Top 6 parts of One Day at a Time season 2

One Day At A Time production still. Photo: Mike Yarish/Netflix

Familial support

Family support is a huge theme in this show, and this season it became even more important. With Penelope back in school and working and Elena trying to navigate the idea of dating, and with the finale being the tearjerker it was, it was made eminently clear just how much the support they each gave each other meant. All of this put me in mind of my huge, Catholic family, because it’s the same way we do things.

Sometimes that support is a little much, as we see in the first episode at Alex’s game where they embarrass him by being too supportive. I loved that even though Alex went behind the family’s back to talk to his dad, he used that time and space to bully his dad into being less of a jerk about Elena being gay.

I loved that Alex helped Elena figure out how to up her texting game, and how to be less awkward around Syd. Lydia helped Elena figure out a way to try to manage her expectations when it came to figuring out whether someone was queer or not — the cookie trick was honestly a great idea.

We see a lot of restraint from Lydia during season 2 — putting other people’s feelings before her own in a way we didn’t see in the first season. The best example is when Penelope tries to DIY her way off of her meds and therapy (which I will discuss more in a few slides). Even though Lydia thinks that the therapy and medications are embarrassing, she also recognizes that they are good for her daughter. You can see on Penelope’s face just how meaningful that was for her to have her mother’s blessing.

The other way that this strong familial support was so powerfully shown was when it was taken away, especially during Lydia and Penelope’s fight in episode 12. Lydia’s decision that Penelope’s decision is a mistake is one that is incredibly harmful for Penelope and dredges up all kinds of bad memories from the past.

It makes this sitcom seem real in a way when a lot of TV families fall flat.