As the Christmas season swiftly approaches, various types of festive movies and shows are being released. The holiday rom-com “Dash & Lily” takes viewers on a whimsical journey of Dash (Austin Abrams) and Lily (Midori Francis) falling in love with each other as they communicate through clues in a notebook.

Dash is a closed-off person, seen as snarky and condescending, while Lily is outgoing and cheerful, but shy around new people. The one thing that brings them together is their loneliness. Lily was bullied at school and never made friends. Dash does not want to be with either of his divorced parents and after going through a tough heartbreak with his ex-girlfriend, so he spends most of his Christmas alone. Their lack of company becomes a driving force that connects them. Although they are close to being polar opposites, they were able to connect through their notebook which is what made the show so enjoyable.

At first, I thought this show was going to be like every other romantic holiday movie where the guy meets a girl, they fall in love, face obstacles and have a happy ending, but the show exceeded my expectations. The combination of romance and comedy was pleasant. Dash and Lily communicated through a red notebook that they left for each other in their favorite places. It was amazing to see how two people were able to understand each other so much without ever meeting. Their letters, dares and puzzles were able to bring them together which showed how strong their relationship is. This was such a fun and dynamic part of the show to see.

My favorite thing about this show was how Dash and Lily changed each other for the better. Dash started to find positive aspects of the negative situations he was in. He learned to truly love someone again and his acts of kindness made him a better person. Lily was never able to stand up to her oppressors and she never went out and had fun. After meeting Dash, she truly explored her rebellious side, learned to stand up for herself and just had fun by going to new places and trying new activities. They both were able to bring out the best in each other, which I thought was heartfelt.

What made this show so real and genuine was how not everything going on between the couple was happy and exciting. Both Dash and Lily were dealing with personal problems that they couldn’t share with each other. Dash not only had to face his ex-girlfriend again, but he also had to face his dad and his new girlfriend. Christmas time was always rough for him because he was never able to find a reason to be happy and celebrate. Lily’s parents left her alone and went to Fiji because of her dad’s job offer. They lied to her about why they were going and when she found out everything was falling apart for her. This show is a great example of how the main characters don’t always have to be happy, which adds depth and value to a show or movie.

Overall, the story was light-hearted and is a great Christmas show to binge. The combination of the lively cinematography and the rich emotional plot makes this a great show to watch.