One Day at a Time is a comedy-drama tackling real-life issues such as acceptance, love, diversity, and oppression.
The show, a reboot of a 1970s sitcom, first aired in 2017 and has only four seasons; three of them can be streamed on Netflix, and the last season airs on PopTv.
The first season covers the everyday lifestyle of a single Cuban-American mom, Penelope Alverez, who is raising her two kids, Elena and Alex Alverez, with her widowed mother, Lydia Alverez, while their white landlord, Schneider, tries to fit in as a part of their family. The second season really goes into depth about Elena’s coming out story and the oppression the women in the Alverez family go through as women of color.
This series is a comforting show as it not only makes viewers feel like they are a part of the family, but also gives them a sense that they’re not alone in this world. Elena’s experiences in finding her identity and Schneider’s character development in becoming a less oppressive rich white guy make the show intriguing, while also helping to open eyes to the reality of society today.
The show highlights how people can change while also giving the sense that the world is not a perfect place.
The series does a phenomenal job at portraying diverse people in oppressive situations, and Justina Machado as Penelope and Rita Morreno as Lydia do a fantastic job of portraying those characters.
