Master of None Presents: Moments in Love
netflixServing as one of the first major original Netflix series to drop on the platform, Aziz Ansari and Alan Yang's Master of None captivated audiences with both its incredibly smart comedy and more poignant reflections of the modern human experience. After the second season of the show dropped in early 2017, it seemed like the show had faded into the Netflix algorithm; however, with seemingly no notice or warning, the third season carrying the title Master of None Presents: Moments in Love was announced – immediately marking a drastic change in direction for the show. Switching focus from the highly eclectic Dev (Aziz Ansari) to his best friend Denise (Lena Waithe) as she navigates a relationship with a woman named Alicia (Naomi Ackie) in upstate New York, the plot isn't the only thing to stand out as different within this season of the show.
In fact, it would be near impossible to connect this season with the rest of the show, at least in style. Nearly every piece of the show has been changed and refined which is a bold move. Rather than being a quick-paced comedy with bits and pieces of poignance and emotional devastation, Master of None Presents: Moments in Love becomes a much more serious and artistically driven endeavor. The series has drastically slowed down and thrives in its near-silent and prolonged capturing of human life. Rather than create a colorful world to explore, the series is more concerned with exploring the quiet realism of love and life whether that is positive or negative. Love has been a major source of conflict and purpose within Master of None up to this point, but nothing has come across this mature or well-crafted which speaks to the maturity Aziz Ansari has found behind the camera in the director's chair.
This craft and sheer artistry bleeds not just from the directing but also the cinematography behind the season. Every frame is crafted like a work of art turning a seemingly average middle-class home into a tapestry for drama and passion to collide. These elements come together to give Master of None Presents: Moments in Love a rather venomous sting in the best of ways. The story and emotions being captured here are real and in that there can be both incredible joy and pain found. Both Denise and Alicia are trying to find their ways in life and as various trials and tribulations occur, their relationship is irreparably damaged. The series never allows this to take away the humanity and passion behind these characters. Master of None has always done an exceptional job at highlighting the complexities of life and allowing flaws and mistakes to live within even the most likable of characters.
This emotional power is a sign of multiple great pieces coming together, but one of the largest has to be the show's screenplay written by Aziz Ansari and Lena Waithe. Expanding from their previous writing effort for the show in the episode Thanksgiving, it is clear that Ansari and Waithe have incredibly chemistry and trust in each other to bounce off ideas and personal experiences creating something powerful and authentic. Whilst the focus of Master of None Presents: Moments in Love is rather personal for the majority of the 5-episode season, it is worth celebrating some of the larger areas of conversation with which the season engages with. Specifically when it comes to topics such as LGBTQ+ rights and equity in areas like trying to receive financial support during the process of sperm implantation for the purpose of having a child, Master of None Presents: Moments in Love uses its platform to highlight areas not always thought about or considered when it comes to the living experience of marginalized groups and proves that there still is more work to be done.
Where everything behind the camera is done to a masterful quality, it is what happens in front of the camera that truly brings this story and world to life. Lena Waithe has proven herself to be an incredible talent, both in personality and emotion, during the earlier seasons of the show, but Naomi Ackie immediately proves herself with a breakthrough tour-de-force performance that is thoughtful and potent in the best of ways. Both Waithe and Ackie not only have incredible chemistry together but rise up in their individual moments causing these characters to feel alive. No matter how solid the writing or technical craft of the series was, it is up to them to give it the energy and humanity needed for the series to work and they not only accomplish this but excel at it.
Outside of a handful of awkward moments, such as a small cameo from Aziz Ansari early into the season, it is hard to say Master of None Presents: Moments in Love is anything below a masterpiece. Taking the show into a drastically different direction, Ansari shows a new side of himself that proves he doesn't need comedy or laughs to create something compelling and powerful. Master of None continues to impress and amaze with every new season and one can only hope that more will be on its way sooner rather than later.
