Our cultural landscape is often dominated by sequels, remakes, and attempts to milk every bit of popularity from established intellectual properties. When it was announced that there would be a TV series based on David Nicholls' 2009 weepy romance "One Day," it didn't initially seem like the most exciting prospect. After all, the novel had already been adapted for the screen in 2011, starring Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess, and had received rather mixed reviews.

Proving the Doubters Wrong

However, Netflix's witty and heart-stoppingly romantic series turned out to be one of the year's best and most moving shows. In the hands of lesser creators, the format could have seemed gimmicky. With its focus on charting two decades of the relationship between privileged cad Dexter (Leo Woodall) and working-class artistically inclined Emma (a star-making performance by the delightful Ambika Mod), with each episode set a year apart on 15 July, starting in 1988 when they met at the University of Edinburgh. But thanks to the team behind it, including Nicholls and "Three Girls'" Nicole Taylor, the material was handled with such care. The frequent needle drops of hits by the Verve, N-Trance, and Cornershop, as well as the more brazen nods to nostalgia (such as 80s puffed sleeves, chunky Nokias, and phone booths used for more than just public toilets) came across as artful and joyous time stamping. Mod and Woodall's performances were pitch-perfect, and their rare chemistry had viewers hoping for a happily-ever-after at every turn. Word of mouth spread rapidly, and despite not having the star power of many Netflix shows, it became the most watched series on the platform in the week after its release.

Character Exploration

One of the reasons for the show's success was the way it explored the characters' lives independently of one another. It contrasted their differences in gender, race, and socioeconomic status and how they were treated by the world. While Emma struggled to make her dreams of being a published writer come true, Dexter seemed to fail upwards into a career in media, hosting a gaudy talkshow while swigging vodka from a water bottle. Yet, despite his flaws, he was always sympathetic. The show also diverged from the source material by making Emma a woman of color without it feeling forced. This informed the early moments of their power dynamic, with Dexter presuming that her unwillingness to sleep with him was a "religion thing." As their paths diverged, we saw that when it came to achieving success, the playing field was not level. Dexter became a hard-partying TV star, while Emma struggled to make ends meet as a waitress. Even when Emma's writing career finally took off, she had to work twice as hard as Dexter, despite clearly being the more talented of the two.

Grief and Loss

With the combined audiences of the book and the film, many viewers came to the show knowing the big twist. But that didn't take away from the emotional impact of this tale of tentative romance. All love and all existence are finite, and "One Day" elegantly reminded us that it's better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all. Portrayals of grief never became mawkish or melodramatic. Instead, they gave viewers a window into the characters' attempts to grapple with the rituals and contradictions of mourning. We saw Dexter clinging to his despair, "too scared to change it" as moving forward meant finally accepting the loss. It was a show that was best watched with a family-size pack of tissues, but it never felt emotionally manipulative. Instead, it was a romance born of a true connection between two lives moving forward, scarred by the battles of existence but not defined by them.

Looking Ahead

Perhaps the most cruel thing about "One Day" was that our time with Dexter and Emma had to come to an end. In some other reality, this show could have continued for many seasons, with each year allowing us to check in on the pair. But Nicholls had already pre-ordained their fate 15 years ago, and even Netflix couldn't rewrite it. However, there are still many reasons to feel hopeful. Leo Woodall, who is both handsome and talented, is about to star in the latest "Bridget Jones" film as the eponymous character's love interest. Ambika Mod, an actor with such charm that she could sell tickets to watch her read the phone book, is set to star in the literary adaptation of Alex Dahl's "Playdate" for Disney+. But best of all, "One Day" will continue to be available on Netflix, as an eminently rewatchable show that defied all cynical expectations and proved to be much more than a blatant IP cash grab.