Coming fresh out of PARKS AND RECREATION Azisz Ansari truly puts the original in Netflix original MASTER OF NONE. Before I continue I must be perfectly frank, I like his character in Parks but I have seen snippets of his stand up and, putting it mildly, I found it to be a little lacklustre. So coming into this I was a little tentative and wasn’t really sure what to expect.
Nevertheless, MASTER OF NONE is part of the revitalisation of television train that Netflix is conducting. In a way the show is ‘genreless’ and I would hesitate in calling it a comedy. Watching season one is like watching two and a half indie films and the show is truly lathered with the cerebral musk of indie.
The opening titles alone play out like they could be the start of a Wes Anderson or Tarantino movie and each episode gets its own title song. To add to the indieness of it all, two of the songs are French and the rest are predominantly from the 70s. The music along with the direction gives the show a very cinematic feel.
The cast covers a broad spectrum of race and sexuality and although the series specifically discusses the difficulties for Asian actors the show’s ethnic ensemble does not feel contrived because of this and is a much closer representation of reality because of it. It is ironic that in this day and age scripted shows like MASTER OF NONE are more realistic than the utter tripe that is ‘reality’ programming.
It feels like a very personal project for Ansari, no doubt some of his life experiences have been funnelled into the series. What this creates is a highly intimate, relatable and innovative show.
The narrative structure is very loose and is more like a collage of character conversations ranging from existential musings to awkward banal small talk. The writing is very on point and most of the episodes deal with underrepresented societal truths and highlight the ridiculousness and sometimes the moral complexity of them.
One of the gems of the show is Aziz Ansari’s actual father Shoukath playing his character’s onscreen father Ramesh. He is a hilariously eccentric character to behold and this also bolsters the verisimilitude inherent in the show.
Although the first few episodes can be a little slow and wanting the show really picks up midway into the season and finds its balance, so don’t expect to be wowed straight off the bat. MASTER OF NONE is a must watch if you love indie films or simply if you like well written out of the box television.
Verdict
