Netflix’s New Love Story

Aziz Ansari made his mark on TV as the outsize Tom Haverford, a materialistic city employee on Parks and Recreation. Writing for himself, Ansari has toned things down with the new sitcom Master of None, now streaming on Netflix. It’s an endearingly earnest look at the state of modern love that still fits in plenty of big ideas.

The show, co-created by Ansari and Alan Yang, stars Ansari as Dev, an aspiring actor looking for love and really good tacos. Over the 10 episodes, Dev goes on dates (including a memorable fling with a food critic played by Claire Danes) and falls, gradually, in love with a music publicist (Noël Wells).

These characters’ jobs, along with their apartments and nights out, situate this in a fantasy New York City, one that’s as pleasant as Rachel Green’s or Carrie Bradshaw’s. Otherwise, Master of None keeps things real, about the painful aspects of seeking love and life as a South Asian actor in a prejudiced industry. That Ansari has, yes, mastered both in a single series elevates him from gifted comic to the first great millennial showrunner.