Dash hates Christmas (bah humbug). Lily, on the other hand, loves it. The only thing she doesn't love is that she's alone for the festive season. So with the help of her brother, she devises a plan to meet the perfect person by making a treasure hunt around The Strand bookstore. And then (in case you haven't guessed already), along comes Dash.
Dash not Dasher though, since Prancer, Cupid, Comet and Vixen unfortunately don't make an appearance in the series. Sorry.
He's bookish and brave enough to follow Lily's dares in The Strand, but it'll be the wild goose chase round New York that might prove to be a problem for the pair. Whilst he has to cope with the majority of Lily's family questioning whether he's the right guy for her, she faces people from her past she'd much rather forget.
Whilst the plot is predictable, and the dialogue occasionally faltering, it doesn't make Dash and Lily any less wholesome
Oh yeah, and the Jonas Brothers crop up at one point and Nick Jonas gives relationship advice. So, y'know, that's one for all the Camp Rock fans I guess.
Whilst the plot is predictable, and the dialogue occasionally faltering, it doesn't make Dash and Lily any less wholesome. The build-up to their meeting covers the majority of the episodes, so I would strongly suggest a binge-watch over a night or two, otherwise you'll start to notice more flaws in the series, and that kinda takes the fun out of it.
It's also really worth mentioning the diversity of the show; like the fact that Lily and her brother Langston are half Japanese and half white. Troy Iwata (who plays Lily's brother Langston), described the series as "doing a really great job of portraying this mixed family that sort of embraces both of their ethnic backgrounds equally."
Iwata's character is gay, but as he goes on to expand, Langston's "main arc isn’t them accepting their queerness or overcoming outside hate from their family or community... Because Langston is just this really fun, quirky, snarky human who happens to be gay and it’s never really questioned or challenged by himself or any of his friends. And I think that’s a really important message of hope to especially send to a younger audience."
It's bookish, more diverse than many other 'Hallmark'-like films and shows, and made me cry far more than we should even mention
Austin Abrams is brilliant as the cynical but amusing Dash, but it's Midori Francis that really stands out as Lily. She doesn't send the message across to girls that you should be ashamed of who you really are and try your best to fit in (a trap that the show could very easily have fallen into), but completely lets Lily embrace herself, Christmas-tree dress and all.
Yes, Dash and Lily might just be more tooth-rotting Christmas fluff to some people. But I genuinely believe Netflix did a good job on this, and I would happily watch it again (or even a few times more). It's bookish, more diverse than many other 'Hallmark'-like films and shows, and made me cry far more than we should even mention. Except now I really want another season. So, Netflix, the only question left is... Do you dare?