It might have been a while since I’ve mentioned that I love Netflix… so let me tell you that I love Netflix. There’s plenty of hidden cinematic gems in addition to some great TV shows. Right now, comedian Aziz Ansari’s new comedy series, "Master of None", is the newest thing hitting Netflix that I can’t wait for, and even the critical reviews already out agree that this show is pretty dope (it was even one of our top 5 picks for new TV shows this fall).
Following in the steps of fellow comedians Louis C.K. and Marc Maron, Ansari has created a show with former “Parks and Rec” writer Alan Yang where Ansari plays a hyped up version of himself. Much like C.K.'s and Maron's projects, “Master of None” shows Ansari in a much lower position and status than his actual life. Unlike C.K. and Maron, though, Ansari has gone through a name change as well. In “Master of None” he plays a struggling actor named Dev living in New York City. It may sound like something we’ve heard before, but given the rave reviews and some footage that has been released, I can assure you that this is not quite what you might expect it to be. Before we get any further into this let’s check out the trailer (slightly NSFW):
Pretty funny stuff. I mean, who doesn’t enjoy a love story that starts off with the couple purchasing a Plan B pill together? It’s also good to see current “SNL” actress Noel Wells getting some work outside of her full-time-once-a-week gig. But when it comes to the casting of this show, you may have noticed Ansari speaking to an actor playing his father, who he actually shares a resemblance with. Let me be the first(?) to tell you that some casting director didn’t just miraculously make this casting choice. Believe it or not, that is actually Ansari’s real father, Shoukath Ansari, who has had no prior acting credits to speak of. Really don’t believe that it’s Ansari’s actually father? Here’s Shoukath’s actual employee page from the Sandhills Regional Medical Center, where, despite being on the cusp of a Hollywood career, he has still kept his day job and practices gastroenterology.
In case I haven’t made it clear enough yet, I’m excited about this show. Up until it was released yesterday, there was little to no promotion or plot details available, which to me is a good thing. Part of what has gotten me so into it is the fact that there hasn’t really felt like huge hype-train leading up to its debut with weeks and weeks of waiting. If you are just hearing about “Master of None” right now, then I’m envious of you because you don’t have to wait. So, stop whatever you’re pretending to do right now and check out “Master of None” on your parent’s Netflix account. They’re paying for it for you!
(Screenshot via YouTube)
- Kevin Donaldson, YH Contributing Writer