Master of None

A satisfying mix of hilarious characters, a dedication to social relevancy, heartbreaking and heart-mending storylines and a refreshing pursuit of creativity make Master of None season 2 one of the absolute best shows on Netflix or anywhere else for that matter.

It is a work of art that connects both moment to moment, many of which are as funny as anything I’ve seen on TV this year, and something that works as a comprehensive whole.

Stylistically and thematically adventurous, Master of None continually shifts tone and focus, with no two episodes alike. ... Dev may not yet mastered life, but there's no doubt Ansari has mastered his craft. [15-28 May 2017, p.16]

What’s different about the second season of Master of None is a greater sense of auteurish confidence--a willingness to allude to movies, to toy with linear storytelling, and to artfully frame shots. ... That kind of playfulness and risk-taking wends in and out of the season with the kind of assurance usually seen in the work of more experienced TV and movie makers.

Great start to the much-anticipated second season.

Who needs a continuing plot arc when the characters are so beautifully defined and performed? Master is among the most character-driven shows on TV, and we’re the better for it. The laughter comes easy on our part, but there’s a lot of hard, smart work being done to make the show feel so effortless and naturalistic.

The new batch of Master of None episodes is on my short list for scripted show of the year. ... Season two hones the show’s distinct cultural vision and adds stylistic heft.

The breadth of season two is much wider, as is the depth. Ansari and Yang are trying so many more things, and succeeding far more often than you might expect even after that wonderful debut.

A bittersweet valentine, a timely fable about cultural character, Master of None is rich entertainment powered by Ansari’s increasing mastery of his art, his artistic hunger, and the wisdom and skill of his collaborators.

Ansari excels as a tortured soul, while Dev subverts stereotypes about the onscreen allure of tall, dark (read: white), and handsome romantic leads by building one of the most honest, moving, and unpredictable love stories in recent memory.

Season two of Master of None is expanding its comprehension of what it can be, the depth of its many side characters and, most importantly, continuing to be unpredictable and true to itself.

Creative risks abound--and more often than not, they pay off.

Master of None is keen to integrate this niche experience [first-generation immigrants] with the wider world, which is not hard in this nation of immigrants. It makes for a particularly moving second installment of Dev’s wanderings through the world, asking always the immigrant’s sad and beautiful and perpetual question: “Who am I going to decide to be?”

Master of None seems to have perfected its recipe for success: it will make you laugh, think and crave a plate of pasta.

The second [season] features a number of self-contained episodes that are essentially extended vignettes, investigating Dev’s universe but only tangentially related to the season’s overall narrative. These diversions are among the most imaginative and insightful episodes of the season, and provide a balance to the series that was previously missing. Cultural commentary is no longer incidental to romance comedy.

Season 2 isn’t anchored to any plot thread at all. Sure, the self-contained episodes are fun, but eventually, I wanted to see Dev progress a little, to develop as a character from one episode to the next. ... The subtle joys of Master of None more than make up for any minor structural quibbles.

This batch demonstrates that Master Of None finds just as much inspiration from the people surrounding Ansari. That’s where the root of the Francesca problem lies. For everything Alessandra Mastronardi invests in the role, she’s playing an invention surrounded by lived experiences. There’s nothing wrong with a little fantasy, but it clashes with the entertaining way in which Master Of None reflects its creators’ realities.

It has a lovely lyrical wandering quality about it. This year, there are probably more smiles than laughs. The humor is less jokey and more organic (keeping with the food motif). The episodes are more themed than plotted, mostly a series of interconnected vignettes. Characters drop in and out.

A thoroughly enjoyable if less impressive second season.

Even if Master of None‘s second season isn’t as immediately thrilling as the series’ inaugural season at first, there is a personal element to everything that happens to Dev and his social circle, a clear knowledge that other people can indeed be hell but they also often offer levity, comfort, and understanding that is neither amplified nor diminished with the introduction of a good data plan.

Simply put, it’s a show long on style, hitting all the right aesthetic tones, but with enough substance and intimacy to allow Ansari and his co-creator Alan Yang to indulge in deliberately tailored visual flights of fancy.

Ansari clearly wants to explore a wider bandwidth of emotion in the new season of Master of None. His far-reaching efforts to achieve this are admirable, if not always effective.