Featured Image Credit: Netflix
Topics: Entertainment, Netflix
Ilana Frost
Never in my wildest dreams did I expect to feel sympathy for a super wealthy, beautiful, straight, white man. And yet, here I am, sobbing for Idiot TV Host Dexter Mayhew from One Day. This Netflix drama series, which is based on the novel of the same name, managed to humanize my least favorite demographic and destroy me in the process. Like, how am I supposed to just go about my life after that ending? I invested valuable time, energy, and tears into these characters for almost two whole days only to experience devastation and denial.
And I’m not the only one who feels this way — the people of the internet also started obsessing over Dexter and the love of his life, Emma Morley. Lots of them are not exactly satisfied with how the 20-year love story played out. Shall we dive into the delicate controversy and my unexpected attachment to a m*n? (For betches who haven’t seen the show: Only read on if you’re okay with finding out the ending of One Day!)
**FORMAL SPOILER ALERT**
After years and years of a will-they-won’t-they, wild sexual chemistry situation, Emma and Dexter finally start formally dating. At this point, Emma’s ended things with her cringe ex, Ian, and Dexter is a fresh divorcée, realizing he’s actually a grown man who can commit to her. (What a concept!) They’ve both done a lot of finding themselves and are fully ready for each other. Dexter starts a Parisian cafe, Emma continues her writing, and they move in together, get married, and try having a kid. Just as they are settled and happy, Emma randomly gets hit by a car and dies. Yup. That’s it. We went through all those painful years for nothing.
I cannot believe I jumped on the “He’s a good man underneath the Fuckboy, he just needs some time to heal and mature” train. But I did. They really got me. My man already had to deal with feeling aimless, disappointing his parents, losing his mother to cancer, and having his wife cheat on him with his best friend. He just HAD to have his soulmate randomly die, too??? Where is the JUSTICE for this reformed jackass? It took a while, but he put in the work! He came through for her! I’m so sorry, Dexter. I would’ve given you a kinder ending. I hope straight white men still feel inspired to improve after this brutal tale.
It starts with a long break from fictional male characters. I’ll be pivoting back to reality shows to remind myself that there are no Dexters in real life anyway… just Tom Sandovals and Love Is Blind villains. I just shuddered. Yoga, journaling, tea, and meditation will also be crucial parts of this process. Additionally, I may write an alternate ending where they live happily ever after and have junior Emmas and Dexters gallivanting around Europe. Feel free to join me in this delusion.