Looking to binge a festive holiday show that's not too over-the-top cheesy? Then you'll want to add Netflix's Dash & Lily [1] to your list ASAP. Based on Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn, this delightful romantic comedy series follows Dash (Austin Abrams) and Lily (Midori Francis), two New York City teens who communicate via a red notebook that Lily leaves in The Strand Bookstore.
Geared toward young adults [2], Dash & Lily is generally appropriate for teens and tweens. And of course, because it's set in NYC during the holiday season, you're likely to get a heavy dose of nostalgia and endearing merriment. Thinking about streaming this awesome series with your older kids? Read ahead to get a look at what parents should know before queuing up director Fred Savage's latest work! And don't forget to bookmark our list of festive movies for families [3] ahead of the holiday season.
There are some references to sex — however, you don’t see anyone in the act.
In the beginning of the series, we see Lily's brother Langston (Troy Iwata) in bed with his shirtless [5] boyfriend, Benny (Diego Guevara). Completely smitten with each other, it's clear by Lily's surprised reaction that they've recently been intimate. Aside from some kissing later in the series, the rest is pretty PG.
Dash's tense relationship with his father makes for some uncomfortable moments worth addressing.
Dash doesn't have a great relationship with his father, Gordon, who is divorced from Dash's mom and is now an active dater. It's implied from flashbacks in which Dash has dinners with Gordon that he feels out of place around his dad's myriad girlfriends, and those feelings come to a head in a later scene when Gordon antagonizes Dash by calling out that he's not into sports and would rather have his nose in a book.
Understandably, Gordon's harping on antiquated gender stereotypes is unsettling, and overall, the scene is pretty uncomfortable. It may be worth chatting with your children about the fact that people don't have to enjoy certain activities because of or based on their gender. Additionally, the scenes with Gordon could drudge up feelings of animosity in young viewers who may have a complicated relationship with a parent, but could ultimately open up an opportunity for talking as a family, if applicable.
Lily confronts her bully in public, and it’s absolutely epic.
Lily stands up to her childhood bully, Edgar (Glenn McCuen), after he has the gall to ask her out on a date, forgetting how he'd bullied her in the past. Although Edgar doesn't remember what he said as a child — nor do the viewers learn the specifics — it's clear that Lily hasn't forgotten his behaviour and its effects on her life. In her incredible tirade, she truly lays it all on the table, saying, "You stopped me from doing all of the things I've wanted to do for so long."
Although your kids might not feel comfortable calling someone out during a poetry reading in front of an audience as Lily did, watching her say her piece was incredibly powerful. Edgar apologises immediately and they make up; and while the scene seems to go a little too smoothly in the end, Lily clearly got her point across!
It may be worthwhile to supplement this scene by talking to your kids about standing up for themselves and what they believe in, but it's also good to remind teens that going to an adult could be more effective in certain situations where someone is being bullied.