Yes, the first season of Aziz Ansari’s Master of None did tackle thorny subjects like immigration and whitewashing, and its — sorry — mastery of the dynamics of modern relationships was eye-opening and intimate. But really, most of the joy of watching the show was living vicariously through a man with a seemingly low-stakes career and too-cool friends who knew all the best places to eat in New York City. It was total wish fulfillment for the modern-day urbanite — what other shows allow you to revel in the idea of having sex with the wife (played by Claire Danes) of a man who cut you in line at a gourmet ice-cream shop? Or to be lulled into the fantasy of seeing Father John Misty in a 2,500-person-capacity venue on Friday, then go for a walk along the West Side Highway reading The Bell Jar on Saturday? Ansari proved himself extremely adept at creating a world that spoke to his well-curated sensibilities and fit his every desire, and people hopped on for the ride with utter enthusiasm.
To those who have waited since the end of 2015 for this fantasy to return, rejoice: Season 2 is just a month away, and in the trailer released Wednesday it looks like Ansari has doubled down on delivering set pieces and scenes you just want to dive into.
Maybe we should break this minute down into 25-second intervals and comb through every detail that makes me wish I made different life choices. Seriously, there’s that much to pore over. In the first 25 seconds alone, there’s Ansari’s Dev cycling through Italy in cinematic black and white, a CASUAL JOHN LEGEND APPEARANCE, and bromantic Vespa rides through the countryside.
The next interval is when things get really good. Dev jumps into the arms of Eric Wareheim, something I’ve always wanted to do; a pretty girl in a smart hat throws leaves on him; Bobby Cannavale high-fives him; and then this:
I’m pretty sure that’s Dev doing the Oscar Isaac dance scene from Ex Machina with a girl in his kitchen — a.k.a. the most romantic act I could ever think of. This has been my dream since I watched Ex Machina twice on an airplane. Aziz Ansari incepted me for his TV show, and I’m so glad.
But we’re not done just yet …
… because Angela Bassett hasn’t shown up yet. I don’t know if Bassett is playing a love interest of Dev’s, or maybe the mother of a love interest of Dev’s — her presence is all that matters. My body is ready to feel the sting of her side-eye.
Thank god for Master of None, the scripted, funnier version of Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations, the only show that can make Williamsburg still look tolerable, the best fantasy on TV. Master of None is a picture of an extremely enviable life — I barely even mentioned that Dev left everything behind to move to Italy and learn how to make pasta — but it’s presented in a way that gives you more life, rather than spurring bitterness in reflection of your own. We need a show like this, one that may not be revolutionary, but that gives us a chance to ball out with the hippest people on the planet — in the best places on the planet — and briefly forget that Google Sheets were ever invented.
All our dreams come true May 12.