The television series Master of None, created by Aziz Ansari and Adam Ylang, debuted on Netflix a little over three weeks ago. It stars Ansari as Dev, a 30-something millennial living in New York City whose acting career is middling at best and whose progress into successful adulthood comes with an overload of growing pains. The show instigates thought and reflection along with plenty of laughter as Dev explores provocative cultural issues in each episode. The plots often include stories that remain unseen or strictly marginalized to the edges of the majority of our entertainment media - which makes the show something of a revelation in terms of comedy series. Master of None touches on race and racism, immigration and acculturation, dating travails, the questions surrounding having kids, employment woes, covert vs. overt sexism, and diverse friendships. And though Ansari and Ylang certainly do not handle each of these topics with seamless precision — sometimes it feels a little preachy or too on the nose — it’s something to praise that they’ve attempted to tell these stories at all. What really strikes the right notes is the artistic voice and vision of the show; its hits the ground running with a strong, funny, and smart viewpoint. I can’t wait until the second season to see what other questions Dev posts to the world. Get on this train.
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