One Day Tells A Devastatingly Beautiful Love Story
Emma Morley (Ambika Mod) and Dexter Mayhew (Leo Woodall) meet on July 15, 1988, the night of their graduation, in Netflix’s One Day. It is that night that they speak for the very first time, and change the course of their lives forever. The next morning, the duo go their separate ways but they never feel quite severed from one another. Spoilers ahead.
It is not to be ignore that this series is based on the best selling book by David Nicholls. The structure of the series follows that of the book, with every episode or chapter finding the two a year older. Each year viewers get to see where Dex and Em are on the 15th of July as their lives change, they grow, and experience the progress of living both in joy and heartbreak.
Leo Woodall's performance was an incredible feat. From his slimy character in The White Lotus, the actor has come a long way with this series serving as his official breakout role. While Ambika Mod has a few other acting credits under her belt, One Day is undoubtedly the highlight of her career thus far.
There have been many comparisons to Hulu’s adaptation of Sally Rooney’s Normal People in theme, but for me it was the performances that made me reminiscent of the Irish love story. Having both the main characters not be well known actors served the story so well, allowing viewers to really fall into the emotions and experiences of Dex and Em. Much like Paul Mescal, Woodall gave a heartbreaking performance that will be worthy of conversation for a long long time. Ambika Mod has a beautiful way of delivering lines that comes across as witty, sarcastic, and loving all at once. The two had fantastic chemistry and banter that pulls you in from the first episode, leaving you only wanting more.
The annual jump in each episode allows the storytelling to progress quickly without being rushed. Each episode we get a glimpse into Dex and Em’s lives, sometimes a deep dive into one, opposed to both. These characters grow, develop, and learn much like all of us, but there’s this common string of what if? These two weave in and out of each others lives and depicts the realistic struggle of growing apart and coming together. There’s an intensely human element to this series as we all have relationships we hold on to, even if it seems there will be no future in it. The series capitalizes on hope.
Dexter is this easy going and confident person, who after college seems to loose his way a bit. He had lived a privileged life up until then, and when left to make his own decisions, he is paralyzed by the endless possibilities. As he tries to figure it out, he is derailed by the death of his mother and spirals into a hole of alcohol and drug abuse, distancing himself from his loved ones. After a few years, and no contact with Em, Dex seems to get his life back on track by getting engaged and having a baby. When his marriage falls apart not soon after, he is left feeling like he failed, once again finding his way back to Emma. It isn’t until then that the two truly feel they are ready to commit to one another after years of back and forth. Their relationship really solidifies what it means to love someone unconditionally. The two never falter in their love, it just gets a little lost at times. Dex has this really wonderful character development that leads him back to Emma, but in the end he realizes just how much time he wasted on the wrong things, and not being honest with her about his feelings.
Emma Morley is a realist at heart with a author’s creative mind. She lives much of her life in her mind while trying to make all the ‘right’ decisions. This is apparent after her and Dex’s first meeting when she says she doesn’t expect anything with him, while secretly hoping they will end up together. While Dex seems to fall into things seamlessly, Emma tries her hardest to fight for opportunities and force relationships. In her pursuit of perfection, she loses sight of what she really wants and who she really is. Once Emma allows herself to fall whole heartedly for Dex, she is able to experience true happiness.
In episode thirteen, Dex suffers the devastating loss of Emma in an accident. When it seemed like the two were finally going to have their happy ending, their life together was put to a halt. A grief stricken Dex once again resorts to alcohol, landing himself back into the arms of his father. The series once again poses the question: is it better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all? A year after Em’s death, all of her friends reunite at Dex’s home to support him through the tough day, even her ex-boyfriend who revealed he drove over three hours to see him. Dex finally feels what it’s like to be unconditionally supported and knows how to navigate loss this time.
Though One Day does have a tragic ending for Emma, it magnifies an important theme that many forget in their day to day lives. We don’t know how long we have ourselves or with our loved ones. Tell people how you feel. Viewers are able to see themselves in both of the characters, making this such a compassionate watch. One of the best lines is from Emma on their first day together where she tells Dex, “I don’t want to be a footnote in the story of your life.” Little did Emma know in that moment, that she would be the entire story of Dex’s life. One Day beautifully explores the stories that bind us and the love that finds us.
One Day is streaming on Netflix.
