OPINION: A must-watch for the Holiday season is Netflix’s newest original series “Dash & Lily”

Jessica Goodwin Opinion writer

I promised myself no Christmas movies until after Thanksgiving! But I found a loophole to my own promise. Luckily for me and all the others that resist breaking out the Christmas movies before Thanksgiving, Netflix just blessed us with a Christmas series, “Dash & Lily.” 

This bingeable eight-episode Netflix Original is based on the young adult novelDash & Lily’s Book of Dares” by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn. These two YA powerhouses came together to give us three, yes three, books following Dash & Lily’s adventures in New York during Christmas. As Netflix has yet to renew the series that premiered November 10, executive producer and showrunner Joe Tracz tells TVLine he is more than ready to start season two: 

“I would love to be able to go back and do the second book and third book. The third book was actually written on set. David and Rachel would visit the set, and they’d be working on their chapters for the third book. I love these characters so much and the city that they live in. Knowing that there is more story to be told, those are stories I’d love to tell.”

This tale is a classic Paula Abdul-style opposites attract. Dash (Austin Abrams), the moody, quite pretentious and hater of all things Christmas and the lively, downright jolly, Christmas-loving Lily (Midori Francis), a match made in heaven? Maybe. This extremely literate and well-read duo both are almost too mature for their ripe age of 17. Neither have many friends and both spend most of their time in a book store full of dusty shelves and dim lighting. When Lily’s brother basically forces her to make a game out of finding love so she won’t be lonely on Christmas by leaving a book of dares and riddles in that very bookstore, she doesn’t think anyone would actually find it let alone go along with it. But Dash likes a challenge, especially a challenge of wits. He is very intrigued by this mystery girl who thinks she can outsmart him. 

This turns into a whirlwind of book exchanges which left me wondering how in the world they did not run into each other, but that’s TV; not everything makes sense plus Christmas magic, I guess. The two get to know each other more and more and try to get the other to step out of their comfort zone with the dares they set. With many different appearances from your classic New York-style characters that all happen to have a bigger connection to the main characters than when you first saw them appear, props to the writing and directing. I did not see those coming, this love story will add a dash of cheer, laughs and warm fuzzy feelings to your night of binge-watching Netflix. 

Jessica Goodwin is an opinion writer. Contact her at [email protected].

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