Two years ago, my mom told me I needed to try this adorkable Netflix holiday show. Looking at the trailer, it seemed too “Serendipity;” a fun concept, but too crazy to the point it almost angered me. HA! Yet, last year, I needed something to watch and decided to give it a chance! HOLY TWINKLING CHRISTMAS TREE DRESSES, FRIENDS! This show is a brilliant gem! Whimsical, fun, heartfelt, and one of the purest forms of quirky I have ever savored. This story starts with a challenge, us being dared to follow this sudden game like our main guy Dashel AKA Dash. Here’s what I have to say to our mysterious game master and narrator:
“I’m not scared, Clue Girl. I’m hooked.”
My dear momma, who I should learn to always listen to all the time, informed me I would enjoy this show also because it involves a book. And where do we start this magical ride? A bookstore! Happy dance indeed! We follow our boy, Dash, who is scanning the shelves of a bookstore to find a red journal wedged in a shelf he is scanning. Inside is a literacy scavenger hunt, the words of a charming, playful young lady leading this quest. Dash is in a whirlwind to solve the puzzle set, entranced. He becomes fascinated with the author and wants desperately to fnd her, the two of them then embark on a holiday full of high jinks where they leave challenges for each other and get everyone they know the other or craft encounters (which they all happily do!) That is one of my favorite concepts; EVERYONE they hand the notebook to or ask to help plan an adventure for the other for just accepts this arrangement of sweet young love! So even the hot dog vendor Dash asks to help learns what this girl looks like, but doesn’t say a word! LOL! I find this endearing and a scream! Dash and Lily were the last to know the other’s faces! Hahaha!
The first two episodes introduce us to our delightful duo. Number one is Dash and his race in the bookstore, but we also discover he wants solitude for Christmas, him crashing at his dad’s in secret, lying to both his divorced parents about where he is. He’s not a fan of the holidays due to him being from a split home and the lack of his now ex-girlfriend in his life. The notebook is the only thing that gives him a spark of spirit and makes him want to try to believe. He also is a huge book nerd, a big plus. OH! And his best amigo, Boomer, is precious and a riot, a perfect best friend for anyone! Boomer just wants Dash to be happy and how he gets involved with his whirlwind, big-city romance is amazing. Now, let’s meet this flower that our hero is ‘dashing’ to meet. 
Episode two stars Lily, a peppy, creative, giving girl I connected with IMMEDIATELY! She is adorable and nerdy and too sweet for words! I’d be besties with her for sure. Opposite of our boy, Lily loves Christmas; it’s the axis of her happiness. After she is singing jolly carols and returns home, she finds her parents leaving her and her older brother during Christmas! With her plans in disarray, her brother and his new, encouraging boyfriend come up with the idea for Lily to do the notebook and leave it at the bookstore, in hopes of the rare chance she may find a special boy. They use books from her room since she is also an avid reader (I loved how she used the white empty fireplace in her room as a bookshelf!) When she actually gets a response, it is time to get to know this mystery miracle. 
In order to help the secret object of their desire learn more about them, they send them to different locations or try their favorite things in their beloved, alive New York City. Dash makes Lily try a pretzel that is completely covered in salt, go to the station at the crack of dawn before anyone is there to absorb the ceiling of the quiet and gorgeous heavens, and even make her go to a rocking Hannakkah dance club where she is a nervous wreck (him even leaving her an encouragement message on the dirty bathroom mirror. Awww!,) Lily but becomes the queen of the event, lol! The one that gets me is when Dash explains to her that life is messy and it is okay to lash out when you are upset, something Lily has never done. I FEEL this so hard! He sends her to an art studio called The Break Room, where Lily (who makes her own clothes so creativity is in her blood) makes an adorable muppet that looks like Dash (ha,) but the key to the experience is after you create whatever you want, then you have to destroy it. Lily cannot fathom this and chipperly bounces to the local dog park with her homemade treats. Still, his message sings through to her and maybe healing in its destruction. You’ll have to watch to find out.
Lily’s bubbliness and quiet light sends Dash on some playful, minx-like adventures that also push the boy out of his negative Ned mindset, it starting by how he has to SIT on Macy’s Santa’s lap begrudgingly so he can STEAL his hat in order to get Lily’s name! HA! She also gives him the inner strength to stand up to his father by ‘listening to his mochi,’ a phrase, cooking skill, and lifestyle idea he learned when trying to make the complex treat of mochi from silent and judgy elder Japanese citizens! LOL! Lily makes him try some of her favorite foods, stand like a statue performer for ten minutes, and go to a brightly cheered holiday home that has an endearing message woven in its magic that gives him a smile and hope. Ironically and wonderfully, Lily recruits several of her family members to help her implement her quirky plans. =D LOL!
This is what I love about this. The challenges help both of them grow as people because they want to not only get to know each other but HELP the other see the goodness they see between the lines of the pages, woven in their words. The two are able to confess things to each other they never are brave enough to admit, such as loneliness, bullying, being proud of yourself, how to deal with pressure, family expectations, and more. It shows the power of written words, something I am a huge advocate of. Their messages and adventures are heartfelt and thoughtful. And the series makes New York City truly come to life, its own character, a friend embracing this couple. I really enjoy all the locales and would love to see them for myself, my own ‘Dash and Lily’ tour! =D
Now, unfortunately, like all fairy tales, the magic fades before our climax. I do not want to spoil anything, but your heart will ring with the emotions of the characters, Our quirky Cinderella may have lost her red boot, but the prince might not be able to get the happily ever after he wants…and he may be part of the cause. This is a tender romance made for teenagers, so don’t expect anything that will floor you, but you will DEFINITELY FEEL for these two because you become a part of their friend group and want to lift them up to be together during this time of snow and miracles. And yes, past bullies and exs are involved. *eye roll* Plus, NICK JONAS giving Dash love advice on New Years’ Eve while THE FREAKING JONAS BROTHERS PERFORM?! MIND BLOWN!!! Such an incredible scene!
This holiday series is a true joy, a feast for the eyes, a story to devour like Boomer’s pizza, and it connects you as well as the hinted-at animated love story between office supplies! It makes your heart warm and content, a smile light on your face, the antics full of charm, and the characters pulling you in. I want to revisit them every year. My chest ACHES that they canceled the second season! *cries* We need to protest for this delightful story! 
If you want to watch this eight-episode series, you can watch it EXCLUSIVELY ON NETFLIX!
There are also a few books in ‘The Dash and Lily’ series that the show is based on if you want more of this flower and connector of words.
I GIVE THIS SHOW TEN RED NOTEBOOKS OUT OF TEN RED NOTEBOOKS!
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Create your own magic! Stay geeky! 
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Educator of young minds by day, super nerdy savior of justice, and cute things by night, Morgan Straughan Comnick has a love for turning the normal into something special without losing its essence. Morgan draws from real-life experiences and her ongoing imagination to spark her writing. In her spare time, she enjoys doing goofy voices, traveling to new worlds by turning pages, humming child-like songs, and forcing people to smile with her “bubbliness.” It is Morgan’s mission in life to spread the amazement of otaku/Japanese culture to the world and to stop bullying; she knows everyone shines brightly. For more information about Morgan and her works, check out her website, which also has links to all her social medias: http://morganscomnick.com
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Past Christmas Top Ten Lists on this Site by Year:
Top Ten Favorite Classic Christmas songs (2013),
Top Ten Favorite Christmas Specials (2014),
Top Ten Favorite Fandoms (2015),
Top Ten Favorite “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” Characters (2016),
Top 10 Favorite Things About Christmas (2018),
No Christmas one for 2019
Top 10 Nutcracker Favorite Songs from “The Nutcracker,” (2020)
