Well, friends, it’s Valentine’s Day, and while I happen to be partnered now, I’m still reflexively loyal to the tradition of hate-watching rom-coms alone in my bed, as I did for roughly 15 years of singledom. It might sound grim and Bridget Jones-y, but TBH, I consider weeping at pretend people’s relationships while drinking red wine and eating dark chocolate the height of human luxury, and luckily the perfect offering for my ritual recently hit Netflix: One Day. (Not the Anne Hathaway movie—though it’s based on the same material—but the series, starring Ambika Mod and Leo Woodall, who fall for each other on the eve of graduation.) Let’s dive into episode one, shall we?
- Ooh, I love it when the first caption reads, “Gentle breeze blowing.” You bet it is!
- Hey, it’s 1988! I was negative five years old, not to brag.
- God, there’s just no way to look cool dancing at a party unless you’re Rihanna, is there?
- Are British people really named Biscuit?
- Leo Woodall, a.k.a. Dexter, looks exactly like Flounder (in a hot way).
- Aw, hi, Ambika! Her character’s name is Emma! That’s also my name!
- We love a girl who loves Elizabeth Barrett Browning.
- Kiss!
- Asking a hot college-senior man what his life plan is when you’re about to have sex...don’t do it, Emma! You won’t like the answer!
- As I predicted, she’s not thrilled with his answer of “travel.”
- Emma is from Leeds, which doesn’t mean a ton to me as a stupid American, but I gather Dexter is more posh and entitled? I smell character intrigue!
- Like another Emma before her (me), Ambika-Emma is learning that most guys actually don’t consider it an aphrodisiac when you bitterly insult them.
- I really like Emma’s haircut. Just noting things.
- Sorry to be crass, but are these two...gonna have sex?
- Okay, maybe it’s deeper than that.
- Dexter gets caught trying to walk of shame his way out, which is not cool but is extremely college behavior.
- Blond men are suuuuch bad liars, it’s crazy.
- OMG, a hamburger phone. It really is 1988!
- I hate Dexter’s suspenders with my life, sorry.
- Oh, wow, it’s hike time. An intense hangover activity, to be sure, but I respect it.
- Ugh, Dexter’s friends are at the top of the mountain, and he drops Emma’s hand. Dick!
- Smoking on a hike...you have to respect the ’80s-ness of it.
- Dexter’s parents show up, and he refers to Emma as “just a friend,” which, I mean, they met last night! I’d be hurt too, though.
- Aw, Dexter runs back to get the digits :)
- Oop, flash forward to the next year on the same day, and Dexter and Emma don’t seem to be together, but—call me crazy—I think there’s hope for these two yet.
