One Day at a Time is One of the Most Important TV Shows You Can Watch Right Now

One Day at a Time has consistently delivered funny, entertaining, and emotional stories since its first season.

The show manages to strike a balance between comedy and the most serious, poignant of topics in a way that no other sitcom on TV is able to do. One Day at a Time Season 3 only further proves that this is one of the most important TV shows you can watch right now.

Heads up: this review focuses on the full season and it does have spoilers. So if you haven’t yet binged all of Season 3, you may want to stop reading now and go watch it all before you keep reading.

The season kicks off with funeral filled with special guest stars, including Gloria Estefan, letting us dive right into the most important theme of the series — family. So much of what we see in this extended family feels relatable, down to the cousins remembering their dance moves to Janet Jackson’s “Rhythm Nation.”

As the season moves forward, it deals with topical issues, as this show is known to do. I’d argue, though, that this season does it even more effectively than it has in the past.

Maybe that’s because we’re so invested in these characters at this point, or maybe because it feels so much more important to be addressing these issues right now. Either way, it’s an excellent season of what I believe is currently the best sitcom on television.

One Day at a Time Season 3 Episode 2, “Outside,” holds nothing back in discussions of harassment, and it comes at the topic in a few different angles. Maybe the most interesting is Lydia’s take on everything. She’s from a generation that shaped her so differently that she misses the days of having men call out to her on the street as she walked by.

Alex learns the lesson here, though, after hearing from his mother and from his sister about their experiences. And the discussions the family has about the topic are so honest and open that even that — just their ability to communicate the way they do — is something to learn from.

That episode also shows a different kind of struggle for Elena and Syd. Because Syd identifies as a non-binary, the term “girlfriend” doesn’t work, so they want to find a label that does.

With a little help from Schnieder, what they come up with couldn’t be more perfect. Syd is Elena’s “Syd-nificant Other.”

Later in the season, a full episode is dedicated to Elena’s first time, with her mother finding out it happened thanks to a hotel mini-bar accident. It’s among the most beautiful episodes of the season, not only because Elena and Syd are so respectful of one another and so much in love with each other, but because Penelope handles learning this information in a really loving way.

Rather than reacting to the news that her daughter had gotten a hotel room with her significant other, she takes the time to process and learn. And when she does have the discussion with Elena, the main thing she’s concerned with is whether or not her daughter is okay.

Penelope’s anxiety remains an important theme this season, too. On One Day at Time Season 3 Episode 9, “Anxiety,” her anxiety is in full force, but it turns out she’s not the only one dealing with it.

Just after learning from her therapy group that anxiety runs in families — a reason she should really be up front with her children about what she’s dealing with — she sees Elena going through the same thing.

The way anxiety is portrayed, first of all, is one of the most realistic depictions I’ve seen of it on television. But seeing Penelope having this conversation with her children and being there to help her daughter cope is one of the most emotional moments of the entire season. It’s all perfectly done.

The season’s most heartbreaking storyline, though, comes from Schneider. Early in the season, he’s proud to include his eight-year sobriety chip in the Alvarez family museum — that, along with a few other scenes in the early episodes — serves as a bit of haunting foreshadowing. We see it coming, but when it does — when he does start drinking again — it’s gut-wrenching.

Schnieder serves as the comedic relief in so many moments on this show. He’s larger than life, he’s sweet, and he’s silly. So to see him go down this road is that much more painful, especially knowing how important it is to him to be good and to be a part of this family.

He is still a part of it, though, as evidenced by the way they’re there for him. Even as angry as Penelope is, she’s willing to help and wants to be by his side when he goes back to a meeting.

Even in the lighter episodes, the show remains topical and important. It takes every opportunity it can to shine a light on the things we need to be having conversations about.

When Alex is caught using drugs, an added element is that if he’s caught with them, his consequences will be different than they would be for his friends who are white. And Schneider’s complete lack of understanding when it comes to how Penelope has to manage money hits especially hard.

Lydia’s health is also a recurring storyline this season. Her stroke at the end of Season 2 served as a catalyst for this season in a lot of ways, and we have reminders of that throughout this season.

The fact is that Lydia doesn’t want to lose any piece of who she is. She may be getting older, but she still wants to dance and wear high-heels. Her granddaughter, on the other hand, is worried sick about her.

She does make a compromise to ditch the heels, and then for the remainder of the season, Lydia spends time crossing things off of her “bouquet” list. It’s as hilariously funny as it is a bit haunting. And the family dynamics only get more complicated when Penelope’s brother, who never made it to visit their mother in the hospital, joins them for family vacation.

That sibling relationship is an interesting one to explore, but it’s mostly there as a parallel for Elena and Alex.

Alex shines a lot this season. He’s growing up, and as he does, he’s learning to be there for his family when he needs to be. He becomes more supportive of his sister, and he knows what he has to do when he finds Schneider drunk on the laundry room floor. He even realizes when he has to be honest with his grandmother — a clearly difficult decision for him — about doing drugs.

The character development for everyone on the show is yet another element that makes it so smart, and Alex is a shining example of that.

One Day at a Time continues to strike a balance while still being very funny — this is a comedy after all. The comedic timing is always on point, and even the moments of slapstick comedy work perfectly. Justina Machado and Rita Moreno’s performances are especially strong when it comes to comedy and hitting the right tone between what’s funny and what’s serious.

There’s plenty of romance this season, too. I’ve already talked about that with Syd and Elena a bit, but just to return to these two first, there are a lot of other layers we get with them this season.

It’s addressed how they’re perceived in public, which impacts their relationship and what they feel comfortable doing. They also learn a little something about communication, and it’s refreshing to see forgiveness and understanding come so easily after what is their first fight.

Schneider finds romance too, even though it hits a bump with his sobriety storyline. Avery turns out to be the perfect woman for him, and it’s nice to see Schneider have that.

It’s also especially sweet that the actress who plays Avery, India de Beaufort, is Todd Grinnell’s wife in real life. It’s no wonder the two actors have such great chemistry on screen.

With all of the romantic storylines, and in fact, with all of the different relationships, what I find most refreshing is the level of forgiveness. One Day at a Time isn’t relying on creating unnecessary conflict between characters to have a story to tell. And when it does have conflict, it doesn’t drag that conflict out in order to drive the plot.

Instead, it allows the conflict to be resolved when it should be — whether in a small lie that is allowed be forgiven or understood, or again, with the bigger issues, like Schneider struggling with his sobriety.

Penelope also finds herself in a romantic relationship for a bit, but it’s one that doesn’t have much spark. Matteo is a nice guy, but it doesn’t take her long to realize he’s not the guy for her.

That story serves to have Penelope contemplate her love life in a way that I really appreciate, especially as her ex-husband returns and announces he’s getting married.

The fact is, Penelope doesn’t have much interest in getting re-married right now. Even when Max returns for a scene, being in a relationship with a man isn’t her priority.

This is the note the season ends on, and it’s a note that I find incredibly empowering. There’s nothing wrong with her having a little romance, but “finding someone” isn’t the key to this woman’s happiness. She’s her own key to her own happiness.

She does, however, think she looks damn good in white. And her father returns to her on the season finale to be there in spirit on her special day, but that day isn’t a wedding day, and the white that she’s wearing isn’t a wedding dress: it’s a graduation gown. That’s followed later with more white — a white lab coat.

It’s the goal she’s been working toward, and seeing her graduate — then seeing her name on the door of the doctor’s office with F.N.P. next to it is an incredibly satisfying end to another stellar season of One Day at a Time, and a season that will personally be sticking with me for a long, long time.

What did you think of this season of One Day at a Time? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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One Day at a Time Season 3 is currently streaming on Netflix.

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