While some would argue that TV and film remakes are never as good as the original from which they are adapted, that theory was debunked last year with the premiere season of Netflix’s comedy series One Day at a Time. Loosely based on the sitcom from 1975, the reboot made headlines when writers Gloria Calderon Kellett and Mike Royce reimagined the family on the show as Latino.
After glowing reviews for the first season from critics and audiences alike, Netflix greenlit a second, which premieres January 26. The series follows a Cuban American family headed by Penelope Alvarez (Justina Machado), an Army veteran, nurse and single mother, as she raises her progressive teenage daughter Elena (Isabella Gomez) and clever pre-teen son Alex (Marcel Ruiz) with help from her dynamic Cuban-born mother Lydia (Rita Moreno).
One Day at a Time is executive produced by TV icon Norman Lear, who also developed the original. The first season proved that multicamera comedies still have life despite big TV networks moving away from that specific sitcom set up in recent years. Season 2 will also use that format as the recently released trailer shows. Based on the promo, it also seems like writers are going to continue to balance serious issues with wit and humor.
Divorce, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), teenage sexuality, religion and alcoholism are only some of the complex themes the show tackled in Season 1. As the trailer indicates, 2017 was a tough one for the Alvarez family and 2018 – although it promises tons of laughs – isn’t going to let up on the real-life drama that comes with every family. This includes story lines dealing with racism (Alex punches a kid for calling him a wetback) and Penelope’s ongoing struggle with depression and anxiety. Will her mental health suffer even more in the second season if she decides she wants to go back to school?
“You don’t have to be a superwoman,” Lydia pleads to her daughter. “There can be only one such woman in the family and that is me.”
Audiences will also continue to follow Elena’s love life after coming out to her family last season, which looks to include a possible new love interest (flirting with a scarf is a good thing, right?). It also looks like Elena will take on a new role as an advocate for LGBTQ issues by starting a “gay club,” as Lydia calls it. Elena won’t be the only one with a suitor. Penelope, too, introduces the family to someone she is dating – a “stallion” as Lydia refers to him when he walks through their front door.
Without a doubt, if you loved the first season, the trailer for Season 2 should be reason enough to start planning your weekend around the premiere and inspire you to decide if you’re going to see a couple of episodes a day or binge watch the whole thing in one sitting. Just don’t skip it or Rita Moreno will kick you in the aguacates.
One Day at a Time Season 2 drops January 26, 2018 on Netflix.