After ‘The Thief’ showed us how Dev can adapt to life without his usual technological crutches, Arnold arrives in Italy for a Buds Weekend and entices Dev back into the world of smartphones and apps in ‘Le Nozza’.
Shortly after Arnold arrives in Italy for his ex’s wedding, he checks with Dev that his typically American behaviour in the food market isn’t going to ruin the hard earned reputation that Dev has built up over his time in Italy. Dev assures him that he need not worry, his behaviour is fine; but still Arnold’s question is a good indication of how far removed the Big Bud and Little Bud’s behaviour is going to be from Dev’s attempts at integration in ‘The Thief’. Whereas last week Dev had the charm of somebody attempting to mould himself around his foreign environment, the adventures of Dev and Arnold here very much feel like two tourists who are here for a good time, not a long time.
This whole episode, in fact, feels like an effort to make a bridge between the old Italian world of last week and the inescapably modern New York that Dev will re-enter in episode three. The re-injection of colour and the pop soundtrack to the opening credits seem almost to be a specific rebuttal to last episode’s black and white ringing bells that sent us mentally back to a bygone art form that is quintessentially Italian. The song that plays over the credits, ‘La Dolce Vita’ by Ryan Paris, is a song with English lyrics sang by an Italian artist; a western influence on Italian culture from the very opening moments.
The adventure that the two of them embark upon feels like something straight out of the Trip Advisor guide to Italy. They drive around on Vespas, eat in the most famous restaurant, see the hillsides and much more. This, of course, all makes total sense for them to do (Arnold is on a mini vacation after all), but it feels like the nature of their time together brings Dev to the point of already having one foot back in America by the time he has to make his decision on whether to stay in Italy or return home. It is as though he has regressed back into being a tourist after he had previously made a real effort at learning Italian and embracing Italian culture (albeit with limited success). And, of course, the pair of them take many, many pictures with their phones during their trip.
‘The Thief’ did a good job of minimising the use of ubiquity of technology whilst telling a story that featured a phone as a main plot point. Of course, all of this technology existed within the episode (we didn’t literally go back in time to the era of Neorealism, after all) but the execution of the classical look to the episode made the viewer somewhat forget that all of Dev’s favourite apps weren’t at his fingertips as usual. Conversely, ‘Le Nozze’ puts technology at the forefront of a story that isn’t specifically about technology in any real way (as many of Master of None’s first season episodes did). Even down to seemingly insignificant aspects such as Dev and Arnold’s car getting stuck down a tiny alley: they don’t get stuck due to Arnold’s driving incompetence, but rather because of their implicit trust that the GPS system leading them simply must be followed (and, of course, Dev documents the moment with a photo). Likewise, a story thread that poses Arnold’s new dating prowess against Dev’s current loneliness doesn’t have to involve dating apps in order to make a point about loneliness per se. But, in this case, it does need to feature the dating app to remind Dev of everything that he misses from his old life back in America. Dating apps don’t have any more chance of creating happiness than any other method of dating, (Arnold’s depression over his failed relationship with Ellen trumps any happiness he feels with his TallBoys success for most of the episode) but for Dev right now they just have to work as a reminder of what he could have back in New York.
Dev’s relative loneliness in Italy has led to him restarting his texting relationship with Rachel, despite him telling her that he wished to cut off contact sometime in the preceding few months to help get over their breakup. Dev admits to Arnold that he is essentially doing this out of boredom and simply because he enjoys having somebody there to text and flirt with. Whilst, of course, Dev’s loneliness may be deeply rooted, it seems as though it has manifested in a uniquely modern way. The abundance of technology in Dev’s life meant that in America he could always have somebody to speak to whenever he wanted. Even if it was meaningless and ultimately unfulfilling, it was at least some momentary enjoyment and satisfaction. In Italy he doesn’t have that same little thrill in his life and so he has chosen to drag up his old relationship in order to give him that fleeting buzz. And, at least momentarily, it seems to provide Dev some casual fun and enjoyment. Dev seems unsure at first as he texts Rachel but throughout the episode he gets more into it, smiling to himself at their little jokes and becoming more playful as they go along. It isn’t until Arnold confesses to Ellen that, despite his love for her, he has to acknowledge that they are on different paths that Dev is reminded of why he stopped speaking to Rachel in the first place and breaks it off again.
And with that, Dev decides to change his own path again and head back to America. As Dev bids goodbye to his friends he half heartedly tells Francesca that perhaps he will set up his own pasta making store in America. They have some banter about this but in reality they both know that nothing will come of it; it’s just the type of thing that you say to somebody when you say goodbye to them (however, the sad look on Francesca’s face as the camera lingers on her suggests that perhaps she will want to re-enter Dev’s life in some way eventually).
Once Dev arrives back in America, he immediately lands a gig hosting a game show that revolves around baking cupcakes. At a glance, this is arguably the best of both worlds for Dev: He’s back in his American home and gets to indulge his love of food whilst securing a regular showbiz gig. However, it could also potentially lead to yet more frustration for Dev; yes, he is combining both worlds but he is also not really committing to either one. Dev has always been an actor, not a presenter; and whilst he loves food, is watching other people baking really how he wants to indulge that passion? The Bell Jar quote from last season’s finale still sticks in my mind now and I worry that Dev has not remembered the lesson from the fig tree analogy: once you pick one fig from the tree, the rest must die. Dev is perhaps trying too hard now to pick as many of the figs as possible rather than committing to choosing one and acknowledging the tough reality that all the others must then wither away as a result.
