What I’m Watching: Master of None

Master of None: Season 3, Episode 2 “Moments in Love, Chapter 2” (B+)

This episode was considerably shorter than the season premiere, and it’s hard to know how streaming shows like this will function since they can vary tremendously from installment to installment. We saw a good deal of the honeymoon phase of the relationship in the opener, and now we got a harsh return to reality, one that shows how Denise and Alicia have drifted so far apart that they’re not even aware that they’re both cheating on each other. Heather’s visit felt very intimate from the start, and their conversation about cookies without milk, Denise’s second book, and Alicia’s trip to Baltimore were second to their unspoken dynamic. Denise offering to drive her home took us immediately to the dark, winding road, and that car crash was so sudden. Alicia’s arrival to the hospital was dramatic and appropriately emotional, but they didn’t have much time to celebrate Denise being okay. There’s a real honesty to the way they speak to each other, even if Denise was reticent to answer at first, but it’s clear that they’ve both drifted apart and that neither of them is fulfilling the ideal of a partner. Alicia expressing that her “thing” wasn’t a fling but possibly something much more serious felt almost weaponized to describe how unenthused she was about what Denise was putting into the relationship. That parting shot of the coat hooks was appropriately melancholy, and it’s hard to know what positivity lies ahead after this solemn conclusion to a quiet and mostly somber episode.