Au fil des jours or One day at a time in English version is a Netflix series released in January 2017. This series is a remake of the eponymous series from the 70s. Adapting a work is always a challenge.
Au fil des jours tells the story of Penelope Alvarez, a former soldier now a nurse, taking care of her family. This thirty-year-old single lives with her two children, Elena, soon to be 15 years old and Alex 12 years old. Her mother, Lydia, known as Abuelita, a former Cuban dancer, also lives with her daughter and takes care of her grandchildren. The family is regularly visited by Schneider, a funny neighbor who is also their owner.
The format of the series is 10 episodes of 30 minutes. The episodes follow one another very easily and with a very pleasant rhythm.
As far as the themes dealt with are concerned, the main one is Cuban culture. All the characters talk about it from every angle. So we learn more about the dishes, traditions like quincenaera and Spanish. Indeed, the characters of the Alvarez family are all bilingual and the children navigate between American culture and Cuban culture.
We also notice that the series shows political initiative since during an episode Lydia tells a very hard passage of her life when she had to leave her family and her big sister for America. It was a very moving moment for this always very colorful character. One wonders if the authors of the series are not taking sides against Trump's anti-immigration policy.
The characters are not too cartoonish. They certainly have quite stereotypical traits at the beginning but quickly become endearing. We can take the example of Schneider eternal single who will create a special place in this family.
The actors play with tact and they all manage to make their character realistic. The actors are closer to the people of everyday life. It is easier to identify with Penelope who is round rather than the retouched women of magazines.
Au fil des jours also talks a lot about self-acceptance. Indeed, at one point in the series Elena comes out. This event leads to a discussion around homosexuality and acceptance by the family. This theme is very little present in TV series and especially in sitcoms. We see Elena's point of view on the situation but also of the different members of the family who all react differently.
This freedom of tone may be due to the fact that Au fil des jours is broadcast on Netflix and not controlled by a classic American TV channel.
The theme of military women is also very little developed in the series. The scenario highlights them. Here, they are courageous fighters who have experienced terrible events.
Post-traumatic stress disorder is treated as it should be. A disease that can destabilize the person who suffers it but also his family if the patient does not treat himself.
In terms of negative points, the sitcom format with static and therefore unoriginal shots can disturb. Similarly, the sets seem frozen. At times, the house seems uninhabited.
We can not suspect for a second that this series is not an original series. Au fil des jours is a series quite in tune with the times. The characters ask themselves the same questions as us or our loved ones. The themes are very diverse and also very realistic.
This first season of Au fil des jours is definitely a success. The series manages to go beyond the framework of a classic sitcom by slipping in current themes and realistic and credible characters.
