MASTER OF NONE
Aziz Ansari Passes The Torch To Lena Waithe
The long-awaited third season of Master of None is finally hitting Netflix on May 23, but, as you can imagine, it’s going to look wildly different. After sexual harassment allegations surfaced against the top star and creator Aziz Ansari, the Emmy-winner went on a four-year hiatus. After the claims were unsubstantiated, production began again.
That said, Ansari is taking a behind-the-camera approach to season three. He’s handing the starring credits to creator, writer, and actress Lena Waithe. One look at the trailer, and you’ll notice a stripped-back version of the season, titled “Moments In Love.” It brings together Waithe and BAFTA-winning actress Naomi Ackie, who you may know from End of the F***ing World.
Putting the focus on Waithe’s character Denise is not unwarranted or out of the blue, considering she had a solo episode in season two, “Thanksgiving,” in which her character came out to her family. The episode earned both Waithe and Ansari an Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Writing.
Waithe and Ansari co-wrote all five episodes for this season — fewer episodes than previous seasons. Ansari also directed every episode, signaling his return to TV. But the real power here is putting two Black lesbian characters at the center of an insanely popular Netflix show. Talk about representation. This matters.
Waithe has dominated the front of and behind the camera. But, this will propel her to the next phase of stardom.
