My wife and I finally finished
Aziz Ansari’s
“Master of None”,
the social commentary comedy about the challenges of coming of (older) age
for a directionless aspiring actor and his friends rounding their thirties.
I particularly enjoyed episodes two and ten. Episode two has Dev and his friend
Brian discovering more about the culture of their immigrant families, which
they took for granted and never really learned about growing up. Episode ten,
the season finale, explores Dev’s struggles with commitment and
aspirations for his own life. These episodes, as well as all the rest,
cover some of the day-to-day struggles of Generation Y, both large and small.
Topics including relationships to political correctness are explored in a casual
and conversational manner. “Master of None”
skillfully asks questions and then masterfully offers answers that do not seem
out of place for a man in his late twenties or early thirties.
I enjoyed how the characters in the show appeared to be able to provide
lively debate on social issues that pertain to their own lives. Though their
conversations were spoken to each other, the delivery is to us, the audience.
My wife would like me to note that she personally found some of the dialogue
a bit unwieldy. Although she also enjoyed the social commentary and found
many of the situations and jokes humorous, she felt that many of the morals
delivered by the characters to the audience felt less like discourse and more
like lecturing.
Overall, I’d have to recommend this show heartily to anyone from either
Generation X or Generation Y. I think that perhaps Baby Boomers may have
more difficulty relating to the show, due to cultural maturity differences
between our generations. I rate the show as a 4.5/5.
Although the acting is sometimes unconvincing, or the situations unbelievable,
the show has great heart and a smart script.