Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
If you’re anything like us, you’re drooling in anticipation of the new season of Master of None — and for good reason. And now it’s finally here! Everything you loved about season one? It’s even better in season two.
Dev (Aziz Ansari) is back and truly living his best life. Maybe everyone’s best life, even. Season two kicks off with his adventures in Italy, and as much as we all want to see where life takes him on his international travels and after his breakup with Rachel (Noel Wells), take your time. This 10-episode season was not made for binge-watching. I know, it’s so incredibly tempting. Master of None is just so sweet and funny and while (mostly) hovering around the 30-minute mark each episode, you don’t have to dedicate an entire week of your life (or one VERY lazy day in bed) to tearing through it. But you’re going to want to take it slow.
Season two has stepped its game up in a big way. From the unique retro music to the beautiful sweeping shots the cinematography flawlessly captures, there’s so much to be savored here, kinda like a tasty bowl of ramen, if you will. The framing and the lighting sets a delicious picture, with the stories and the fantastic acting contributing a swirl of tastes and emotions you’ll easily sink right into. If this sounds all too dreamy, that’s because it is.
The new season will more than meet the hype for even casual fans of the Netflix comedy. Everything just clicks into place and it’s a damn enjoyable ride throughout. Why would you want to rush through that? The episodes can really be approached more as a collection of short films rather than just a string of comedy episodes, with each installment presenting something new to think about. But then there’s that thing when sometimes we watch a lot of episodes all in a row, and then they blur together. Don’t let that happen here. Watch, reflect, repeat.
My advice: take this 2 episodes, 3 max, at a time. Take breaks to step outside for a delightful walk or a pleasant nap or a mouth-watering meal if you want to live your most Dev life possible. Go out into the world with the images you’ve just seen. Process! And then come back for another 2 episode installment later in the day. You can (and should) get through it over the course of the weekend so you can chat with your best buds about it on Monday. But rushing through in one big chunk will do you no good.
Ansari has packed a lot into each episode this season. There’s a lot to see and even more to feel. Don’t even think of picking your phone up while you watch: you’ll miss a landscape, a look, a joke, or a very necessary subtitle. It’s just so much harder to appreciate the subtleties packed into this show if you’re only focused on racing to the end.
Take this opportunity to savor the film influences, the relationships, and the commentary this show is making. There’s something to learn and to relate to for everyone. It will make you feel nostalgic and get butterflies and laugh and make you hungry and break your heart at different points — that’s an awful lot to take on all at once, in one 5-6 hour block, wouldn’t you say?
Master of None wants you to realize that life is about the journey, and about the people and the food you meet along the way. So it is only respectful to approach your viewing with the same perspective. Let it come to you and enjoy every step, every bite, and every episode along the way.
