One Day, directed by Molly Manners, is a limited series on Netflix about two students, Dexter and Emma, and their life after university, as they spend the next twenty years moving in and out of each other’s lives. At number one in TV shows in the UK, it is clear that this show has resonated with so many people and has managed to captivate and engage audiences across the country. Depending on the message that struck them the most, many will have a personal connection to the show. Here are the most important lessons we can take from the show and hopefully implement into our lives.
Friendship can be the most crucial foundation for a relationship.
Despite it being clear that there were some romantic feelings throughout the series, friendship kept bringing them back together. An enjoyment of each other’s company was immediately shown, which developed into a powerful bond between the two. They knew so much about each other that the audience, including Dexter and Emma, felt the development of the relationship was very little and hardly changed anything. They already knew how the other person worked and how they worked together, so for the audience, their relationship was the right decision; they were always going to be.
Love is about the right time and other times; it is about creating your own time.
This entire series revolves around time. With each episode taking place on the 15th of July across the years, the audience is constantly confronted with many times the relationship could potentially be more. However, something always gets in the way, whether that be Dexter’s experiences with fame or Emma’s low self-esteem. Either way, it is sometimes frustrating for the audience to see each character’s devotion to one another at the wrong time. The turnaround moment is when Dexter arrives in Paris to find out Emma is seeing someone. At that moment, Emma realises she is in control of her future and has to choose who she wants to be with, so she chooses Dexter. It’s a good reminder that life can be full of complications, but you are what you make of it. It is your life!
Appreciate people in the moment.
Despite their fantastic chemistry, they often took each other for granted in the earlier episodes. When they finally mutually appreciated each other, they had little time to make up for it. Some of the most famous lines are in the last episode: Emma reflects, “I was actually quite gorgeous in my twenties. I didn’t appreciate it at the time.” Dexter replies, “I did.” “Sometimes you did, sometimes you didn’t,” Emma says. This moment of heartbreaking realisation shows Dexter regretting the moments when he didn’t fully appreciate Emma. However, when he did appreciate her, the moments captured the authenticity and love of a relationship. He developed as a character to recognise her value, even if only for a brief time.
Always be your authentic self.
Emma’s character is admirable because her life choices only reflect what she wants to do, not what others want for her. Emma always sticks to her values, which has resulted in her being a successful author. On the other hand, we see Dexter making more money initially; however slowly falls into a downward spiral due to him not being his authentic self and performing activities that are not like him. It is not until he starts his cafe that I believe he feels grounded and proud of himself. The episode in the restaurant was upsetting to watch. I sympathised with Emma, who gradually lost her best friend, and Dexter, who still didn’t know the person he wanted to be. However, this time apart allowed them to realign with themselves and their values, which was best for them—the time apart allowed them to appreciate what they had lost and to be ready for one another.
One Day has really taught many love lessons throughout its series with these only being a few of them. However, if there is anything to take from this series it’s to make the most out of your life and follow your heart, because you never know when things will change.