“God, I love it when you guys fight. Ooh, trouble in paradise… I do! I mean, it just means you have a normal, ordinary relationship.” These are the statements made by Tilly, the best friend (a charming Amber Grappy), in the penultimate episode of Netflix’s “One Day.” She is conversing with Ambika Mod’s captivating portrayal of our heroine, Emma Morley. Emma and her love interest, Dexter Mayhew (a superbly acted Leo Woodall), do not have a typical relationship, which is why the feeling echoes. They have the kind of love found in fairy tales, the stuff of legends and tearjerkers.
The Netflix serialised adaptation of a popular book, which is based on David Nicholls’ novel, follows our star-crossed lovers as they cross paths, clash, reject, and repeat on July 15 over the years. It begins when they graduate from college and finish, so it makes sense to draw parallels with “The Notebook.”
Emma and Dex, however, spend a great deal of time growing up apart before they get together, becoming best friends who push each other to mature while their underlying attraction simmers. Here, the series format excels at giving both of our stars a sense of realism that the 2011 movie starring Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess failed to achieve. In Woodall’s “Sexy Dexy,” the golden boy whose life is certainly too easy until it isn’t is endearing. It’s obvious why some people are so captivated by him—including Emma—while others find him repulsive.
The choice to cast a woman of colour in the role of Emma highlights the disparities in the two characters’ social classes. Even though she might graduate with honours, the aspiring writer searching for her voice is in for a difficult financial future. Mod embraces all of her compromises and changes, illuminating her when Dexter is on screen but allowing him to define her in any way—possibly to the very end.
“One Day,” which debuted in 1988 and ran for decades, avoids some of the problems associated with works set in the same era by using clothes that feel authentic but not garish. Additionally, the production does a wonderful job of subtly changing the appearances, styles, and mannerisms of its characters as they age, pushing them past their early twenties.
However, it truly shines when it tells this passionate tale of unlikely equals falling in love. Dexter and Emma are not the same in terms of ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic class, or temperament. Nevertheless, despite society’s tendency to value one over the other based on the season, they manage to come across each other on an equal basis. For most of the first 13 episodes, the narrative structure reflects this by giving equal weight to their relationships with one another, their sexual experiences, and their interiority. As a result, the two people’s difficult journey from strangers to best friends to partners is compellingly shown.
As fated as they are to meet, the episodic format also aids in the development of the story, with each episode serving as a sort of sonnet to the stage of life they are in. Yes, when tradition and individual growth demand that they remain apart, it can drag a little in the centre. Indeed, the melodic cues might be too expressive, and seemingly demanding to be heard at any given time.
All in all, it functions. They find a remarkable pairing, earning themselves the title of eventual couple.
Unfortunately, that’s not how the narrative ends for those who enjoy happy endings, love, and strong female characters. Not in the 2024 series, the 2011 film, or the 2009 novel. This is a heartbreaker, and because the characters have previously experienced so much, the tragedy seems cliche. The conclusion erodes a great deal of the charm and goodwill established in the show’s earlier episodes, essentially turning Emma’s entire life into a lesson in humility for Dexter. And after spending so much time getting to know this couple over the years, it feels simplistic and real.
The moral of “One Day” seems to be that love overcomes all obstacles, except blatant misogyny.
Complete series vetted for assessment. Currently available on Netflix.
