Master of None, perhaps the "most prestigious" critical hit of the Netflix web channel, is the child of two millennials originating from "fresh" immigrant families. Aziz Ansari, 33, American of Indian origin, who besides stand-up performances is probably best known as the swagger of primadonna from the beloved sitcom Parks And Recreation. Alan Young, also 33, is a Taiwanese-born American who is known to some people as one of the screenwriters of this beloved sitcom. Although most of the writing and interviews make it clear that the Master Of None has been created with their equal contribution, due to the fact that Ansari not only appears in this series, but defacto is the main and only hero in the same, I believe it is justified that we treat Master of None as "more his "accomplishment.
Master of None is a series about Dev Shah, a small New York actor, who is trying to succeed in New York. And when I say I succeed, I think to succeed in business from humiliating auditions for commercials and reach the series and movies, succeed in life that makes twisted friends and unavoidable "social technologies", succeed in love and find the one. All in all, therefore, nothing new. This theme have been tried (and managed) to conjure up dozens of film and television workers. Woody Allen is the most famous among them.
The influence of Woody Allen is visible not only in the powerful multicultural mix of characters, ie actors who make up the world of Ansari and Yang's New York. Dev is just like Woody's alteroego (in most (New York movies)) defensive, talkable, honest, analytical, comical in all aspects of his behavior. However, there are differences.
Created by the millennials, mostly for millennials, and without exaggerated, even visible, intentions to impose itself as such. For example, the first four Girls Season, Lene Dunham (millennial), besides dramatic story of lives of four young New Yorkers, also had very pedagogical and very propaganda moments, which, at the very least, initially made her success. Ansari and Yang absolutely do not intend to place themselves (through the characters of Deva and his friends) or their series as promoters of "something" ("new") or "someone". Master of None, although is not a generational manifest, it is completely organic and not at all "for the sake of something."
Heroes of Master of None, are not cynical, as "those before them". They are "good", honest, warm, curious, happy, open, not too intimate, and completely in harmony with all the available technologies. Their parents are not alienated and rejected (as in the renowned works of "them before", such as Louie or Casual, for example), but dear and close friends, with whom the differences do not overwhelm abruptly and arrogantly, but in the best common interest. Looking at the Master of None (which is an expression that, without saying maliciousness, nicely defines millennials), I got the impression that the millennials are not looking for, nor do they find the "big reactions" that were adorned with "those before them." There is not a lot of drama in them, nor the cause for the same. Life is not only well organized, but it also has a solid reconciliation with the assigned roles and possible ways in which they can be changed or improved. In other words, Dev is aware that if he works hard, he can expect something. And he is not frustrated with obstacles on the road, they are an integral part of that road. Dev does not collapse into turbulent cynicism. He is rather confused about what life offers him.
Master of None at the level of dramaturgy demonstrates the same kind of drama, which is not as dramatic as it 'used to be', in which we witness some kind of moment of what is described by some of the prestigious stand-up comedians as "observational comedy." So, instead of telling us some (ordinary) event from their lives, they play it and upgrade it with their (comical) interpretation.
Authors want to be honest and they do not want to overestimate their (film / dramatic) experience, these things usually get better and more complicated as time goes by. And maybe millennials are not even interested in "story", but more in "state''.
Note: This was my translation from Serbian to English from Before After article 'Tv Gonic: Master of None' by S.Vujanovic
