“One Day” is a show on Netflix that came out February 8, 2024. The show is about how, on graduation night, characters Emma Morley and Dexter Mayhew speak for the very first time then go their separate ways the following morning. Each episode finds Dex and Em (a nickname of hers) one year older. A specific date marks their journey as they grow and change, travel together and apart, and experience joy and grief. There are hard topics talked about on the show including substance abuse, grief, etc. So, please keep that in mind before starting it.
I definitely believe this was a beautifully cinematic love story because it stemmed from one night that changed each of their lives. She never slept with him, instead, they had genuine conversations and he never called his parents since he truly wanted to spend time with her. Their career paths were different but they still supported each other and wanted what was best for one another.
They were two souls that were ironically intertwined, and they continued to get tangled together over the course of 20 years. She wasn’t just another girl to him, she was quite literally his entire story. The portrayal of their emotions, the heartache, and what they were going through was definitely done beautifully. Especially seeing Dexter’s grief and his process of it all was realistic with how it took him time to live his life for Emma. He still wore his wedding ring for her after all those years.
Emma is definitely a very good female protagonist in a love story because she wasn’t grasping for his attention. She knew Dexter was capable of doing more than he was doing, she saw his potential.
We, as viewers, were able to see her love him from a distance as she learned to become the best version of herself. Emma learned to put herself first and take a risk with her career ambition of being a children’s writer.
Dexter always knew he loved her, but he ignored his heart as he was not ready for her. He definitely felt like he wanted to be able to give her the best version of himself. Dexter took many jobs in the entertainment business however, the pressure, environment and outside factors caused him to get into an addiction.
The show presented it really well, especially with Dexter battling his dependency on alcohol. Dexter himself wanted to prove he was more than some posh, rich boy, he wanted to be known as someone who was smart and had potential.
Both Emma and Dexter definitely needed to be older and fully ready for each other. They both had to grow together as friends to be their best selves, especially with what each of them was going through at the time.
If they were together when they were younger, it definitely would not have lasted. They had to go through those phases to actually be able to love like they did in the end.
“One Day’ teaches us that time is the most valuable thing we have. Instead of just talking about all the things we’re going to do, we should actually do them even if it means facing rejection or the possibility of things not working out.
You never know how much time you have with someone, so it is essential to value each day and not take it for granted. As Emma wisely pointed out, “We all have a birthday, but we also have a death day.”
Have you watched One Day? What did you think of the show? Let us know @HerCampusSJSU!