One Day at a Time Review: Checking Boxes (Season 4 Episode 1)
I’m not sure I’ve ever felt so much joy to be able to write about a show as I do right now.
After being canceled by Netflix after the end of Season 3, it felt nearly certain that One Day at a Time was gone for good. That is until it was rescued by its new home, Pop TV.
Now the show is back and it hasn’t missed a beat. It’s clear the actors and everyone working on the show feels that same joy, too. It translates right through the screen.
On One Day at a Time Season 4 Episode 1, “Checking Boxes,” Penelope has her mind on Max, while Elena and Syd experiment with spending time apart.
The episode begins with a census taker (special guest star Ray Romano) arriving at the Alvarez home just as they’re about to have their movie night. This works as a nice, seamless season opener for everyone who’s already familiar with the characters and the premise of the series, but it’s also a smart way to catch others up to speed.
For anyone who’s tuning in for the first time, they get a clear explanation of who each character is as they introduce themselves to the census taker. They don’t only tell who they are, but they give him a little too much information and show off their individual personalities in the process.
It also feels very much like the characters are saying to the audience, “Welcome back!” And we do feel welcome. It feels as though nothing has changed. It’s all familiar and the characters are as funny and endearing as they always were. The writing is just as witty, too.
Alex: “It’s like there’s nothing good on Netflix anymore!”
Between the fact that Penelope has to check a box indicating she’s single to her mother’s story about her unmarried aunt, Penelope starts thinking about relationships — and more specifically, Max.
She’s thinking about him so much, in fact, that she sees him everywhere while she’s on a date.
The last time we saw Max, he arrived at Penelope’s ex-husband’s wedding. Penelope was facing a similar struggle then. She wanted love, but she also had her goals and her family to consider. One Day at a Time Season 3 ended with Penelope graduating from her nurse practitioner program, followed by another flash-forward to show her in her office with her new title.
The other issue with Max was that he liked the idea of having children, but Penelope didn’t want more kids. It was one of those cases where love simply wasn’t enough.
Now that Penelope has reached her career goal, though, the timing could very well be right for her to find love again. Maybe that could be Max, but she finds out he’s now working with Doctors Without Borders.
At least for now, that’s on pause. But the message is an important one. Everyone tells her she’s a badass — an independent woman who doesn’t need a man. She knows that, and she’s confident, which is one of the things we love about her. That doesn’t mean she can’t also want love, though.
Penelope: It’s okay for me to admit that I can still be a feminist badass and want a boyfriend.
One of my favorite relationships for Penelope right now, though, is her friendship with Schneider. He’s the one she goes to when she needs advice or just needs a friend, the bond they’ve formed is a beautiful thing to watch.
Schneider gives her good advice and plucks her eyebrows against her will. And Penelope is supportive and happy for her friend when he tells her Avery is moving in with him. It’s all just so joyful to watch.
Meanwhile, there’s Elena and Syd, who are trying to figuring out their own relationship since college is on the horizon. They decide to prove that they can go a couple of days without seeing or talking to each other, but their experiment fails pretty quickly.
It’s all because they want to be mature and logical, but they ultimately realize they should just enjoy what they have in the moment. Shouldn’t they get to enjoy their happiness now?
A great effect of their separation is that it gives Elena a lot of opportunities to talk about Syd to others. She has this great conversation with Alex that allows them to use Syd’s pronouns — “they” and “them” repeatedly with ease. It’s helpful and important to hear those pronouns being used so naturally.
Overall, this episode is a great season opener for a show that I’m just thrilled to see return. I’m excited to see how the rest of the season unfolds.
Other thoughts:
- Alex has a girlfriend! I can’t wait to meet her and see how everyone feels about her.
- I would love to know more about Lydia and Leslie’s trip to Cuba. I’m hoping we’ll get those details soon.
- I’m so excited to see Penelope’s therapy group back together!
- Ray Romano’s appearance on this episode is wonderful. And I love this little joke:
Lydia: Do not worry! You are doing a great job. And I promise you, they will all be saying, “Everybody loves Brian.”
Brian: Yeah, doesn’t sound right.
What did you think of this episode of One Day at a Time? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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One Day at a Time airs Tuesdays at 9:30/8:30c on Pop TV.
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Ashley Bissette Sumerel
Ashley Bissette Sumerel is a television and film critic living in Wilmington, North Carolina. She is editor-in-chief of Tell-Tale TV as well as Eulalie Magazine. Ashley has also written for outlets such as Rolling Stone, Paste Magazine, and Insider. Ashley has been a member of the Critics Choice Association since 2017 and is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic. In addition to her work as an editor and critic, Ashley teaches Entertainment Journalism, Composition, and Literature at the University of North Carolina Wilmington.