Everyone is always looking for their next new show to watch on Netflix, and here is yours. One Day At A Time is as entertaining as it is revolutionary, and here it should be the next series you start binging.
1. The Characters
One of the main characters, Penelope Alvarez, is a Cuban-American war veteran, a mother, and a nurse. The show follows her going through therapy for mental illness, shows her grapple with sexism in the workplace, and always putting herself and her family first.
2. It tackles mental illness and addiction.
Penelope suffers from PTSD as a veteran, as well as anxiety and depression. Schneider, another series regular, struggles with alcoholism and the series shows the Alvarez family supporting him when times get tough.
3. The LBTQ+ Themes
Elena, the daughter of Penelope and the main character, come out as gay. The series did not gloss over the struggles with coming out, it showed how the family grappled with it but ultimately supported her, and how it’s not your fault if some people can’t come to terms with it. Young LGBT+ representation is so important, and this show has it.
4. They have a nonbinary character!
Syd, Elena’s “Syd-nificant other”, identifies as nonbinary, and even though Elena’s family did not understand the different pronouns at first, they quickly learned and used them correctly. This is one of the first shows to have nonbinary representation, and it is so important.
5. It addresses racism.
A scene in the series shows the effects of Alex, Penelope’s son, being called a racial slur. They address living in Trump’s America and they even dive into colorism.
There are so many more reasons on why to watch One Day at A Time, and I highly encourage you to pick it up on Netflix. It’s educational, thoughtful, and will leave you laughing or crying at any given moment.