5 laugh-out-loud moments from One Day At A Time Season 4 premiere

One Day at a Time picked up right where we left off with its Season 4 premiere on Pop TV. Here are five laugh-out-loud moments from the Alvarez family.

Nearly a year after Netflix cancelled the sitcom, One Day at a Time returned to the small screen on Tuesday with its Season 4 premiere on Pop TV. The half-hour reminded viewers why the streaming juggernaut made a huge mistake in opting to not renew.

Now that the series has a new home, the Alvarez family is back to making us laugh through teachable moments. If you missed the premiere, here are the top five laugh-out-loud moments that had us in stitches.

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Poking fun at Netflix

While the Netflix to Pop TV transition was a very serious matter for those working on-screen and behind-the-scenes, the intelligent writers wasted no time in poking fun at the matter with a jab at their former home. Not even 20 seconds in to the premiere, Max tells his mom, “It’s like there’s nothing good on Netflix anymore.” The few seconds of lingering on Max’s face allows the audience to both gasp and crack up at the boldness of the line.

Everybody loves Brian?

Ray Romano guest-starred in this episode as Brian, a census worker who made a stop at the Alvarez apartment. The first six minutes focused on the importance of participating in the census, all while serving as a proper reintroduction of all the prominent characters.

Romano’s role was perfectly written and executed, but the highlight of his arrival may have been when Penelope slammed the door in his face, prompting Elena to ask why she did that. Her mother followed it up with, “A guy wanting a list of Latinos in my house? No, thanks.”

After Brian learned who everyone was, including Syd, Berkowitz, and Schneider, he bid his farewell, unsure if he would return in ten years. Lydia noted he was doing a great job and that, “Everybody loves Brian.” Romano delivered his final line with, “Yeah, doesn’t sound right.”

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The long-awaited return of the matriarch

Speaking of Lydia, she made her on-screen return in spectacular fashion like only she can. When Penelope was asked if she’s the head of the household, Lydia emerged from her room by sliding her entryway’s curtains open, strutting her way to Brian, and proclaiming, “I am.”

Even at 88 years old, Rita Moreno continues to excel in her role, providing the most hilarious moments every time she appears. Another highlight included the “Tia Chuchi speech,” where Lydia explained to her daughter that after Chuchi’s man left her, she didn’t give “A.F.”

Not only was the scene a hit with viewers, but the writers enjoyed crafting the dialogue for the scene as well.

Penelope is a strong, independent woman

“I’m going to die alone,” was Penelope’s hypothesis after taking in her mother’s story about Tia Chuchi. One of the best things about One Day at a Time is the show’s willingness to tackle important topics that many shows don’t dive into, especially for a comedy.

Penelope, a single Cuban-American mother who struggles with PTSD and depression, regularly attends group therapy with other women, which provides a fun balance of comedic relief and seriousness. During her most recent visit, she discussed her fears of still being single in 10 years when the census guy comes back around.

"“It’s true, though. I don’t need a man. The problem is, I still like men.”"

Through a failed date and discussions with Schneider and her kids, Penelope realized that she can be a strong, independent feminist and still want a relationship. This was a great plot to reintroduce the mother who seemingly does it all.

Relationship dilemmas

Elena drove her brother nuts throughout the episode by separating herself from Syd as a test for when they go off to college. Just when Alex was ready to bang his head against the table, Syd reappeared to surprise Elena, and relieve Alex in the process.

Elena learns that Lydia called Syd back to their home with a hilarious impression of her granddaughter over the phone. “Hello. This is Elena. I’m just sitting here, not brushing my hair. You want to come over?”

As for Alex, he explained to his mom that the day’s events taught him how hard and annoying relationships can be before announcing he’s entered one of his own with a girl named Nora. Of course, this prompted Lydia to open her curtains and leave us hanging with, “What?”

Which moments from the Season 4 premiere made you laugh out loud? Sound off below!

One Day at a Time airs every Tuesday at 9:30/8:30pm C on Pop TV. The first episode is now available to stream for free on the Pop TV website.