When I first was told about Master Of None, I assumed the title was a pun on the many talents of lead actor and creator, Aziz Ansari. While this is technically true, I’ve come to appreciate Ansari and co-creator Alan Yang on a level that is much closer to mastery than the title would have you believe. Master Of None is brilliant, funny and beautiful both in its aesthetics and its message. Following the life of actor Dev Shah (played by Ansari) and his friends, Master Of None articulates life for someone like Ansari (or co-creator Alan Yang), an experience with which the general populace know nothing about. The show dwells upon the recurring theme of living life in someone else’s shoes. While the show’s humble creators would have you believe they’re just trying their hand at the trades of entertainment, I assert they’ve earned their Masters Of Woke Edutainment.
Woke Seinfeld
Whether learning about the lack of Indian men in media (S01E04 - Indians On TV), or the stereotypes facing asian men in the dating world, or what it is like to grow up female, black, and gay in America (S02E08 - Thanksgiving) Master Of None is at its best when it is both entertaining and educating, walking a comedic line much like that of Last Week Tonight or The Daily Show. Stylistically, this focus on the everyday is one that reminds of Seinfeld, however Master Of None is definitely about something -- it’s about waking up, both culturally and socially. Waking up to see, learn from, and understand a life different from that of the traditional television family. Whether through the central narrative or within full-episode video essays, Master Of None has a way of educating both its characters and its viewers, relating them to their audience in a way that is informative and never preachy.
Episodes like “New York, I Love You,” “Thanksgiving” and “Religion” are masterpieces themselves, yet placed into the context of the entire series they stand out as crown jewels among the gold standard of television this year. And while the acting itself isn’t likely to grab the attention of award shows, there is likely more gold headed the way of Yang and Ansari, who have already earned an Emmy for their work in season one. With another fresh season full of real stories, raw comedy, and quirky jokes, Master Of None has positioned itself at the forefront of diverse, intelligent television once again, and I believe viewers are all better off for it.