The Netflix romantic-drama series One Day spans over 20 years and keeping up with the protagonists’ ages is sometimes confusing. Based on David Nicholl’s 2009 book of the same name, One Day revolves around the love story of Emma and Dexter.
Em and Dex meet after their graduation and spend the entire day together. The series revisits the two on the same day, St. Swithin’s Day, every year for the next two decades.
The timeline is confusing as the events span over two decades. The series does not specify Em and Dex’s ages over the years, but we can figure it out through certain details.
1. Emma and Dex’s Age in the Beginning
Dexter is 23 years old, and Emma is 22 years old at the beginning of the series, as per the book. The Netflix series does not mention their exact ages when they first meet at the graduation party.
The adaptation is mostly faithful to its source material, so we can assume their ages will be as per the books. Dex and Emma were in their early 20s when they first met.
Much of their personality traits can also be explained by their age. The two behave like a couple of 20-somethings, navigating life’s ups and downs and having big, idealistic dreams.
2. When Emma and Dex Rediscover Their Friendship
In episode 7, Emma and Dex end their friendship due to Dex’s substance abuse issues and irresponsibility. At this point, they are in their late twenties. Their exact ages are not mentioned in the book or the series.
However, the two reconcile their friendship in One Day episode 10. At this time, Dex is 32, and Emma is 31. They decide to reconnect after giving each other some time and space.
3. How Old is Emma When She Dies?
Emma dies at the age of 36 in One Day. At the end of episode 13, Emma is hit by a car while she’s riding her bike in the rain. She dies on the spot.
As per the show’s timeline, Emma is 36 while Dex is 37 when he loses Emma. They are one year into their marriage and trying for a baby. They are also looking to move into a new home, and Emma is having a flourishing career with two published books.
In the book, Emma and Dex spend 3 years as a married couple. However, the show changes this detail, and the pair only get to spend one year after marriage.
4. Dex’s Age at the End of One Day
At the end of One Day, Dex is 42 years old, and the year is 2007. After Emma’s death, Dex goes through a major depressive episode, and the show ends five years after her tragic death.
In the book, Dex has a relationship with Maddy two years after Emma’s death. Maddy is ten years younger than Dex. However, this storyline was removed from the series.
5. About One Day
One Day is a 2024 British television series based on the 2009 novel of the same name by David Nicholls and the film adaptation. It premiered on 8 February 2024 on Netflix as a limited series.
Netflix ordered a new One Day adaptation in November 2021 from Drama Republic. The writers’ room was led by Nicole Taylor and consists of Anna Jordan, Vinay Patel, and Bijan Sheibani.
Executive producers included Nicholls and Taylor as well as Roanna Benn and Jude Liknaitzky. Molly Manners was attached to direct the series.
Actress Ambika Mod said in November 2022 that the series would cover more of the novel than the 2011 film adaptation.
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