Series Review : Master of None
★★★★1/2
Plot:
Dev is a 30 year-old actor, living in New York City. His life goes by in a humorous, yet meaningful sequence of event, the type of guy who seems fine with just about any scenario thrown at him. Deserted by his friends at a bar? He’ll enjoy the tasty beverages or chat it up with a few strangers. Unlucky in love? He’ll find a way to make a joke or get back out there absent any chips on his shoulders. It’s curiosity that drives Dev, and so it also drives the show.

Review:
On another show, grouping three dudes (one white guy, an Indian and an Asian-American) and one black woman might feel like a business decision made to reach as many target demographics as possible. But here, each person has a distinct voice and a strong personality that push past any doubt as to their place in this reality. This is New York. This is the great American melting pot. This is the dream. This is, even more so, Dev’s reality. And it’s just nice to be a part of it.

And also, Aziz Ansari deftly navigates the complexity of major life decisions that any person at any group grapples with at some point. Master of None is as carefully crafted as the artisan eateries its star loves to visit, specifically focused on discovering, displaying and understanding new perspectives.
Like “Louie” before it, Master of None is unpredictable in where it’s headed next. It uses the natural rhythms of life, of conversation, to move forward with the topics Ansari and Yang want to discuss. And those topics are pertinent to anyone and everyone watching. Topics like racism, technology, parents, homosexuality…
And though most TV comedies sacrifice cinematography for dialogue, Master of None has an impressive command of visual language, even managing to riff on different film styles.
Specially watch out for the ‘Parents’ episode (s01e02)… how the Aziz Ansari character came to see his father’s sacrifices in a new light.
And ‘The Thief’ (s02e01) , a black and white episode as an homage to one of the greatest movies ever made, “Bicycle Thieves"

