Was it my recent viewing of "Easy A"? Were my days of "Degrassi" devotion stored in the cloud somewhere? Was someone keeping tabs on my YA book purchases?
I can’t pinpoint the exact reason why the "Dash & Lily" trailer popped up on my Netflix one day but know that when it did, I was in. A whimsical-yet-realistic teen romance set in New York and based on a series of books by the same team that brought us "Nick & Nora's Infinite Playlist"? Yes, please!
I've had an affinity for teen culture (more recently gathered under the "YA" heading) since before I was a teenager, likely owed to the John Hughes oeuvre. I watched the original "Degrassi" series when I was around the same age as the characters and dove back in for the second generation when I was closer to the age of the teachers. I watched "The O.C." with a gentle mix of sincerity and sneering as I started my first post-college real job. I read through the original "Gossip Girl" and "It Girl" book series loyally but couldn't stick with the television series.
All of this to say, "Dash & Lily" has been a great fit for me this holiday season. Its scenes brought the winter wonderland-ness of New York to me weeks after a planned trip was cancelled due to COVID-19. Its awesome soundtrack is saving me from the auditory dreck this season usually provides (The Waitresses, Cat Power, The Pogues, The Ronettes … yes!!). Its characters bringing all the uncertainty, drama, angst, powerlessness, hope, and little joys that don't become any easier to deal with or recognize as we grow older.
Beyond the adoration I have for this miniseries is the vivid joy I feel in sharing that adoration with my 13-year-old niece. She watched it for the first time this weekend at my urging and was hooked too. We're picking out landmarks from the show to visit on a promised trip to New York. We texted lyrics to Joni Mitchell's "River" (soundtracking an important moment in episode one) back and forth. We need to read the book series together soon.
This is my new favorite binge. Thank you, mysterious algorithms for getting "Dash & Lily" to me.
