Master of None

1. Read the summary of the Netflix series “Master of None”. After that, try to identify the
actor and characters in the photo.

Comic Aziz Ansari and writer Alan Yang are the creators of this Netflix-original comedy, which is
loosely based on Ansari's real-life experiences. Ansari plays the role of Dev, a New York-based
actor who is struggling1 to identify what he really wants, both personally and professionally. The
series reveals glimpses2 of Dev's younger years, and explores current aspects of his life,
including modern etiquette3 (regarding texting and social media), and being young and single in
the city. Other important people in Dev's life are featured, including Dev's parents, played by
Ansari's real-life mother and father, Fatima and Shoukath.

Cast
● Aziz Ansari as Dev Shah, a commercial actor whose best-known work was a Go-Gurt
commercial.
● Noël Wells as Rachel Silva, Dev's primary romantic interest in the first season. Rachel
works as a music publicist.
● Eric Wareheim as Arnold Baumheiser, Dev's friend who Ansari describes as the "token
white friend"4. Wareheim notes his character's friendship is based on his real-life
friendship with Ansari as they both enjoy eating. The role was originally set to be played
by Harris Wittels before his death in February 2015.

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 ● Kelvin Yu as Brian Chang, Dev's friend who is the son of Taiwanese immigrants. An
interview with Yu in Vulture.com noted that Brian represented the "onscreen version of
co-creator Alan Yang, Dev's chill, super-good-looking friend" and that he was a "hottie".
● Lena Waithe as Denise, Dev's friend, who is a lesbian. In an Entertainment Weekly
interview, Waithe said that her character was not originally intended to be
African-American or gay but that Ansari wanted Denise's personality to reflect Waithe's
own, so they rewrote her part.

2. Complete the footnotes with these definitions for each term.

a. Joke played on the pop culture term “Token black guy/friend” –A black character
deliberately featured in a show or movie for the sake of racial diversity.
b. The set of rules or customs that control accepted behaviour in particular social
groups or social situations.
c. 1. To see something or someone for a very short time or only partly. 2. A quick
idea or understanding of what something is like.
d. Unsuccessful but trying hard to succeed.

3. Based just on the summary, what do you thing this show is like? What themes and topics
do you think they could discuss?
4. Do you think the characters in the series seem relatable? Why/Why not?
5. Do you know the actor or people involved in the making of the show that are mentiones
in the summary?
6. You are going to watch an episode of the series called “Parents”. This is the summary of
the episode:

After auditioning for a movie called The Sickening, Dev and his friend Brian discuss how their
entire lives are the way they are because their immigrant parents sacrificed everything to move to
America. They thank them by taking them to dinner, and discover the harshness of the lives they
went through. Dev hopes that this will all help bring him and his parents closer together.

What characters do you expect to see in this episode?

Scene 1. The audition.

1. Complete the dialogues.

Dev: ________ President, joint chiefs of staff, Prime Minister Cho, it’s truly and honor to be
here in the Oval office, though I wish it were under better _____________.
I just came back from a meeting with the world’s top scientists.
They’re all dead.
The __________, it got them all.
I was able to obtain a sample, but it’s not in the vial. It’s in my blood.
Christina: Dr. Vincent, if it’s in your blood, then that means the virus-- My God.
Dev: Yes. The sickening… has ___________.
Christina: Thank you, Ben. Wow. Wow. Very __________ stuff, Dev. That pause you took after
“the sickening” was phenomenal.
Ben: Amazing pause-- one of the best pauses we’ve heard all day.
Christina: Yeah, thank you so much for coming in.
Dev: Thank you… for your time.
Christina and Ben: Ohhh!

2. Why do Christina and Ben say ​Ohhh!​ At the end of the meeting?

Scene 3. Dev and his Dad’s conversation.

1. Who is Dr. Ramusami?
2. “That’s an adorable worst-case scenario for someone lost alone in New York” Who says
this? About what? What does he mean?

Scene 4 and 6. FLASHBACK: RAMESH’S LIFE

3. Who is the kid in the flashback?

4. What year do Ramesh and his wife move to USA?
5. Complete the missing words or phrases.
American Doctor: That’s the basic _______________ of the facility. (speaking way too slowlly
and clearly) So - do - you - understand - every -thing?
Ramesh: Yeah. So someone said when the new doctor comes to town you usually take the
family to the steakhouse. Is that tonight? Should I go ______________ my wife?
American Doctor: Oh... no. There... is no dinner. You can just go to the ____________ and eat.
6. What attitude does the doctor have towards Ramesh? Why do you thing he behaves that
way?

Scene 12. Brian and his Dad’s conversation.

1. Read the script and try to guess the meaning of the expressions and words in bold. Then
look them up in an online dictionary.
Brian: Okay, I think I’m gonna ​head out​ soon, Dad.
Peter: Did you read the Economist article I emailed you?
Brian: No, I didn’t get a chance to do that yet.
Peter: It exposes how farm subsidies are slowly ​leading​ us to a ​country-wide​ ​drought​ ​within
ten years.
Brian: Sounds ​uplifting​! So, I should go. It was good seeing you.
Peter: Before you go, can you run and pick me up a package of rice from the store downstairs?

Scene 24. Brian and Dev’s conversation after the movie.

1. What are the complaints Brian and Dev have about their parents?
2. What do both their parents have in common?
3. Do you find any similarities between These parents and your own?
 Scene 30. The dinner.
1. Who says these phrases?
a. “Anna! Why are you looking at that? You don’t even eat spicy food.”
b. “Hey! That’s the whole trip man! You see everything.”
c. “I cannot think of anything noteworthy.”
d. “That’s messed up. Your English is good! Any other stories you remember from
when you first got here or your childhood?”
e. “She got held back a grade. That girl was huge.”

After watching
1. What character seemed more relatable to you? Why?
2. In what ways were Dev and Brian’s lives different to their parents’?
3. What do you think of the ending? How did the relationships between Dev and Brian and
their parents’ change?