By David Fang
You’ve seen him in his stand-up, ranting about his life struggles, but can Aziz Ansari really mirror all of his life experiences in a simple 30 minute Netflix special? Can he carry across a character so genuine that you wish he could climb out of the TV like the girl from The Ring and be your actual companion? I guess I should let stellar ratings speak for themselves.
As a 30 year old aspiring actor living in New York, life is hard enough. Living off residuals from a Go-Gurt commercial, Aziz’s character, Dev, struggles to find large roles. He main task is to fight the fierce and bitter competition for spots like convenience store owner or taxi driver. Roles that are as uplifting for Dev as being asked to be the understudy for the understudy in a school play.
The show chronicles the experiences of a man struggling to find love in the post-technology world as well as jumping the hurdles of race and stereotype. All too often is Dev lost in the world of casting, dating, and, at one point, Nashville. However, no matter how far he strays, he is able to rebound back with the support of his intolerant parents and his rather strange and eccentric group of friends.
The characters portrayed in the roles taken by the show are shockingly relatable and realistic. Viewers can’t help but make connections to other T.V. shows Like Louie, which depicts the struggles of a single dad and stand up comedian.
Despite the Dev’s unique situation, the themes that the show project are strangely familiar. The show deals with breakups, disappointment, and loneliness. If in book form, the show is almost like Chicken Soup the Struggling and Conflicted Millennial Soul.
The show introduces many fresh new faces, including Kelvin Yu as Brian Cheng, one Dev’s best friends, and using his actual parents as cast members.
While watching I felt liberated. With the television scene being populated with dramas containing plots so dense that you need a Wikipedia article and a family tree to just understand what is going on, I was relieved to find a show that was lighthearted and less hardcore.
Master of None provides a fresh and insightful view rarely exposed in the television world. So, though the description on Netflix may seem lackluster, Master of None is the furthest thing from it.