Netflix's One Day series is finally here, and it's officially a hit.
Swoon-worthy story and amazing performances aside (Ambika Mod and Leo Woodall are perfection), we are already obsessed with the sheer nostalgia attached to so many moments of the show.
Since the series follows fated couple Emma and Dex throughout their twenties and thirties, visiting them on the same day on each year (15 July), there's plenty of opportunity for nostalgia across fashion, music, technology – you name it.
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Above all, we have found ourselves very drawn to the analogue ways that the duo communicate – through payphones and answer phone messages in particular. Why does that feel more romantic, somehow?
We've got to credit One Day's attention to detail, since there's a number of scenes that brought with them a tidal wave of nostalgia from the ‘80s, ’90s and noughties. Here are our top moments…
The hamburger phone that Dexter uses to call his parents
People are already freaking out about this one, and we don't blame them. Right at the beginning of the series, we see Dexter slyly pretending to call his parents the morning after the first night he spends with Emma, in a bid to buy time with her. He does this using a hamburger phone in Emma's Edinburgh student house – a piece of technology we haven't seen since the late '80s (when this episode is set) or ’90s.
Rom-com fans may recognise the very same kitschy phone from Juno, loveably used by Eliot Page in the film. Should we be swapping our soul-sucking, battery-guzzling iPhones for a hamburger phone? Most likely.
The ultimate '90s aftershave
They say that our sense of smell brings back memories most acutely, and this is why we're loving the very thoughtful placement of Dexter's Davidoff Cool Water aftershave on the shelf of their hotel in Greece (episode 4). Whatever era you grew up in, there was a “cool guy” or “hot guy" (or “f**k boy”) aftershave, and Cool Water was THE ONE of the early '90s. Talk about a throwback.
Emma's quintessentially cool choker
On Emma's first date with doomed comic Ian (episode 5), she is rocking the ultimate ‘90s fashion accessory, the black leather choker. Often referred to as a “tattoo choker”, this baby was all the rage back then and makes fleeting returns to the fashion discourse every now and then – and we fall for it every time. It’s every bit as “cool girl in her 20s” vibes as we want for Emma as she tries out being foot loose and fancy free in London.
Dexter's heartfelt payphone call
As well as being one of the more heartbreaking moments of the series, Dexter's emotional phone call to Emma from the train platform of his parents' home town in episode 5 is inescapably nostalgic. There's something romantic about finding a payphone and depositing the funds to call your loved ones, something of a lost art even. iPhones could never.
… and the fact that he left an answer phone message
No, voice notes are not the same. The chaotic spiralling of a voicemail message is mostly lost these days, because if you send a voice note you've already semi-crafted in your head what you want to say, whereas an answerphone message catches you unawares. Dexter's answer phone message to Emma on the train platform (and the ones they leave each other later on in the series) are heartfelt and authentic, harking back to a simpler time.
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The Kettle Chips and sunset combo
This one isn't era-specific, but it still has the most nostalgic of vibes. We are loving the Kettle Chips reference in episode 3, where they purchase a bag for a boozy hang out, especially the fact that the crisp packet marks the range as “new” back in the early 90s – also we didn't miss Emma's relatable shock at the price (not much has changed there, admittedly).
The couple drink wine and eat Kettle Chips on London's Primrose Hill, and honestly, it makes us nostalgic for alfresco summer hang outs too.
Every soundtrack choice throughout
As the series spans from the late 1980s to early Noughties, so does the absolutely outstanding soundtrack. It succeeds in bringing back such specific snapshots of the very best cultural moments from back then, meaning peak nostalgia.
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The show's musical team have been careful to select from a span of genres as well, from Britpop and indie (Blur, Radiohead, The Stone Roses) to electro pop (think Flowers by Sweet Female Attitude, N-Trance's Set You Free and the genius that is Fatboy Slim) and old school rock and roll. 10/10.
