The reboot of One Day At A Time is, like the original, about a single mother struggling to raise her kids in a small apartment. But it is also very different in many ways from the original series on which its concept is based. And while the show has its share of goofy characters, everyone is actually fiercely intelligent.
Not only is Penelope Alvarez a skilled nurse practitioner, but she also keeps company with other very talented and smart people, from her own daughter to her paramedic boyfriend, Max.
But who's the smartest of the bunch? It's a tough call, and while none of them are unintelligent, per se, some are smarter than others.
Alex Alvarez
Alex only ranks at the bottom because as the youngest of the bunch, he still has so much more learning to do. Plus, next to his brainiac sister Elena, anyone would look sub-par when it comes to book smarts — especially a kid like Alex who places such a high value on status and appearance.
While Alex, who was about 12 when the series began and 16 by the fourth season, isn't an A student, he does pretty well. He's a good, well-adjusted kid who knows right from wrong. And while he makes dumb decisions sometimes, deep down, he's pretty intelligent. Just not as intelligent as the others.
Syd
Syd is the super-sweet romantic partner of Penelope's daughter Elena. Elena isn't one to be in a relationship with someone who isn't on her level intellectually, which is a comment on Syd's intelligence. But while Syd might be on the same level as Elena in terms of causes and social awareness, they might not exactly be the sharpest tool in the shed.
They like TV shows like Doctor Who and are a feminist like Elena. But sheer smarts? Many others rank above Syd, and this is most evident in one of the best episodes of the series, "Locked Down," where Syd spends lots of time in the Alvarez home as they all stay inside to avoid a criminal on the loose in the neighborhood.
Schneider
Schneider definitely has his moments of immaturity and silliness, knocking some points off. He hasn't had to earn much, as he was handed an apartment building to manage by his wealthy father. However, it still requires some skill to be able to maintain the building, make sure bills are paid, and keep tenants happy. Schneider has other skills, too, like maintaining bonsai trees and speaking multiple languages.
Lydia Riera
Lydia is about as traditional as they come, and while she has plenty of street smarts, and uttered many an iconic line on the show, she isn't the most intelligent of the bunch. That said, with as much life experience as she has, Lydia can run circles around the others on any topic if she has to.
Lydia won't be winning any Jeopardy! competitions, but while she might not be as well-educated as the others, she is smart enough to recognize the changes with a new generation and to be accepting of them.
Max Ferraro
As a paramedic, Max is knowledgeable in the medical field, and anyone who can literally save lives must be pretty intelligent. He had to go through a lot of training and schooling in order to achieve his position, and he has learned to remain calm in otherwise panic-riddled situations.
He moved to Indonesia to bring his talents there and help those in need. He also worked in a field hospital in Kabul. Max eventually returned home and pursued a relationship once again with Penelope. But he would continue to travel back and forth to work in other locations around the world, sharing his intelligence about medical first aid and response with others.
Penelope Alvarez
Penelope served in the military as a staff sergeant, deployed to work as a medic in Afghanistan. She studied to become a nurse then continued her education, despite all of her other responsibilities, to become a nurse practitioner. It takes a lot of smarts to be able to study with so many distractions and pass such a grueling test.
Penelope has the drive and the intelligence and could probably have become a doctor if she wanted to. But familial obligations, financial difficulties, and the desire to spend time with her family came first. But she is one of the smartest main characters on the show.
Elena Alvarez
Despite only being a teenager, starting at 14 at the beginning of the series and ending around 18 or 19, Elena was the most book smart of all of the main characters. She was an A-student who was on the fast-track to college. She was smart not only in subjects like math, science, and history, but also about social issues. She used her intelligence to teach others about causes she felt were important to the new generation and required attention, including feminism, racism, and gender identity.
That said, while Elena was the most book-smart person in her family, participating in things like the debate team at school, she wasn't as streetwise as her mother, grandmother, or even her younger brother.
Dr. Leslie Berkowitz
While he might not be the most confident or self-aware of the bunch, Dr. Berkowitz was easily among the nicest of the characters. And, as a doctor, it's clear that he was also a highly intelligent person. Studying medicine is no small task nor is earning a degree and running a successful medical practice.
Yes, he was quirky and awkward, but that says nothing about his intelligence. And when it comes down to it, Leslie was without a doubt the most book smart of the bunch.