The third season of Netflix’s One Day at a Time has now been released, but what can fans expect from season 4? The remake of Norman Lear’s ground-breaking sitcom proved a surprise critical hit when it premiered on Netflix. The basic premise remained the same - a single working-class mother raising her kids after a tough divorce - but the modern-day reboot now focuses on a Cuban-American Latino family, headed by Army veteran turned nurse Penelope Alvarez (Justina Machado).
After the heart-wrenching climax of season 2, wherein grandma Lydia (Rita Moreno) fell into a coma and came close to death, the Alvarez family continued on their travails. Lydia’s health remained a major topic, as did Penelope’s anxiety disorder. Elena (Isabella Gomez) and her relationship with her other half Syd (Sheridan Pierce) looked for new ways to take their romance to the next level. Alex (Marcel Ruiz) dabbled in drug use, and their ever-present landlord Schneider (Todd Grinnell) became a true part of the family while dealing with his wavering sobriety. And on top of all that drama, Penelope’s ex-husband Victor announced his plans to remarry, and his fiancée looks a little too much like Penelope.
The series also introduced audiences to Penelope’s spoiled brother Tito (Danny Pino from Mayans M.C.), her new love interest, and the extended estranged family, which includes Lydia’s sister (played by Gloria Estefan, who sings the show’s theme song) and Penelope’s cousins (Stephanie Beatriz and Melissa Fumero from Brooklyn Nine-Nine). The season ended with Lydia surprising Penelope via a phone call from Cuba. As the show proved once again why it’s one of the best comedies on television with its third season, surely a fourth is on the horizon?
One Day at a Time Hasn’t Been Renewed for Season 4 (Yet)
As of the writing of this post, a fourth season of One Day at a Time has not been announced. The usual pattern with Netflix renewals is that the announcement is made a month or so after the latest season. American Vandal, for example, premiered on September 15 2017 and wasn’t renewed until October 26, a gap of six weeks. Other shows get a speedier renewal, such as Big Mouth, received their second season announcement a mere week after the big drop.
For One Day at a Time, the wait was far longer. After season 2 premiered on January 26 2018, a third season was ordered on March 26. It also took around 2 months for the second season to be announced in 2017. There was even talk of cancellation, as the show’s creators, Mike Royce and Gloria Calderon Kellett, encouraged fans to tweet their support of the show to Netflix. Given the show’s critical popularity, it seems feasible that Netflix would want to continue supporting this comedy, but fans may have to be patient in their wait for such news.
When Could One Day At A Time Season 4 Be Released?
Even with a later announcement of a new season last year, One Day at a Time has remained, like many Netflix shows, remarkably consistent in terms of its release dates. The first season was released on January 6 2017, with the second season premiering on January 26 of the following year. Season 3 presented the longest wait but not by very much. A year-long cycle, much in the same vein as the traditional network schedules, has proven successful for Netflix, at least when it comes to comedies.
What Will One Day At A Time Season 4’s Story Be?
The true delight of One Day at a Time comes in how it tackles tough subjects through a very familiar television format, and manages to be one of the most candid explorations of the various intersections of race, mental illness, sexual and gender identity, and much more. Each season wraps up its loose ends in a satisfying manner but there remains plenty of ground for future episodes to explore. With Lydia back in Cuba for the first time in decades, accompanied by her non-sexual platonic companion Dr. Leslie Berkowitz (Stephen Tobolowsky), there’s a whole haven of cultural and nostalgic stories to be experienced.
Season 3 saw Schneider fall off the wagon and begin drinking after 8 years of sobriety, an incident brought on by a visit from his toxic father (played by Alan Ruck). With the Alvarezes in his corner, being the family he never had for himself, he returned to AA meetings and confronted his demons. A fourth season would give Schneider more room to breathe as a character as well as a proper part of the Alvarez family.
Fans also saw new characters play a part in the Alvarez family’s lives, including other family members, which offered a plethora of cameos from incredible Latinx talents. Tito has promised to be around more for the family, which could mean more Danny Pino on the series, and there are near endless possibilities for visits from seldom mentioned distant cousins and the like (a staple of any good family sitcom).
