Netflix Nook

Dash & Lily

Netflix Nook

Arlene Hickman

One evening while scrolling on Netflix like many of us do, I found myself drifting towards Dash & Lily after noticing it on my Netflix recommended list. I was intrigued by the prospect of a city-wide scavenger hunt, but was not particularly fond of the Christmas theme. I was not aware this show was going to be a romance before watching, but I am glad I didn't because I think I might have clicked away. Either way, I ended up watching the whole season in one night, and I do not regret it.

Dash & Lily is about two lonely teenagers during Christmas break (a.k.a. most of us in a few weeks). The two are, at first glance, polar opposites. Lily is extremely optimistic, and Dash is very cynical. Dash despises Christmas and loathes the holiday spirit that seems to be drenching all of Manhattan. On the other hand, Christmas is Lily’s favorite holiday, but her family goes out of town without her. This leads her to place a little red notebook in a bookstore for someone to find. The two communicate strictly through this notebook and agree not to look each other up on social media. They send each other dares that push the other out of their comfort zone, and then leave the notebook for the other to pick it back up (not before writing a summary on how things went, and leaving the next dare, of course).

It amazed me how many friends Lily had all around the city. The connection between the two characters before they ever meet face-to-face was nicely portrayed. It was as if they were in each other's heads. This was one of my favorite aspects of the show. When one of them was reading an entry in the notebook, the writer’s voice would be the one heard reading it. This made it seem as if they were friends just having a normal conversation rather than just reading what a stanger had written.

Netflix originals often feature more diverse characters than cable television shows, and Dash & Lily is no different. Lily is bi-racial (her mother is Asian and her father is white), and her older brother, Langston, is gay, which is a great choice of writing, especially considering how important diversity in media is. People want to see characters that look like them or are similar to them in the shows and movies they watch, and Dash & Lily does a great job at mimicking real people to create a fun story.

Overall, I would have to give this show a 7/10. It was a tad bit corny for my taste, but the storyline was fun and adventurous. I did find the overall theme of Christmas in New York super Hallmark-esque and cliche, but the complex, diverse characters made up for it. I definitely shed a couple of tears when things weren’t going the way I wanted, but the surprise cameo that followed soon after made everything better. Watching this show made me wishful of a normal, COVID-free holiday season.