The holidays are the most wonderful time of the year, right? If you listen to every holiday song ever, that’s at least what we’re told. If you’re near family and friends, that’s easily true. Holiday parties are endless; bars bring out their special holiday mugs and new recipes full of peppermint schnapps. The cities bustle with more activity than usual as shoppers find just the right gifts for their loved ones. But not everyone is near friends and family for the holidays, and being alone somehow feels more lonely than any other time of year.
Many souls have never had a holiday season alone, but according toYouGovAmerica, 1 in 9 people will. Regardless of why, that same survey showed those who did spend the holidays alone were more likely to describe the holidays as “awful.” If you have spent a holiday away from home or by yourself, you may find yourself searching for the familiarity of a holiday season near friends and family. You often can’t help being alone on the holidays, but those who are or those who have experienced it should watchDash and Lily.
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Dash and Lilyfollows Dash, portrayed byAustin Abrams, and Lily, played byMidori Francis,two New Yorkers spending a more solitary holiday season in their beloved city. Dash is a self-proclaimed loner who is a sort of young Ebeneezer Scrooge; he hates Christmas and chooses to spend this particular Christmas alone. At the same time, Lily is a cheerful, prototypically uncool teenager who revels in Christmases with her family and finds joy in playing board games with her grandfather. In an attempt to connect with others her age, Lily leaves a red notebook in her favorite bookstore with dares for all who choose to accept them. Dash serendipitously finds it and decides to take on the dares, finding unexpected warmth in his most-hated season.
Meanwhile, Lily breaks out of her shell as they begin to write dares back and forth. Aside from aunique dance scene,Dash and Lilycan best be remembered for reminding us what’s really important during the holidays and the unforeseen power that awaits breaking out of your comfort zone. It also offers those warm and fuzzy feelings that a holiday at home brings if you’re living abroad or are alone for the holidays.
Dash and Lily Isn’t Just About Love, It’s Also About Family
Dash and Lilyfirst aired during what may have been the most universally lonely year in recent history, 2020. The holidays in 2020 were uncertain and cautious. With little knowledge of COVID-19, a mere cough may have stopped one family member from wanting to join their families, especially if they typically celebrated with grandparents. Having filmed during theCOVID-19 lockdown, it captures moments before the pandemic and reminds the viewer of a time that may have felt simpler, like spending time with grandparents.
Lily has a close and deeply respectful relationship with her grandfather (James Saito). Throughout the series, Lily struggles with a sense of independence against a grandfather who loves her but fears losing her. One night, Lily’s brother Langston (Troy Iwata) is caught with his boyfriend, while Lily gets caught walking in during an uncharacteristic late night out. As a result, Grandpa tries his best to keep his grandchildren in line for the rest of the series.
While this presents a foil for the progression of Dash and Lily’s dares, it creates a comedic reminder of the position grandpas often played in our lives. For many, myself included, grandparents are not only much-needed aid to parents, but they serve as both wise sages and backup disciplinarians. As much joy as they bring, they also offer a last word as the family patriarch. While Lily’s mom and dad are a vital place of authority in her life, it’s clear that Grandpa sets the family standards. While this dynamic is incredibly frustrating as a teenager, it becomes sorely missed in adulthood as guidance becomes harder to come by and decisions need to be made by the grace of your own limited wisdom. If there are moments that can remind you of those easier times with loved ones that may be getting older or no longer present, you find yourself doing your best to grasp them. InDash and Lily,you’ll find no shortage of those moments.
The Series Highlights New York in a Unique Way
New York City is arguably one of the most iconic cities in the world to spend the holiday season. FromMiracle on 34th StreettoThe Night Before,and even theSex and the Citymovie, New York City is the quintessential way many envision the holidays.
WhatDash and Lilydoes so well is give you the two people that may exist to live in the city during the holidays. There is the person that loves New York specifically during Christmas and the New Yorker that loves New York but hates it during Christmas, and you can’t blame either. As magical as Rockefeller Center is during the holidays, it’s still a bustling scene. Being the Gen Z Ebeneezer Scrooge, Dash absolutely loathes it, but he knows and loves his city. At one point, he criticizes the Christmas classicHome Alone 2because the geography of Kevin’s adventure doesn’t make sense. You have to love and even envy someone that knows New York City so well that he can watch a movie and tell that its geography is wrong by his long-acquired knowledge of the city itself.
Aside from the quirks, Dash and Lily each dare each other to see the pockets of the city that ordinarily may not be seen in a movie or show. From an underground party led by a band called the “Challah Back Boys” to Grand Central Terminal when it’s quiet and empty, it gives little nuggets of the infamous city that never sleeps.
Dash and Lily Delivers a Happy Ending
In a world of remakes, long-awaited prequels, and sequels, it’s a rare occasion that we get a good old happy ending. It’s not very often that we see happily ever after anymore, and maybe it’s a reflection of us. The greatEmma Thompsononce said in the 2019 filmLate Nightthat the Millennial generation is obsessed with catharsis, and maybe she’s right. There is a reality in this world that things do not always work out how you hope, and it’s natural to try to find commonality in this world with others in the hope that your situation may turn out better. Happy endings do not exist, and we no longer believe in them. Art imitates life, so time and time again, in the form of films likeBefore Midnight,we see art tell us what happens after happy endings, and it’s not always a clean end. I will spoil one thing aboutDash and Lily: it has a happy ending, and now that it’s canceled, we won’t ever see if that changes. But maybe, just maybe, for the holidays, we can have a moment where we believe in them again, watching two teenagers grow and peruse New York City, and be content with a simple happy ending, if only to remind us of simpler times.
