One Day At A Time References Trump And Coronavirus In Animated Special — The 9 Best (And Strangest) Moments
What do ALF, Gloria Estefan and Lin-Manuel Miranda's Alexander Hamilton have in common? They all appeared in Tuesday's politically tinged One Day at a Time, which presented the Alvarez family (and friendly building manager Schneider) in cartoon form.
The one-off special — which was commissioned in April, shortly after production on Season 4 was halted due to the coronavirus pandemic — centered on the imminent arrival of Penelope's conservative relatives, including cousin Estrellita (voiced by Brooklyn Nine-Nine's Melissa Fumero), Tia Mirtha (Estefan) and Tio Juanito (Miranda). But rather than show us how their stay went, the episode focused on how their visit could play out if they chose to discuss the upcoming election, among other current events. That led to a number of fantasy sequences that included an America's Got Talent parody, an homage to the Tony Award-winning Hamilton and the capture of a beloved sitcom character — all of which we've compiled in the following roundup.
In addition to this fall's Trump vs. Biden showdown, the episode referenced Trump's immigration policy and the Black Lives Matter movement, and indirectly addressed COVID-19, which has claimed more than 100,000 American lives since ODAAT was forced to suspend production. ("You think he keeps you safe?" Penelope asked her cousin. "Imagine something happening on a global scale — something so huge that it completely shuts everything down, and we're stuck waiting for someone to lead us while we watch episodes of our favorite TV shows, but now they're all animated!")
Grade the special via the following poll, then scroll down for a recap of the best (and, in some cases, truly insane) moments from the episode.
WHEN LYDIA PREPARED FOR MIRTHA'S VISIT
Lydia and Mirtha's Season 3 truce has since been called off, hence Lydia preparing to host "La Diabla" by spritzing the apartment with "holy water" — or, in this case, Febreze.
WHEN LYDIA TOOK THE EDGE OFF
Lydia needed a drink to talk about her sister. She polished off an entire bottle of rum before the episode was over!
WHEN ALEX REFUSED TO THROW AWAY HIS SHOT
Miranda sorta reprised his role as Broadway's Hamilton in a fantasy sequence that found Alex kiss up to his "Tio ATM."
WHEN ELENA REVEALED HER SINISTER PLAN FOR THE REYES FAMILY
Penelope was shocked when Elena suggested they let their ill-informed relatives stay with them... until her progressive teenage daughter explained why. "They're voters in Florida, a swing state," she said. "We cannot let them leave until December!"
WHEN TWO GLORIA ESTEFANS WERE BETTER THAN ONE
In addition to reprising her role as Mirtha, the three-time Grammy winner voiced herself in yet another fantasy sequence that found Lydia and her sister battle in a singing competition, Lydia's Got Talent. (Fun fact: The song they performed was a parody of Estefan's "Mi Tierra.")
WHEN PENELOPE KICKED OUT HER TRUMP-LOVING COUZ
After Penelope told Estrellita to "either get your head out of your a–, or get the hell out of my house," a wide shot revealed that Estrellita's noggin was in fact lodged in her you-know-what.
WHEN ALF WAS CAPTURED BY I.C.E.
In another fantasy, Gordon Shumway — aka the friendly extraterrestrial from the late-'80s sitcom — made a brief cameo as an "illegal alien" apprehended by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
WHEN A FIGHT TO THE DEATH COULDN'T CHANGE A REPUBLICAN'S MIND
In one truly deranged hypothetical, Penelope had her hands wrapped around Estrellita's neck and was fully prepared to finish the job. Before she took her final breath, Estrellita offered the following last words: "... but her emails!"
WHEN PENELOPE ENVISIONED WHAT SHE'D ACTUALLY SAY TO HER COUZ
In addition to pointing out how ill-prepared POTUS would be to handle a global pandemic, Penelope spoke to Estrellita about the importance of supporting a candidate who respects all people — no matter their race, gender or sexual identity:
"Remember when we used to joke about this stuff? 'I'm a crazy liberal! You're a stuffy conservative! Hahaha...' I miss that," she said. "Us being on opposite sides isn't new; now it's just different. This guy made it different. People used to try and hide their racism, but the president made it cool again. We have to stand up for one another, now more than ever. That's why we need to say Black Lives Matter! Trans lives matter! Brown lives matter!
"When he calls Mexicans rapists, you think that doesn't effect you?" she asked. "Think if [your son] was in that Walmart, where the guy said he was there to shoot all the Mexicans, he would've stopped to ask if [your son] was Cuban before pulling the trigger? He wouldn't have cared, because the president told him immigrants are dangerous and don't deserve to be here. You want to keep us safe? How about not deporting people who fought for this country who served with me [and] risked their lives for you? Crazy idea: What if when people came to this country, we were like, 'Are you fleeing a horrible situation? Please, come on in...' Oh, wait, that's not a crazy idea. That was us when our parents fled Cuba. How quickly we forget! America is great because we don't just fight for ourselves. We fight for people we will never meet, just like when our parents came here. Strangers organized their trips, arranged for them to be safe. Strangers. We can't benefit from the kindness of strangers, then turn our backs on the ones that need us to stand up for them, because that's what kept us safe, and that's what's beautiful about our country."