Aziz Ansari is a man of the times. His character on NBC’s Parks and Recreation was a tech savant, social media guru and modern entrepreneur. In his stand-up specials, Ansari delivered fresh comedy through everyday interactions. Now, in his new Netflix show Master of None, Ansari translates those everyday interactions into a smart and unconventional sitcom.
Ansari stars as Dev, a commercial actor trying to get ahead in New York City. His actual parents play his parents on the show: his dad is a scene-stealer, easily deserving of an Emmy. They’re joined by Eric Wareheim, Kelvin Yu, Noël Wells and newcomer Lena Waithe as Dev’s group of friends and social confidantes. With each episode centering around a different everyday issue (relationships, jobs, gender equality, first dates, racism, kids), these friends provide Dev with insight into how they would solve his problems and are interesting foils to Ansari’s character. In that way, Master of None is reminiscent of Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm, with its awkward take on modern (and sometimes insignificant) problems.
One of the best things about Ansari and his sitcom is how relatable it is. It doesn’t just give its viewers the punchline, it forces them to think about why a situation is funny and how it applies to them. One episode has Dev dealing with a girl bailing on him after he has asked her to go to a concert. He then has to decide what to do about the situation and who he should ask instead. He asks his friends and they all offer different opinions. Some offer rational solutions, while others are more abstract and amusing.
Towards the latter half of the season, the show delves deeper into Dev’s romantic relationship, and it’s heartwarming how realistic it is. Like everything else in Master of None, Dev’s relationship isn’t filled with tropes like those in the typical romantic sitcom, such as Dev and his partner being total opposites or some unexpected conflict. Instead, they’re on somewhat equal stations in life. Their conflicts come naturally and they solve them maturely.
Master of None makes sense while also being comedic. It’s a show to watch with your friends so you can talk about how a situation applies to you and then laugh about how you approached it afterwards. It’s a show about how we’re all just trying to get by as we mature into adulthood. We’re all jacks of all trades, but we know we’re the masters of none of them, and — according to the show — that’s perfectly okay.