After finishing One Day, the new limited series the internet is currently raving (and bawling) about — my boyfriend poignantly commented — tears streaming down both our cheeks, “The difference between this and The Notebook is that The Notebook was sad but touching, this is just sad.” And that just about sums up the ending of One Day on Netflix. A few days earlier, after coming home to my roommates quite literally wailing in our living room, I was convinced I couldn’t watch the show, but, of course, I caved. And, though I did indeed bawl at the end of the series, I also found myself a little frustrated and unsatisfied by the abrupt ending, which felt almost like a cop-out. Here’s why (spoilers ahead, beware):
Each of the twelve episodes of the show follows Dexter and Emma, sometimes overlapping and sometimes misses, every July 15 since the day they met at graduation in 1988 until 1999. We watch Dexter and Emma “grow up together:” We experience the highs and lows of their lives, whether it’s in their careers or in their relationships. Though life circumstances and Dexter’s tendency towards self-sabotage prevent the pair from becoming romantically involved for most of the series, by the last few episodes, they finally make it work; to put it simply, Dexter declares his love for Emma, who thinks she “finally got rid” of him. Dexter responds, “I don’t think you can,” and it’s almost happily ever after for an episode or so.
Until, less than a year into their marriage, Emma is suddenly hit by a reckless driver while biking through London to visit a house she and Dexter are planning to buy. The tragedy is so sudden it’s almost confusing. The series finale features Dexter struggling to cope in 2003 and 2004, turning to self-destructive alcohol abuse to cope with Emma’s death. The episode concludes with Dexter seemingly coming to terms with Emma’s death in 2007, reminiscing about his memories with Emma while visiting Edinburgh (where they met) with his daughter Jasmine.
There’s no doubt that the ending of the series is devastating: it is. But was Emma’s death necessary? Not only does it seem abrupt and unlikely, but it seems to be more of a plot device to develop Dexter’s character than a conclusion honoring the relationship of both characters, which feels like it should be the intention of the series.
Throughout the entire series, Emma worries whether she is simply a side character to Dexter’s main, a sturdy person for him to fall back upon when he is struggling or when things do not go as planned for him. And her worries ring true throughout. The series focuses on Dexter’s trauma (which is plenty): his struggle to cope with his mother’s death, his divorce (and his wife cheating on him with his friend from college), and the destruction of his career and his fall into financial distress. There is little development regarding Emma’s personal journey beyond her relationship with Dexter. Even when she finally becomes an author and moves to Paris, “finding someone,” she immediately breaks up with her boyfriend for Dexter. Just when the two finally both find a happy ending, and the audience gets some insight into one of Emma’s personal struggles (her distress over not being able to become pregnant), she dies. Her death, of course, is the ultimate tragedy to Dexter, and the conclusion of the series puts Dexter, rather than their relationship, at the forefront. Though Emma briefly returns as a ghost, seemingly comforting Dexter that his sadness over her death will pass, the emphasis is not on their relationship but on Dexter finally learning how to cope with grief.
Emma’s abrupt death, then, frames her as an instrument to develop Dexter’s character. The audience feels less for Emma and her tragic end than for Dexter and his inability to cope because there is such minimal insight into her personal journey — that is, in contrast to Dexter, whose relationships with his father and late mother, his ex-wife, and his daughter are all explored. Though Emma says she doesn’t want to be a “footnote” in Dexter’s life, the show frames her as one nonetheless.
The sense of imbalance is somewhat uncomfortable, especially with Emma being recast as POC, with Ambika Mod playing her in the show (versus Anne Hathaway in the original movie adaptation). Her family is not on-screen at all, and though she does tell Dexter her mother is Hindu and her father is Catholic, we know little about her cultural background, which could have provided a backstory for why she is initially insistent on “chang[ing] the world” and calls Dexter’s dad a “bourgeoisie fascist.” We see little exploration of Emma’s struggles as a person of color in Britain, though she does hint at Dexter’s privilege multiple times as an upper-class, attractive white man. Further exploration of her character could have created a greater balance in the characters’ relationship in the show and rendered her death more impactful. Instead, the ending of the show privileges Dexter and shadows Emma.
Nonetheless, One Day is a beautiful show. Perhaps one of the most beautiful shows I’ve seen in years. The acting (of both Ambika Mod and Leo Woodall, as well as the rest of the cast) is absolutely incredible. The cinematography is stunning and makes the viewer feel like they are right there with the characters. But it definitely could have benefitted from delving deeper into Emma’s personal life and internal development beyond her relationship with Dexter. We see her evolve into an independent, brave, immensely strong and talented young woman throughout the show. She deserved to be more than a “footnote” in Dexter’s life.