Netflix’s One Day never quite manages to land a true emotional sucker-punch
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Bishop Swithun was born in Anglo-Saxon Hampshire around 800 and was not a typical hero. Despite not slaying dragons or driving snakes out of Ireland, he became a folk hero and was given his own sainthood and name-day. St Swithun's Day, celebrated on July 15th each year, has a special significance in One Day, a new romance series on Netflix that follows the quest for love and understanding between two unconventional lovers. It serves as a central point in the show's storyline.
Dexter, also known as Dex, is a classic example of a wealthy and charming man who loves to be around other people, especially women. Emma, on the other hand, is a bit more reserved and intellectual, originally from the Northern region of the country. They first interact with one another on their last day at Edinburgh University and appear to be an odd match. While undressing, Emma asks Dex what his life plan is, and he only envisions traveling the world without any attachment. Emma finds this surprising and asks if that's his future plan - to constantly be on vacation. Nevertheless, their future together turns out to be even more intricate, and we get to witness it firsthand. From the year they both graduated in 1988 to the 2000s, they meet up on the 15th of July every year, which is believed to represent the onset of a prolonged rainy season. Their connection, which is part friendship and partially romantic, is renewed each year in this manner.
Emma believes that conversations are the epitome of sexiness, and this sentiment is shared by the show's creator, Nicole Taylor. Adapted from David Nicholls' bestselling novel, Taylor is aware that the allure of unrequited love pales in comparison to the looming possibility of mutually unfulfilled love. Many great TV shows, such as The Office or Gilmore Girls, manage to captivate their audiences by delaying the actual moment of physical intimacy until it becomes unbearable for the characters and viewers alike. The journey of Dex and Emma is a tumultuous one, with both of them getting involved in separate romantic relationships that seldom overlap. The satisfaction of their eventual convergence is magnified by the difficulties they had to overcome to reach that point. Emma playfully jokes about whether they are rushing into things, as their paths start to align.
The book, One Day, not only deals with love being close or far, but also touches on the conflict between privilege and purpose. In the story, Dex possesses the former but lacks the latter while Emma is the opposite. Alison, played by Essie Davis, portrays Dex's mother whose luxurious carefree lifestyle is suddenly interrupted by terminal cancer. Dex, on the other hand, spends his youth aimlessly, going from backpacking to partial fame as a TV presenter. Meanwhile, Emma, with her straightforward determination, sets her sights on becoming a writer. "Happiness comes from having a purpose, my dear," said Alison. "You've had a lot of luck." Unfortunately, luck is in short supply, and the characters' destinies suggest that good fortune may not always be on their side.
In the TV show called The White Lotus, Woodall played a role where he buried his face in Tom Hollander’s buttocks. However, in his current role as Dex, he is a charismatic character who combines an impish grin with the melancholic eyes of a dog begging for scraps. Mod, who rose to prominence for her performance in the BBC’s This Is Going to Hurt, is also a delightful presence in the show. She offsets Emma’s fragile and delicate nature with her bold and assertive demeanor. Although they have some chemistry together, their connection doesn't sizzle like that of Paul Mescal and Daisy Edgar-Jones in Normal People, where two young people fall in and out of love. Even though both actors convincingly play the roles of people in their twenties and thirties, they seem to have barely aged throughout the series. In one scene, Dex jokingly comments about his apparent weight gain in 2003 while looking in the mirror, when in fact, he still has his beach-ready young physique.
Netflix's 14-episode series seems to have been specifically created to match the complicated structure of Nicholls' novel, in contrast to the 2011 movie adaptation featuring Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess. The series' music selection ranges from Frankie Knuckles to Sweet Female Attitude, with each episode taking us through the years with Dex and Emma. Despite exploring their relationship in more depth, the show falls short of delivering the same emotional gut-punch as the novel. Anyone looking for a tearjerker will find the show focused on the struggles of early career life and lacking the sweeping, romantic themes of the original story.
The characters of Woodall and Mod appear in the book 'One Day'.
Netflix is betting on "One Day" being popular among viewers who enjoy emotional romance novels written by Colleen Hoover, despite the English style being a bit restrained. The characters Dex and Emma are treated with care, providing them with ample time to explore their relationship on an emotional level. Although the conclusion lacks a dramatic punch, the ending still carries a bittersweet poignancy as young love fades into the sunset.
