‘Master Of None’s’ Brilliant Second Season Delivers An Authentic Look At Modern Dating

I know we’re not even halfway through the year, but screw it: Master of None just dropped the mic on the “Best TV Show of 2017” conversation.

Premiering today, the second season of Aziz Ansari and Alan Yang’s evocative Netflix series confidently doubles down on its superb first season to achieve a whole new level of artistic and cinematic excellence that’s as engaging as it is unpredictable. The ten-episode season can be divided into three distinct sections — Dev’s Italian adventure (Episodes 1 and 2), three razor-sharp stand-alone episodes (Episodes 4, 6, and 8), and Dev’s life back in New York City — that deftly blend together to create one of the most ambitious seasons of television in recent history. The new batch of episodes will make you laugh; they’ll make you cry; but most importantly, Master of None will make you feel as it delivers an authentic look at the many intricacies of modern dating.

Be warned, spoilers ahead.

Season 2 picks up with Ansari’s Dev living out his own personal Under the Tuscan Sun fantasy in Modena, Italy. Still reeling from his breakup with Rachel (Noel Wells), Dev’s fully immersed in his new life as a pasta-making apprentice. But even all you can eat risotto and the visual splendor of Italy can’t fully remedy a broken heart. Despite their initial attempts at radio silence, Rachel reaches out to wish Dev a happy birthday and before you know it, the former couple find themselves in the romantic purgatory known as exchanging flirty texts with an ex.

Let’s get right down to the Noel Wells of it all. Outside of exchanging texts and emails during the first two episodes, Wells only makes a brief appearance in the finale. If you’d have told me this before the season, I would have been disappointed. The comedic actress is such a talented performer and Season 1’s “Mornings” was my favorite TV episode of 2015, but Wells’ absence opened up the series to a wealth of storytelling possibilities.

Master of None treated the romantic dissolution with a type of nuance and honesty sorely lacking from the majority of TV breakups. These are two inherently good people who genuinely love one another but know they’re not each other’s pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Most real-life relationships don’t just abruptly end. People have messy residual feelings that lead to ill-advised texts, second guessing, and poor decisions exasperated by alcohol. Dev eventually exhibits an enviable amount of emotional maturity as he informs Rachel that they need to stop texting one another in order to truly move on.

There are two moments from the second season that affected me on a visceral level, both of which take place during the finale. Dev is at his personal and professional nadir, when, oh hey wouldn’t you know it, he randomly runs into Rachel. Death, taxes, and running into your ex when you feel like shit, am I right?

The two exchange pleasantries and say nothing of substance as Dev, in an exceptional performance from Ansari, gamely attempts to put on a brave face and act as though his world isn’t imploding. Why? Because no matter how grownup we all pretend to be, there are winners and losers in even the most amicable of breakups, and no one wants to be on the wrong side of that coin.

It’s silly, stupid, and excruciatingly human, but these little moments are the heartbeat of life. No series understands that sentiment better than Master of None.

The source of Dev’s romantic turbulence during his encounter with Rachel is his Season 2 love interest Francesca, played with lively gusto by Italian actress Alessandra Mastronardi. Dev befriends Francesca and her fiancé while in Italy and when the couple visits the states, a complicated bond that supplants friendship begins to develop between Dev and Francesca. This is a storyline that, on paper, could be problematic. Pursuing a romance with a woman engaged to be married isn’t the behavior of a likable protagonist, but the central romance in the second season stems from genuine friendship, not malice.

Dev initially attempts to turn a blind eye. Francesca is engaged, and that as they say is that. But one of the main themes of the season is how rare it is to share a genuine connection with someone. The fog of youth leads you to believe that love will find you early and often, but as Dev inches closer to thirty-five, he begins to understand the gravity of the situation. The romantic stakes increase with every passing year as he begins to see the sand slowly make its way through the hourglass.

The series not only captures the complex journey from friendship to romance, but Master of None distills the ineffable devastation of heartache down to its simple, brutal essence:

“I felt really connected to somebody, and it felt good. Now I just feel fucking alone.”

While most of the series is an intrepid exploration of relationships, Episode 4 (“First Date”) is the best depiction of modern dating you’ll see… ever? The episode follows Dev as he goes on a medley of first dates that are painfully relatable to anyone who’s ever swiped right in hopes of matching with Mr. or Mrs. Right. All the awkward getting to know you blather is present and accounted for — How many siblings do you have? Where do you work? What are you doing this weekend? — as Ansari and Yang delve into all the ways the proliferation of online matchmaking apps have irrevocably changed the way we date through a series of good, bad, and horrible encounters.

It also features Dev’s baller opening message: “Going to Whole Foods, want me to pick you up anything?”

Much like Dev, Master of None has matured with age. It’s an audacious mix of gorgeous cinematography, adept directing, trenchant writing, and remarkable acting that will stay with you long after the credits roll. Its giant beating heart and immense sincerity shine through to offer viewers some much needed modern whimsy. My favorite moment of the season is a simple line uttered by Dev during the final episode. With his new career as a co-host of a culinary TV travel show in jeopardy, Francesca offers her condolences.

“I don’t care about the show,” Dev softly replies. “I’m happy when you’re here.”

It’s a beautiful moment that emphasizes an essential message we all lose sight of from time to time. Master of None’s brilliant second season is an honest exploration of humanity that encapsulates the ethereal highs and maddening lows of modern dating.

Against all odds, Master of None’s second helping is even more delectable than the first course.

Stream Master of None on Netflix