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Master of None Season 2 |OT| Aziz Ansari's Show Finally Returns (May 12th - Netflix)

Beach

Member
Just finished Season 2. Fantastic. But honestly, Dev's love life is really the worst part of the show. Not to say that its bad, its just that everything else is so good. The New York Episode, the Dads and Thanksgiving were the gems of the season.
 
I didn't like the first season, but this one was great, save for some of the acting.

My take on the ending is that
Firstly, yes it's real. But I think Francesca has mixed feelings. Kind of how Dev explained what lukewarm means. The whole season dealt with indecisiveness,
lack of direction, etc. similar to the themes in season one (the whole percentage game of how sure he and Rachel were over wanting to stay together, for example). I think it was trying to portray how nothing is perfect or black and white.

And damn this season was relatable. I spent the past three months getting attached to a girl while living abroad and we were forced to say goodbye last week. Made me appreciate the show more.
 

Caelus

Member
Broke down crying a bit in the last episode. I like this show but I've been actively avoiding watching a lot of the relationship episodes because it's too relatable or it just reminds me too much of my own self.

I appreciate the representation but maybe this time in my life isn't the best to watch this show. I'll happily recommend it to others though.
 

Grinchy

Banned
I'm 6 episodes in and struggling to continue. It just feels like Aziz watched Louie and said, "I'm going to take the worst aspects of that hit-or-miss show and make a terrible clone!" And I bet he said it while doing that smiley face that he does.

This show sucks.
 

jmood88

Member
I'm 6 episodes in and struggling to continue. It just feels like Aziz watched Louie and said, "I'm going to take the worst aspects of that hit-or-miss show and make a terrible clone!" And I bet he said it while doing that smiley face that he does.

This show sucks.
Good thing no one is forcing you to continue, I suppose.
 

Grinchy

Banned
Episode 7 was good. I guess I just like any episode with a coherent story that just follows Dev. It's when he tries to do the bullshit artsy thing that sucked on Louis that I can't stand watching. It feels like the equivalent of someone putting a green triangle on a white canvas and thinking they've created some deep piece of art that could be discussed for hours. It's just pretentious and annoying.

I also feel like he employs too many terrible actors. I get that he's going for a representation angle, but if you put horrible actors on the screen, the point doesn't really come across well. I love his dad on the show, though. No amount of bad acting from him can ruin that incredible gem.
 
I watched all of the episodes and I did not enjoy the show as much as others here. This is mainly because Dev's personality is grating to me. IMO he is trying hard to be funny, and just try-hard in general. His only non-annoying interactions are mainly with Francesca, when they have chemistry together. The love story is nothing special. the story of family accepting a gay child has been done better before. The cinematography looks good, but it also seems forced. Dev's friends are cool, and I am glad they are not 1-dimensional, but it doesnt save it for me. I enjoy some 'slice of life' movies and series, but this wasn't good or quality to me, and it felt like work to get through.
 
I watched all of the episodes and I did not enjoy the show as much as others here. This is mainly because Dev's personality is grating to me. IMO he is trying hard to be funny, and just try-hard in general. His only non-annoying interactions are mainly with Francesca, when they have chemistry together. The love story is nothing special. the story of family accepting a gay child has been done better before. The cinematography looks good, but it also seems forced. Dev's friends are cool, and I am glad they are not 1-dimensional, but it doesnt save it for me. I enjoy some 'slice of life' movies and series, but this wasn't good or quality to me, and it felt like work to get through.
I do notice that, but I felt it was done to make his character seem like it's alway trying to fit in.

Why does the cinematography feel forced?

Its funny you bring it up that way, because while watching the show I did feel that some of the shots were too intense. But they were more like series of homages.. ?

I don't think the show is flawless, but I'm obviously trying to defend it here haha.


On another note, my friend and I were discussing the last few episodes last night and how the show ended. Personally, I loved how it ended, my friend thinks it changed tone too much.
 
I can't stop thinking about how good this season was. I'm pretty sure it ends up at least in my top 5 and likely my top 3 for the year. I'm really happy i decided to finish s1 last month after thinking it wasn't that good when it came out.
 

Hubbl3

Unconfirmed Member
Just finished season 2. Man, it was so much better than the first season! I think
Thanksgiving
was probably my favorite episode. And good lord,
Francesca's accent and eyes won me over every time she popped on screen

Dev's dad and Lawrence were probably my favorite characters, haha
 
Decided to finally watch the last two episodes. 9 was a struggle for me. I had to do it in two sessions, but I found a little bit of entertainment. The
heart being ripped out scene made me go like "WHAT?" The show suddenly became gorey. The effects were good too.
Still feel the same way about Dev's relationship with that girl. In episode 10 I did really enjoy all the stuff not involving her. I couldn't deal being in that situation.

Still, Thanksgiving is the best episode with Religion behind it, then New York, and First Date after that.
 

v1lla21

Member
^^ yup, felt the same way. Great show nonetheless but fucking about with someone who's married is some lowlife shit.
 

GatorBait

Member
Decided to finally watch the last two episodes. 9 was a struggle for me. I had to do it in two sessions, but I found a little bit of entertainment. The
heart being ripped out scene made me go like "WHAT?" The show suddenly became gorey. The effects were good too.

This part had me laughing so hard because it was totally unexpected and so tonally different than the rest of the entire show. It feels like it doesn't belong in the show at all, but it worked for me.
 

M52B28

Banned
I was never fond of Aziz Ansari, but this show is amazing.

I'm finishing up the second season as I write this. I really wish I started watching this earlier, but better late than never.

^^ yup, felt the same way. Great show nonetheless but fucking about with someone who's married is some lowlife shit.
Well, he had done it before in the earlier episodes. If read into, infidelity is something that is prevalent in so many relationships, and it goes beyond a sexual level.

Reading about it, I can understand why people do it, but it does leave me feeling bad for the person being cheated on.

This show is just great, though.
 
Just finished episode 6. This season is ridiculously good so far. The second sequence of "New York, I Love You" was absolutely beautiful.

EDIT: Finished season 2 last night. I honestly think that might have been the best single season of television I've ever watched.
 

Doosi

Banned
great show and season

but is there anyone rooting for dev?

he pulled off some pretty messed up shit

he should have nipped it in the bud instead of pursuing it

love addict?
 

Drakken

Member
Just finished episode 6. This season is ridiculously good so far. The second sequence of "New York, I Love You" was absolutely beautiful.

EDIT: Finished season 2 last night. I honestly think that might have been the best single season of television I've ever watched.

Yeah, (slowly) making my way through season 2 now, and thoroughly enjoying it. That ep in particular was beautiful. Really glad to have this show back in my life.
 

Creamium

shut uuuuuuuuuuuuuuup

Great interview. From his perspective I can see why 'when's season 3?' could get annoying because Master of None is obviously a passion project. Every episode is very personal and he needs to be inspired to do it. It's refreshing to hear him say that he's just willing to enjoy life and doesn't feel the need to work when he's not inspired, pretty relatable.

I've also stopped using most social media a while ago, only check Twitter sometimes. I've come to see it more as a poison than anything else. I can't do a full internet blackout quite yet, but I have taken more distance recently and it feels pretty good.
 

big ander

Member
Finally watched season 2 over the last couple weeks.
About even with season 1—higher highs, but lower lows. The new york stories episode is super bland, and the episode with Brian's dad's dates is simply aimless. But the dinner party episode, Thanksgiving, the Italian wedding, and the first dates were all quality. The Dinner Party especially.
And then the final two episodes. I didn't see going into Amarsi un po' that it was double length; I checked one time to see how much was left and saw over 50 minutes had passed when I expected under 30 had. That I didn't feel the extended length at all shows just how electric Dev and Francesca's chemistry is. I love Noel Wells and was bummed she wasn't going to be in this season (though using the email/text communication with her in the first few episodes was done super well,
and the cameo was heartbreaking
), but their emotional fling was every bit as romantic as Dev and Rachel's mornings and trip to Nashville.

The final episode's chef jeff stuff was handled about as smartly and realistically as it could be—Dev isn't a hero, but mostly does the right thing, but also handles the situation really badly when it blows up, but also couldn't really have been expected to do anything more after talking with Lisa. Far more valuable as merely one domino toppling to make Dev feel lost and alone. The finale gave Francesca a full platform to pierce Dev's fantasy of what their relationship would be, to express exactly why this was such a hard situation for her, which was long overdue. Best of all was the ending. I know screengrab detectives have Definitively Proven that it's a jump forward but the construction of the shots—the cut to black on Fran, the windows looking just like the blizzard night, the matched blocking with different clothes and no ring—could still signal it as being a fantasy, and absolutely signal purposeful ambiguity. A beautiful ambiguity reminiscent of Before Sunrise/Sunset. I guess I can understand people wanting to "solve" that but...why not live with it? Is it that hard to see the pleasure of not knowing? In the age of fan theories and headcanons I've gotten somewhat used to this. nonetheless seeing such a beautiful and ambitious ending to a season being approached like a puzzle is deflating—though only slightly so, and not enough to spoil how much I was impressed by it.

I'm glad that the plan is for season 3 to come years from now after Ansari and/or Yang have settled down or moved into a new phase in life. I can imagine something on the Before tip, dropping us into Dev's long term relationship or marriage or family with Francesca—or Rachel, or Sara, or somebody we haven't even met before (like Man Seeking Woman season 3). Two great seasons of tv have given them enough goodwill for a hiatus.
 

daemissary

Member
Big props to Aziz for not just cashing in. I'd much rather wait years and years for an inspired 3rd season than the alternative. There are way too many B+ TV shows out there and I don't need another one, take your time and continue making an A.
 

RedAssedApe

Banned
Lttp but damn this was another great season.

The standalone episodes that didn't focus on the main relationship story arc were my favorite.

Thanksgiving, religion, the one where they jump through random people in ny. That dialogue with his new female Hindi friend was awful though. if you hated Denise or thought some of the acting was bad in s1 she's worse. Warmed up to Denise after the thanksgiving episode. As every standalone episode revolving around a friend gives context as opposed to them just being "hey I'm devs quirky friend"

Not sure how I feel about Him and Francesca though. Yeah she was super charming but man it was hard to root for that relationship for obvious reasons. But I suppose it would be too easy if it were just a Richard link later situation. Something bout them french girls. Lol
 

Renkax

Member
What a wonderful season . Probably my favorite of the year so far ! Every time Francesca gets screen time is a delight. Some of dev's emotions really struck home to me . Got me in the feels ! Will always recommend this allora show. The Italian music was perfectly placed . 🎉
 

Creamium

shut uuuuuuuuuuuuuuup
What a wonderful season . Probably my favorite of the year so far ! Every time Francesca gets screen time is a delight. Some of dev's emotions really struck home to me . Got me in the feels ! Will always recommend this allora show. The Italian music was perfectly placed . 🎉

It's tv perfection. I don't care if the next season takes 4 years, he can take all the time he needs for all I care.
 
https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2017/08/lena-waithe-interview/538431/

“I don’t want life to be hard for you,” a mother, played by Angela Bassett, says to her daughter Denise after learning her child is gay in the Master of None episode, “Thanksgiving.”

“It is hard enough being a black woman in this world. Now you want to add something else to that?” Lena Waithe, who plays Denise, read for the role when the character was supposed to be a straight childhood friend to the main character, Dev (Aziz Ansari). Soon after casting Waithe, though, the co-creators Ansari and Alan Yang ditched the character’s background for one based on some of her real-life experiences. hat decision—to have Denise reflect Waithe’s identity as a queer black woman—led to Waithe being asked to co-write “Thanksgiving,” which went on to become one of Master of None’s most praised storylines.

Following her performance on the second season of Master of None, Waithe is now producing her own drama series on Showtime, The Chi, about a handful of black men on the South Side of Chicago, where she’s from, and developing a pilot about her experience living in Los Angeles in her 20s.

There's more from the article that talks about her personal life and her career in tv and film. She's also nominated for an Emmy this year.
 
Just want to say that the episode "New York, I love you" is an absolute masterpiece.

I was enjoying this season a lot more than the first one, specially the Italy episodes, the app dating one and every single bit with Francesca (she's adorable and they have great chemistry), but this episode just blew me away.
There's something about the direction and dialogue in this show that really strikes a chord with me, it feels more real and grounded than most shows. The second half of this episode is pure perfection. What other shows can pull something as confident as having no sound for this long? Or make the main characters only appear for 2min in an episode?
Of all the modern shows about love as a young adult and leaving in a big city, this is the one that "gets it" the most, or at least is better at representing it on screen.

Also, the Vengabus is coming!
 

big ander

Member
on that note are his standup specials on netflix good? there are three of them.

Live at MSG sucks. I've never watched Dangerously Delicious but I listened to the album a bunch when it released, good stuff. Buried Alive is decent from what I remember
 
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