**WARNING: contains minor spoilers**
Growing up as a Latina, or more specifically, a Cubana, in the United States, it has been extremely rare for me to come across any form of media that resonates with my culture today. The only exception would probably be the CW’s Jane the Virgin, which is centered in my Hispanic-driven hometown of Miami. But even then, Jane and the Villanuevas are Venezuelan—not Cuban—and trust me, there is a vast difference between the two.
The fate of my culture-television connection changed in 2017 when Netflix officially picked up One Day at a Time, a Cuban-American reboot of the 1975–1984 sitcom of the same name. Honestly, I jumped on the ODAAT bandwagon when its second season was released on January 26, 2018—and it changed my life forever.
The show depicts the dynamism of los Cubanos effortlessly; between the Cafecito that’s prepared every morning to matriarchal figures losing their composure when their children ask to sleep over another person’s home, the current Cuban-American dynamic is portrayed to a T (and that’s coming from personal experience).
There have been rumors floating around the web about the sitcom not being picked up for a third season since Netflix has yet to release a statement. In the meantime, you should binge-watch the celebrated show and see for yourself why it deserves a third season. Here are at least five good reasons why everyone should watch ODAAT—not just Cuban-Americans like myself.
Let’s get into it, shall we?
1. The show centers around a healthy, diverse Cuban-American family.
The show focuses on Penelope, a veteran single mom dealing with PTSD, her two kids Alex and Elena, and her traditional Cuban mother and ex-salsa instructor, Lydia. Their landlord, Schneider, is also present in their family dynamic. They all build healthy, endearing relationships between each other.
2. Serious issues are covered consistently.
The modern re-imagination of the sitcom has been celebrated by viewers everywhere as it tackles important issues such as immigration, mental illness (depression, anxiety, and PTS to name a few), sexism, homophobia, and racism that Latinos face in a Trump-era United States.
one day at a time manages to cover issues of racism, colorism, homophobia, sexism, gender identity, mental illness, culture and identity, and so on, and still be hilarious and wholesome in every episode. please watch this show pic.twitter.com/aUXR78V7Ia
— ? (@bleuvaIentine) January 27, 2018
One of the show’s main characters, Elena, is a “social justice warrior” who has an inspiring coming-out story in the series. One of her love interests is non-binary and goes by the pronouns they/them.
3. It’s hilarious.
While showrunner and writer Gloria Calderón Kellett touches on the serious issues previously mentioned, she balances them out impeccably with comedic punchlines. The personalities of each character are developed effortlessly, and each one has at least one loveable quality about them. There is not one character I dislike… well, maybe except that bobo Scott.
4. EGOT legend Rita Moreno stars as Lydia.
RITA MORENO—a living legend and one of only 12 EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony) recipients portrays one of the most delightful characters in television history. The 83-year-old West Side Story alum stars as Lydia, the traditional Cuban grandmother who can be unbearable at times, yet we all know and love. Lydia isn’t just Alex and Elena’s abuelita, she’s America’s abuelita now. If that isn’t reasonable enough, I don’t know what is.
5. Penelope’s boy toys.
This doesn’t even need an explanation. Take a look for yourself.
If you have a subscription, you can stream One Day at a Time on Netflix.
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