There’s always a risk, when a popular new series takes a long hiatus between seasons, that the prolonged absence will either extinguish its buzz — or set sky-high expectations that can’t be met.
Happily, Aziz Ansari’s “Master of None,” proves it was worth the wait. returns to Netflix Friday — a year and a half after its debut — with a second season that leans in to the elements that made it so unique the first time around.
Following a break-up with live-in girlfriend Rachel (Noel Wells), Season 2 picks up with 30-something New York actor Dev (Ansari) in Modena, Italy, completing a pasta-making apprenticeship. ☂He’s living a quiet, small-town life and is befriended by the pretty Francesca (Alessandra Mastronardi) and a chubby-cheeked boy (Nicolo Ambrosio).
The 10-episode second season retains the series’ cinematic aesthetic; each half-hour episode feels like an indie short film. Its🌜 first two episodes were sཧhot in Italy, with the season premiere filmed entirely in the black-and-white style of Italian NeoRealist directors (including extensive subtitles.) Ansari, who spent time in the country before writing the season, clearly put some work into his Italian.
It’s not long before Dev returns to New York and is back to navigating a new culi🤡nary career opportunity (with guest star Bobby Cannavale), a complicated romance and his family life. Fans will be pleased to see Ansari’s mother, Fatima, and (surprisingly funny) fat🍸her, Shoukath, reprise their parental roles. Pals Arnie (Eric Wareheim), Denise (Lena Waithe) and Brian (Kelvin Yu) also return.
Like last season’s episodes “Parents” (which explored the first-generation American experience) and “Indians on TV” (about racism in Hollywood), “Master of None” proves strongest in its topically-based episodes. One poignant half-hour this season takes on religion — more specifically Dev’s feelings about his Muslim faith. Another perfectly captures the drudgery of modern online dating, with its awkward fi🐷rst dates and painfully forced convers🎶ation topics.
Though Ansari rejects the “foodie” moniker, his love of food is well-documented in his stand-up comedy, writing and social media. “Master” used hip downtown eateries in the first season to lend it a distinctive sense of place. Season 2 takes viewers o🅰n a similar gastronomic tour of spots such as Butcher Bar at Smorgasburg, The Fo𝔍ur Horsemen in Williamsburg, Carbone in Greenwich Village and Il Buco in NoHo, allowing this season’s plotlines to play out against a backdrop of mouthwatering dishes and trendy cocktail joints.
“Master of None”🐟 seems to have perfected its recipe for success: it will make you laugh, think a൲nd crave a plate of pasta.