Lena Waithe, Thanksgiving, and Master of None

Last month, Lena Waithe became the first African-American woman to receive an Emmy nomination for comedy writing. Having seen the work which garnered this Emmy nod, I am very pleased and not at all surprised. 

Lena Waithe's historic nomination comes for her writing on an episode of Master of None. If you aren't familiar with the series, Master of None is a program on Netflix produced by and starring Aziz Ansari. Primarily, the show follows Dev (played by Ansari), a second-generation Indian immigrant, as he navigates life in New York City.

And, the show is hilarious. (Readers be advised, the show is rated MA for strong language and sexual themes).

Now in its second season, Master of None is no stranger to tackling social issues. Past episodes have covered topics such as religion, race, aging parents, and immigration. 

Episode 8 of season 2 is called "Thanksgiving." The episode tells the story of Denise, as she discovers and comes to grips with her sexuality. Lena Waithe co-wrote the script with Aziz Ansari, using her own life experiences coming out as a lesbian to frame the episode. Aside from writing the script, Lena also stars as Denise, a fictionalized version of herself.

Angela Bassett and Lena Waithe in "Thanksgiving"

This ingenious and powerful episode is told through the portrayal of five different Thanksgivings over the course of 22 years. In a series of scenes, spanning decades of her life, we see landmark moments from Denise's life, including her own personal realization that she is a lesbian, her revelation of this aspect of her identity to friends and family members, and bringing a girlfriend home for the holidays for the first time.

You should watch it. The episode stands alone, telling a story that is unconnected from the rest of the series, so it is possible to enjoy this one episode without committing to the entire series. At this time, Netflix streaming service is the only place to watch.

This recent piece from the LA Times explains:

Waithe wanted to highlight cultural expectations within the black community. Last year, the film “Moonlight” subverted ideas of black masculinity in its story of a young, gay black boy growing up in Florida. Waithe was offering a female perspective on what it means to be black and gay. In the episode, a young Denise opts to wear baggy jeans and a baseball cap instead of a dress.

“Girls get away with it for a while, actually,” Waithe says. “Because it is less taboo for a girl to be a tomboy than it is for a young man to be effeminate. “But that’s why I thought it was so important to show that,” she says, “but also show how a mom, a black mom especially of that generation was like, ‘No. Wear the dress. We’ll make it fit.’ There's that desire for appearances, but there’s not that much worry.” But when it confronts her, whether it’s me coming out or me bringing another girl home, she doesn’t like it too much.”

Guest star Angela Bassett portrays Denise's conservative mother in the episode, also receiving an Emmy nomination for her performance. Bassett was drawn to the role because of her respect for the show in general, but also because she saw the poignant and funny script as a way to generate conversation.

A young Dev and Denise take part in Thanksgiving in an early scene of the episode.

As she grows and learns about her own sexuality, Denise's story is compelling. Equally compelling is the story arc of the mother, as she comes to terms with her daughter's identity. When Bassett and Waithe are together on screen, there are moments of pure electricity.

Aside from the razor-sharp writing, the episode features some brilliant design work, capturing the look and feel of each time period represented. A Jennifer Aniston poster during the height of her Friends fame, discussions of Hilary from Fresh Prince, music videos on MTV, and fashion styles from the era all feature prominently in the episode. These specific references are also drawn directly from Lena's life story (she truly did have a crush on Jennifer Aniston, for example).

When I first watched the Thanksgiving episode with my wife earlier in 2017, I said to myself, "This better win a lot of awards." I was struck by the specificity of the episode. This is not a generic coming-out story (if there could ever be such a thing). This tells the intensely personal story of a young black lesbian woman.

In a joint interview with Aziz Ansari (a fun read, if you want to know how the episode came to be), Lena Waithe told Vulture:

I don’t think my story as a queer black woman is so crazy and random, but it’s very specific. Especially in my community there’s a lot of images in the media or social media about, “Oh, this is what a black lesbian is and what she looks like.” I thought the more specific we could be about it, the more interesting it could be. That’s also what Aziz gravitates toward. He’s like, “How specific can we get?” We felt like it didn’t look like anything I’d seen on TV before, and that’s our litmus test. Have we seen this before? What’s the most honest way to tell this story?

The beauty of telling such a personal story is that it provides a way to address various aspects of the characters' personhood. Intersectionality is a word that might be used for stories that touch many different areas of a person's identity. Aside from telling the story of a young lesbian coming out, the episode tells the story of a black family. We see scenes in which the family discusses OJ Simpson around the dinner table, as well as the case of Sandra Bland. 

The episode packs an emotional punch, deftly handling important and heavy topics. And, the episode is hilarious. A devious Dev, insisting on poking fun at Denise's new girlfriend, and conversations with an outspoken Aunt alongside a blunt grandmother stand out as funny moments.

Watch it, if you are able. And keep an eye out for Lena Waithe. She writes and performs for various shows, and recently wrapped up filming on the upcoming Steven Speilberg film Ready Player One.