Caution: “One Day” spoilers ahead
“One Day” is a new, heart-wrenching limited series on Netflix. The melancholy story follows Dexter and Emma on the night of their graduation from university in London, where they first meet, and each episode takes place on the same day, July 15, every year following. The series is based on the novel “One Day” by David Nicholls and follows these friends from 1988 to 2007.
Dexter and Emma, played by Leo Woodall and Ambika Mod respectively, go through the highs and lows of life together and eventually fall in love throughout this stunning 14-episode series. But there is a gut-wrenching moment in episode 13 (here comes the spoiler): Emma gets fatally hit by a car while she is riding her bike to meet Dexter for a showing of a house they are planning on purchasing following their marriage. The show is beautifully made to consistently show how little time they have with one another, although they were in each other’s lives for 14 years.
Throughout the series, the two friends are consistently falling prey to miscommunication with one another and the fear that love could possibly ruin their friendship (especially if it is unrequited). They spend much of their time wanting to be with each other but are not quite able to find the right time or place to make it happen. Dexter even gets married and has a child with his long-time girlfriend, Sylvie (Eleanor Tomlinson), before they quickly get divorced a year later. The script was perfectly crafted to foreshadow the unfortunate ending that Emma faces in episode 13, with subtle reminders about Emma’s limited time with Dexter throughout the series. There are some moments where the dialogue hints toward Dexter’s future, but those talks seem to never consist of what Emma’s future will be like as well.
What I found most ironic and intriguing about the story was the stark contrast between Emma’s and Dexter’s life choices and subsequent health. Throughout the series, Dexter is almost constantly smoking a cigarette and eventually gets into show business. This ultimately causes him to become an alcoholic and addicted to harder drugs as time continues, which causes a rift between him and Emma. Quite opposingly, Emma becomes a school teacher and stays far away from any type of alcoholism and addiction.
Theoretically, Emma would have lived a longer life than Dexter because she stayed away from any addictions that could have severely affected her health later on in life. This makes it all the more heartbreaking when she passes because Dexter feels that it should not have been her who died, and he does not know how to live without her. She was one of the only reasons why he stopped drinking and smoking, yet when she dies it all comes rushing back for Dexter and he must work very hard to stay sober and somewhat happy for his daughter Jasmine.
The whole time I was watching this series I was waiting for the shoe to drop, and it eventually fell and stomped right on my heart. This story is a wonderful and stark reminder about the limited time we truly have on Earth and how even spending some of it not being true to ourselves could lead to a lifetime of regret and pain.
Dexter’s and Emma’s story goes to show audiences that they should take leaps and bounds in life and be honest with themselves and those around them. I recommend watching “One Day,” with tissues of course, and then taking Dexter’s and Emma’s advice to live life to the fullest and share it with the people you love most.
