h: In a Dead Week attempt at catching a break from studying, I opened up Netflix and saw what appeared to be a cheesy Christmas series titled Dash and Lily. Immediately after meeting Lily in the show, I was like, “is this Madison Kizer??”
Not only in appearance (which I think is remarkable!) Mads, I really think you and Lily share a similar shade of love for romanticism, books, and fashion. It was even more fun to watch this love story play out because instead of trying to place myself in the narrative, I felt like I was rooting for my best friend!
m: Girl thank you, that is so sweet! To be honest, I was shocked when I saw the first shot of Lily, where the camera slowly pans up from her feet with her multicolored socks pulled over her leggings and her high top converse. I’m not kidding- I paused the episode and went is this me??
I instantly felt seen with the character of Lily. I know I’m a young white woman and representation is kind of everywhere for people like us, but I don’t mean it like that. I felt like who I am on the inside was finally being represented in such a quirky and realistic way. Lily is the queen of romanticism, and she is always trying to be optimistic, almost to the point where it becomes a crutch and she has to learn to balance being positive with also being realistic sometimes. Not to mention her outfits and dangly earrings, which honestly I would definitely wear. I was like this girl gets me!
LET'S TALK THE MEAT AND POTATOES... (PLOT)
h: I thought that the use of dares/challenges/experiences to show the other person what they were like was quite clever, even if they weren’t physically with each other. Seeing how they were able to not only learn what the other enjoyed, but also piece together how they see the world was done really well. Both characters push the other outside of their comfort zones and invite them to step out of their bubble which I thought was really special. Another sweet quirk was how all of the “helpers” that served as the middlemen for the notebook at all of the different locations were their friends, family members, or sometimes strangers. For example, the Santa who reveals Lily’s name to Dash is one of Lily’s grandpa’s good friends.
m: And can we talk about how wholesome this show is in general? I mean, this screams fuzzy socks and hot chocolate-filled Christmastime binge-watching. HP, since the show takes place in New York, I instantly thought about our NYC Google doc we shared however long ago and our aspirations to hopefully visit the big apple one day as well. Let’s make a note that if we do go there one day, we have to visit the Strand bookstore, where Dash finds Lily’s Do you Dare? notebook. What a beautiful place!
I don’t know about you, HP, but the idea of a random New York City boy like Dash finding my notebook and conversing back and forth with only the notebook, no social media, no googling, no internet usage, I think that sounds pretty dreamy. So as you can guess, I was instantly hooked on this show.
KINDRED SPIRITS AND BROODING BOYS IN PEA COATS (CHARACTERS)
m: As I said earlier, I definitely felt like Lily and I are kindred spirits (anne with an e reference heyy) but wow all the characters in this show I thought were such a delight to watch. The show challenged a lot of stereotypes like horrible exes, one dimensional side characters, broken families, etc. Even though there were only eight episodes, I thought we got to see multiple layers of many side characters which made me love the show even more. I liked how Dash was kind of Lily’s polar opposite, but not in a way that was too overpowering. Though he starts off pretty broody and semi-cynical, his character development and the way he begins to see the good aspects of life around him was really well done. But aside from Lily, my favorite character had to be Dash’s best friend, Boomer. He was just so sweet! He was always so loyal and uplifting whenever Dash or Lily needed a little push to find their courage. And he was hilarious!
h: When I started the show I was honestly a little unsure of whether I would like them together, but you know how much I love a good character development/character depth moment. Dash really did this for me, sure he is introduced as a cynic who likes to read with very absent parents but watching him learn to let go of the grudges and pain was soo rewarding. Another reason (probably the more important one hehe) I really enjoyed his character was because he embodies the song “Last Christmas,” which is one of my favorite December songs. Homeboy is still hurting from a breakup and now he has the chance to get to know someone new! Will he let his guard down?? Will he dare to smile?? Maybe be happy?? I really ate up the whole grumpy guy character and I completely agree, his friend Boomer provided some light and humor to balance out, and seeing how he cared for Dash I knew there had to be more to him than a brooding boy in a pea coat.
DO YOU DARE? (FINAL THOUGHTS)
m: HP, if I could go to Hollywood and tell them what kind of content to make, I would literally shove Dash and Lily in their face and just say “Make more of this!!” This show was like a warm hug. It made me smile and laugh and also it made me cry (not ashamed). I love a good coming-of-age story, and old-fashioned pen-pal type of communication in 21st century New York City? Yes, please. This is one of those shows I desperately wish I could rewatch for the first time. I think it is a beautiful, romantic, and comedic masterpiece that can lift just about anyone’s spirits. So if you're in need of a little extra Christmas spirit this week, you definitely should check this show out! :)
-mads & hp
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