One Day - is Emma meant to be like this?

[AreolaGrande]

Have never read the book. Saw the film years ago but don't remember loads about it 😳.

Am on ep 3 of the Netflix show and Emma is just so bloody miserable and sour? She's vile to Dexter and I don't get why someone as charismatic as him would bother with her relentless negativity and moaning. I seem to remember Anne Hathaway's Emma having more about her? The connection between her Emma and Jim Sturgess's Dexter was much more believable?

Not sure I can be arsed persevering tbh.

I really liked her and really enjoyed the whole series, it's not normally something I'd watch but i saw lots of reviews about it so i thought id give it a go. I've not read the book but I've added it to my list now

I loved the book. I loved Emma especially. I really didn’t like the way Ambika played her - nothing to do with her being a woman of Asian origin, just she didn’t capture the sparkle of Emma’s quick wit. It was supposed to be playful not dour; teasing not mean. In this adaptation I just couldn’t see the chemistry which is so important to the story - why else would they revisit each other and continue their relationship even when it was under such stress. Without the chemistry and the fondness it just felt a bit robotic.

I would tend to agree that Emma didn’t come across as sparky or humorous enough. Rather, in the early episodes, she reminded me a bit of me when I was 19/20 (though she is far more beautiful!). A bit dour, insecure, wanting to put the world to rights. I listened to a whole lot of early Manic Street Preachers and any humour I had was quite acerbic.

even so, I’d definitely have fallen for Dexter. Despite my general sulky and faintly superior attitude, I inexplicably had a thing for hot posh boys. And 19 year old me would have been a bit obsessed - though I think in reality that wouldn’t have lasted beyond the shallow pull of his beauty. I did once date a hot posh boy which was great on a superficial level, but I always knew it was time limited and he’d annoy me. I never wanted to actually be friends with these boys. I can’t quite understand how in this story Emma and Dexter sustained that.

Well said. People don’t seem to understand it’s not ‘lack of chemistry’ in the early episodes it’s awkwardness, it’s lack of confidence from her, he’s not sure but intrigued. And then this builds and builds throughout the years.

You sound just like me at that age! Maybe that's why it's such a popular story - a lot of people relate to feeling awkward at 19/20 and only bloom later in life. I think lots of people have known Dexters in our lives - boys who seem to have everything but throw it all away.
I'm not sure Ambika was right for this but I think it's going to be great for her career and so hopefully we'll see her in lots of things soon. Her performance in This is Going to Hurt was memorable.

It's grim. Managed to watch for 15 minutes.

I loved Ambika's Emma. I think the problem was that Dexter wasn't obnoxious enough when he was young. In the books he shags around so much, I know they mention it in the series but it makes more sense why she wouldn't sleep with him when you really believe he's slept with EVERYONE. And when he's an obnoxious 'celeb' she's the only one that keeps his feet on the ground. I think the series Dexter was too nice throughout.

I was at a very similar university just a few years later and I totally recognise the ball scene. Dexter has got bored of the same old crowd and gone wandering, people ended up with all sorts on those nights. If they'd slept together he'd probably have just wandered off in the morning and not remembered but her being chippy and argumentative challenged him and his 'always gets what he wants' rich kid ways.

I'm 5 minutes into Love Rosie

Instant chemistry between the actors ( once age 18)

That's how it's meant to feel

I decided to re-read the book after watching the series, surprised to discover Emma describing herself as being " sour" at one point. She regularly regrets being nippy, mean, sharp in the text, at times where she is not happy about something or unsure of herself so I decided the series actually got it about right for her.
However, I'm a bit like Emma in that regard so it didn't put me off, I related!.

I don’t think the chemistry is meant to be instant in this.

I really enjoyed it. Watched the whole series in two sittings.

You need chemistry to be friends

And to be on TV to be watched by us

I guess chemistry is subjective through a television screen and we are all seeing and feeling different things!

Yes you're right of course

I realise now that when I expect to watch chemistry on the screen it has to evoke in me those feelings I get from being in love or lust and if it does then the director and actors have nailed it

And if it doesn't they've failed me

Leo / Dexter evokes that feeling Emma however kills it dead for me which makes for a frustrating watch

And that goes for the utter feeling of despair captured so beautifully by Leo / Dexter that has to evoke those same feelings to mirror our own feelings of despair even it we've never experienced it we get it to feel it through the actor

In fact the final episode was incredible really

I sobbed my heart out

Alternatively maybe we just disagree with you and find they lacked chemistry throughout. Disagreement ≠ lack of understanding.

I see this misconception a lot on MN.

@Thelightis

Simone Ashley would have absolutely been the most beautiful girl in my school and college at university, in most schools. She would be a terrible Emma, it would be completely unbelievable that Dexter wasn't keener on her, like one of those embarrassing 90s movies where they put a very attractive girl in glasses and then give her a "makeover". I think Ambika is attractive, but not the first person you'd necessarily pin as "hot", which makes her a good choice

What that's absolute nonsense surely

Yes she's pretty but so are loads of girls who you're doing a huge disservice to

We see you her having had top makeup artists and hairdressers etc working on her

I'm pretty sure you and most girls at your school would have looked stunning too with the the right makeup and expensive clothes

In fact if you think that about yourself go and have some kind of professional make over and I'm sure you look beautiful too

I watched the first few episodes and it doesn't look like a friendship at all, even with an undercurrent.

The first episode was great but I'm guessing it's going to be quite depressing generally, so not sure about watching the rest.

I enjoyed the book and didn’t watch the film. I’ve started the series and I’m finding it a bit slow and cringey. I don’t find the “BFF” friendship that survives long distance pre internet that credible. Possibly it’s also triggering memories of all my cringey FWB relationships where one of us was hoping for more and the other was being wilfully oblivious in order to maintain the possibility of a booty call when drunk and out of other options 🤣. Ha, good times!

I read the book ages ago, the series was fantastic on Netflix and I loved Dexter but somehow these two characters just didn't fit together there wasn't a real character chemistry, even though the acting was good

I loved it! Sobbed pretty much all the way through ep 14, and fell in love with Dexter myself 🤣 he’s absolutely beautiful!

I finished this series tonight and really enjoyed it, sobbed all the way through last episode!

I loved the romance of it, the invisible thread that holds them together, and the way in which the characters grow over the episodes.

Being a similar age to the characters at that time, I found it so nostalgic and that upset me too!

Absolutely agree! It is very much my experience too.

I wonder if the Emma haters are posh Southern girls who don’t get the Northern no nonsense sarcasm? 😉🤣