I may be biased to say this once I love everything David Levithan creates, but Dash & Lily is the Christmas show we needed to feel welcome during the holiday time, especially if you are an odd one out. But not everything is in the right place.
It’s difficult to relate to that Christmas atmosphere when you live in Brazil, but even though the show presents us with a love story that warms our hearts. No matter where you come from, the story makes you believe. Those bells and lights and coats take us to another reality as this genre is supposed to do, so well done! You will find yourself wanting to grab a hot chocolate and watch every episode under a duvet.
The plot, based on the book written by Levithan and Rachel Cohn, consists of two teenagers who play a game with a book of dares. Basically, Lily leaves a notebook in a bookstore with a dare to someone who doesn’t have great plans for that Christmas, and Dash finds it and accepts the challenge. They make dares to each other without ever knowing who is their correspondent as they also fall in love.
Dash hates Christmas and Lily has it as the best time of the year. And those two characteristics show a lot about who they are. Dash is a people’s person but lacks personality (and a bit boring also). He is supposed to be like that in opposition to Lily, who is vivid and colorful. She makes her clothes and does whatever she wants. Usually, this could describe someone strong and confident. Not the case. She is authentic but carries a lot of traumas on her shoulders.
The story of these two characters is well developed. The writers know when to stop to give attention to the book of dares and focus on the characters’ building. You want them to be together by the end and this is the most important feeling a romance needs to have. And you can’t stop watching it.
A good thing that the show points out is questioning this fairy tale (it even has an episode called Cinderella). To love someone is necessary to know the person, so they discuss the conception of loving someone you have never met.
However, the only two characters that you care about are Dash and Lily. The others don’t have enough time on screen, appearing as just archetypes without any depth. They have potential, like Langston, Lily’s brother. He is gay and starts a relationship. He has a plot for himself, but he appears so little that once he has a problem, it seems that he is just being a drama queen. The other characters seem to be there to support the main plot and nothing else.
Does it ruin the overall experience of watching it? Not at all. As I said, this is the kind of show that will hold you in a delicious romance. Also, you find the characters with traumas it’s easy to relate. They face bullying incidents in childhood that destroy their confidence, family issues that seem impossible, and so on.
The best thing about the show is Lily. She is kind, sweet, and weird. Even so, I truly understand the ones who will relate more with Dash. Overall, the show is better than most Christmas shows I have seen so far. It fulfills its function of making us feel good during the holidays.