“One Day at a Time,” Netflix’s first original family sitcom, premiered on the streaming platform last year with little to no fanfare. Nevertheless, the show quickly attained critical acclaim and modest popularity, garnering an Emmy nomination and being listed as one of the top 10 shows of 2017.
The sitcom is an updated reboot of the 1970s original and retains its predecessor’s basic premise: A single mom raises her two children with the help of her mother in sunny Los Angeles. This time, however, the family is Cuban-American, the mother is an army veteran grappling with PTSD, the grandmother is an obstinate, outspoken salsa dancer and one of the children is an out, proud and politically-active lesbian.
The original series was noted for its embrace of contemporary matters, particularly those pertaining to second-wave feminism, and “One Day at a Time” certainly carries those issues forward. Like her 1970s counterpart, Penelope Alvarez (Justina Machado), confronts the question of whether she wants to have children with longtime boyfriend Max Ferraro (Ed Quinn), ultimately deciding that it would be better to cut off her relationship entirely. This aspect of Penelope’s character development reminds us that women’s endeavors to balance work and motherhood remain just as pertinent now as they did forty years ago.
Nonetheless, “One Day at a Time” has a particular relevance to today’s political and cultural climate that cannot be understated, addressing issues such as mental illness, immigration, sexism, homophobia and racism with willful candidness. However, the multicamera family comedy has embodied nuance this season to incredible critical pay-off. Even the graceless lighting angles and cheesy laugh track characteristic of old-time sitcoms wrap the drama in a layer of gentle humor that indicates how the embedded nature of a politicized identity — whether that identity be religious, racial or gendered — allows political dialogues to be simultaneously humorous and deliberate. Simply put, the show substantiates the claim that ostensibly niche narratives are in fact emotionally universal and compelling to watch.
Fear of nuance is evident in the show’s first season, which at times treats complex issues with a heavy hand. This phenomenon is of particular note in the fifth episode of season one, in which Penelope’s daughter Elena (Isabella Gomez) reveals that her best friend Carmen (Ariela Barer) has been secretly living in the family’s apartment since her family was deported to Mexico several weeks earlier. While the issue of undocumented immigrants is a salient one, its relegation to half of a 30-minute episode does not allow showrunners Gloria Calderon Kellett and Mike Royce to grant the issue full emotional justice.
Additionally, the positioning of an undocumented immigrant narrative within a Cuban-American context serves to falsely conflate “undocumented” issues with “Latinx” issues. Many Cuban-Americans do not face struggles specifically pertaining to undocumented status, having attained legal residency in America under the “wet foot, dry foot” policy, which was repealed just last year (this is not to say that Cuban-Americans do not face issues relevant to their specific ethnic and cultural identity). This episode is arguably the most unwieldy of season one and is heavily weighed down by its ambition.
This season, “One Day at a Time” has embraced nuance by choosing to home in on the arcs of individual characters. Penelope faces her mental health head-on and builds a meaningful relationship with Max. Lydia encounters jealousy when the doctor she rejected (Stephen Tobolowsky) starts dating another woman. Elena explores feminist and queer concerns, and middle schooler Alex (Marcel Ruiz) begins to mature but is not immune to racist comments from his peers.
Season two is particularly successful because issues such as colorism and Elena’s budding sexuality are dealt with implicitly. This newer treatment of dialogue and story is a more accurate representation of what it means to be a politicized minority: Acute problems and experiences are enveloped in quotidian conversations. Elena’s reluctance to acknowledge that resident Canadian and family friend Schneider (Todd Grinnell) can speak Spanish, as well as her horror at being told she is “passing” as white are both subtle testaments to her fears that she is somehow not Cuban or Latina “enough” because she cannot speak Spanish and does not “look Latina.”
The nested nature of the dialogue also ensures that emotional moments are all the more profound. It takes Penelope several episodes to overcome the shame she feels about needing antidepressants, which is compounded by Lydia’s assertions that depression “is all in the head.” “It’s like when people tell me, ‘Be happy, you have a great life,’” says Penelope, referencing the unfounded guilt many face for having depression, particularly within her Cuban culture. “It makes me feel like garbage because I know.” At the end of the episode, Lydia decides to stand by her daughter’s side. “You do what you need to fix yourself,” she tells her daughter. “And I will be here for you.”
Resonance is what defines the second season of “One Day at a Time,” which has learned to tackle political and cultural issues with increased grace and refinement. There is no show that deserves more viewership than this one.
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