For a majority of the 14-episode run of “One Day,” the series throws viewers into a whirlwind of emotions. Emma and Dexter are so clearly, obviously in love with one another, but are such frustrating communicators that they fail to tell each other how they really feel. It’s the ultimate show in inspiring you to scream “OH MY GOD, JUST ADMIT IT ALREADY!” at your TV screen, with episodes fluctuating between the painfully awkward and the heartbreakingly yearnful. Show creator and lead writer Nicole Taylor spoke to Entertainment Weekly about the series and said, ”I wanted to be as faithful to the book as possible, and I wanted to snapshot this day every year, whether they’re together or they’re not.”
She continued, “The question was the same: Where are they at in relation to each other, even if they’re not in the same frame, even if they’re not in the same episode? That is the overarching question for the series. I felt that was very truthful to those kinds of relationships.”
The original plan was to have 20 episodes for all 20 years of their story, but condensing the series to 14 was still plenty of time to devastate audiences. By the time episode 13 rolled around, viewers were already hooked on Emma and Dexter’s love story, having watched them evolve and dance around their feelings amidst massive life changes for each of them. But episode 13 is the moment those who have read the book were likely dreading: Emma’s death.