Netflix recently released “Dash and Lily”, an 8-episode series starring Midori Francis and Austin Abrams. The stars play two teens looking for love during the Christmas season. The series is based on a book written by Rachel Cohn and Dan Levithan, which was released in 2010. I remember enjoying reading the book when I was in middle school, so I was extremely excited when I saw that it was made into a show.
The story revolves around Dash, a lonely teen who despises Christmas, and Lily, a hopeless romantic who looks forward to the Christmas season all year long. Despite their differences, the two teens share a love for reading. One day, Lily decides to leave a notebook filled with riddles and clues hidden on the shelves of a local bookstore. It’s not long until Dash stumbles upon the notebook and starts decoding her clues. The pair start communicating with each other through the notebook, passing along messages and dares for the other to do and challenging each other to step outside of their comfort zones.
“Dash and Lily” is the perfect watch for the Christmas season. It takes place in New York City and is the perfect winter atmosphere for a romantic comedy. Although the show was sometimes filled with cringey moments and unrealistic plotlines, it’s lighthearted and will have you looking forward to the next episode. The show should also be praised for its diverse cast. A wide range of minorities were represented, including the LGBTQ+ community. Additionally, despite the show’s cutesy premise, it took the time to acknowledge and explore a lot of serious issues. Dash and Lily both struggled with their self-confidence at times. Lily found herself struggling to fit in with other girls her age and both teens also had their own familial issues going on.
All considered, if you’re a fan of romantic comedies and want to get into the holiday spirit, I would definitely recommend watching “Dash and Lily”. Rachel Cohen and David Levithan have actually published three books total about Dash and Lily’s journey, so keep an eye out for new seasons of the show in the future. Watch the first season now on Netflix!