Series Review: One Day At A Time

 I'm so excited about doing this review, because I really loved this show, and wanted to talk about it. So, onto the review.

Creators:  Gloria Calderon Kellett and Mike Royce

Cast: Justina Machado, Todd Grinnell, Isabella Gomez, Marcel Ruiz, Stephen Tobolowsky and Rita Moreno. 

Rating: TV-PG

Summary: One Day At A Time follows three generations of the same Cuban family who live in the same apartment: a newly divorced veteran, her teenage daughter and tween son, and her old-school mother. 

My Thoughts: 

As I mentioned above, I have a lot of thoughts about this series. I would definitely recommend it, if you like sitcoms, or are just looking for something fun and new to watch. 

What I Liked:

-The characters

I love the entire Alvarez family! They're all so great, and each of them brings something different to the show. I like Schneider and Leslie a lot, too. And Syd! Can't forget about them.

-The humor

There are times when I've actually burst out laughing when watching an episode. Some of the jokes don't land, but, most of the time, it's pretty funny.

-The diversity

I looove seeing diversity in movies and shows, and One Day at A Time does it so well. The Alvarez family is Cuban, and there are several LGBTQ+ characters as well [two lesbians, and one non-binary and gay character. I mean, how cool is that. I can't remember seeing any other non-binary characters on TV]. 

-Also, love the way it tackles serious issues [racism, sexism, homophobia, harassment, depression, etc] while still remaining an overall fun and lighthearted show, while not making fun of any of the issues it discusses. That's a pretty hard thing to balance. 

-It's just an overall enjoyable show to watch. You know those shows that are just fun to watch? This is one of those. 

What I Didn't Like:

-The laughtrack. I loathe laugh tracks, and I wouldn't be sorry if they just went away forever.

-Occasionally it can get a little preachy. It's not as bad as with some other shows, so it just shows up occasionally.

Characters:

Penelope Alvarez

Penelope is a veteran and nurse, and....sort of the main character of the show. She isn't my very favorite, but I like her a lot. She's smart and funny and compassionate, and also a really good parent. Her struggles with anxiety and depression seemed very real, which I appreciated. Justina Machado is a really good actress, who does well with both comedy and drama.

Lydia Alvarez

Lydia is Penelope's mom, and is probably my favorite just because she's so dramatic and entertaining. She definitely has a lot of funny moments, but she has some moments where she's more vulnerable, too. I love how she lives life to the fullest, and, also, her and Alex's relationship is great. I also love how, even though she can be critical with the rest of her family, she genuinely loves them.

Elena Alvarez

Elena is Penelope's oldest daughter. She's very nerdy, very awkward, very gay, and very passionate about social justice. Elena is one of those characters that could have been really annoying, but I ended up really liking her. She has so many layers to her character, and she's just really awesome. Also, she's a Buffy fan, so kudos to her.

Alex Alvarez

Alex is another character that had a lot of potential to be annoying, but wasn't. He's the charming, athletic youngest child who'll do practically anything to look cool and get expensive shoes. Still, he's a genuinely nice person, who cares a lot about his family, and I ended up really liking him. 

Schneider

Schneider is the rich landlord, who has decided to make himself an honorary member of the Alvarez family. He has a lot of weird hobbies, and funny moments, but also [like pretty much everyone on the show] some deeper moments that touch on his past as an addict. He's great.

Leslie Berkowitz

Leslie is Penelope's boss, who eventually becomes Lydia's friend. He's a self-proclaimed coward, who worries a lot, has truly horrible kids, and is a genuinely sweet guy. He's not my very favorite, but I like him a lot [also, yes, his actor was on Glee]. 

Syd

Syd isn't really a main character, but I wanted to include them anyway, because they're great. Non-binary representation is pretty rare, which is why I was so excited to see that Syd was non-binary. There's a lot more to them then just that, though. They're quirky, upbeat, compassionate, and even nerdier than Elena [and that's saying something]. I like Syd a lot, mostly because they're so sweet.

Have you seen One Day at a Time? Did you like it? If not, do you want to?