a lot of issues present in today’s society, such as the portrayal of Indians in the media, the way people in the current generation treat their parents and grandparents and the societal differences between men and women in terms of work and a night out on the town.
As with other Netflix shows, the program should be considered for the whole season they release. The second episode, titled “Parents,” seemed to stand out. This episode shows the struggle immigrants had to go through when deciding to come to America and the fact that their children seem to not understand or know enough to truly appreciate everything they’ve done for them. This episode is the black sheep of the season, standing out as one that doesn’t tie too heavily with the rest. Its main purpose is to introduce and build on the bond between Dev and his family, yet its voice seems far different that the one established in the other nine.
One episode that stands as one of the stronger ones in the season is “Nashville.” Halfway through the season, viewers see the relationship between Dev and Rachel, portrayed by Noël Wells (“Saturday Night Live”), develop more to the point where the two go on a first date to Nashville. Wells and Ansari have a great chemistry that is brought to the forefront of the episode. The two can play off of each other well as they’re looking for ghosts, using the “traditional” form of Yelp and defining honky-tonk.
Speaking of good chemistry, the ensemble does a good job playing off of one another as the season progresses. Lena Waithe (staff writer for “Bones”) plays Dev’s friend Denise and provides hilarious commentary about Dev’s life and often joins him as he goes off on tangents or musical jokes. Eric Wareheim (“Tim and Eric’s Bedtime Stories”) also adds a great addition to the group, yet can sometimes come off as “trying to be funny.” That can take away from what is happening with everyone else in the seen as the focus moves to him.
Overall the program is great and the ending is one of the best season finales seen in a long time. The story is meant to be enjoyed as a whole, so take the time to sit down and join Dev on his journey.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
