Tired of TV shows getting pandemic stories wrong? A new Netflix animated series is finally hitting the mark, exploring grief and the lingering impact of COVID-19 with surprising nuance. It’s not the escape you expected, but it might just be the reflection you need. Are you ready for a show that truly understands?
While many viewers turn to television for a much-needed escape from reality, a groundbreaking new Netflix animated series is challenging that notion by masterfully intertwining the pervasive, subtle impact of the COVID-19 pandemic with a profound exploration of grief. This series carves out a unique space in contemporary storytelling, daring to acknowledge a collective experience that many other productions have either sidestepped or mishandled, ultimately delivering a narrative that is both deeply moving and surprisingly resonant.
Initially, the series presented itself as an artful animated dramedy, continuing the creator’s legacy of combining sharp wit with emotional depth. However, it quickly distinguished itself by weaving the COVID-19 experience into its fabric in an understated yet powerful manner. What begins as a family saga spanning decades subtly reveals the indelible marks left by the pandemic, compelling viewers to confront a shared global trauma they may have consciously sought to avoid in their entertainment choices.
The integration of the pandemic is executed with remarkable nuance, avoiding overt sensationalism. Early episodes introduce the Schwooper siblings’ lives, allowing their intricate relationships and childhood experiences to unfold. It is in the fourth episode, a mere sixteen minutes in, that the reality of the virus surfaces—a fleeting glimpse of N95 masks in a grocery store, a subtle nod to social distancing, and later, an absurd yet poignant scenario involving wolves during lockdown. These seemingly small details accumulate, culminating in the heartbreaking revelation that the family matriarch succumbed to COVID-19, transforming mundane observations into profound moments of collective sorrow.
This subtle approach stands in stark contrast to the broader trend in television, where many shows have either ignored the pandemic entirely, existing in an alternate, unaffected timeline, or tackled it head-on with varying, often criticized, results. The sentiment among audiences has been clear: “Nobody wants a COVID story.” Attempts to center entire plots or seasons around the pandemic frequently resulted in content dismissed as “tragic,” “a bummer,” or “garbage,” alienating viewers seeking solace, not a reenactment of their recent anxieties.
Unlike its predecessors that often struggled to incorporate the pandemic meaningfully, this new animated series employs a time-jumping structure, with the “present day” anchored in 2022. This format enables the narrative to fluidly dip in and out of a world shaped by COVID, allowing the pandemic to serve as a significant, yet not overwhelming, plot point. It reflects how the virus became an omnipresent backdrop to life, impacting individuals and families in ways both overt and unseen, without dominating the emotional core of the story.
The creator articulated a compelling rationale for this narrative choice, expressing concern over society’s tendency to forget significant historical traumas. Drawing parallels to the fading memories of the Holocaust and the AIDS epidemic, he highlighted a profound fear that the lives lost to COVID-19—and the grief endured by those left behind—could similarly recede from collective consciousness. This fear underpins the series’ mission: to acknowledge and gently process the pervasive grief that continues to ripple through society.
Ultimately, this Netflix animated dramedy stands as a testament to the power of sensitive storytelling. By refusing to sensationalize or simplify the complexities of the pandemic and its aftermath, it offers a refreshing and deeply human perspective. It invites viewers not to escape reality, but to gently engage with it, providing a space for reflection on loss, memory, and the enduring strength of the human spirit in an increasingly forgetful world. This series is a vital contribution to the cultural conversation, earning critical acclaim for its profound emotional intelligence.
