Maybe it's the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, or maybe entertainment creatives simply feel like we live in the end times, but an influx of apocalyptic programming has made its way to our screens in the last half decade . The concept of humanity's extinction has always fascinated the world, probably because the topic is ripe for analysis and social commentary. To stand out among the plethora of apocalyptic fiction options, each show must have a defining trait to keep viewers' attention.
Netflix's newest animated option, Carol & The End of the World, has a lot to say about what different types of people would do if they were faced with their final months on Earth. Whether audiences can understand it all or take away something new from the show will likely depend on each person's sense of humor and prior knowledge of adult animation.
Creator: Dan Guterman
Stars: Martha Kelly, Kimberly Hebert Gregory, Shelby Young
Carol & The End of the World starts with a simple premise. A stray planet is hurtling towards ours and will end life as we know it in seven and a half months. With such a finite amount of time to fulfill dreams and check things off the bucket list, the majority of the population is busy getting drunk at parties or going on vacations around the world. All except one lone soul: Carol (voiced by Baskets' Martha Kelly).
The protagonist of the story is a 42-year-old woman, with an adventurous sister and nudist parents. She has no husband or children and she certainly doesn't feel comfortable wasting time on illegal substances or expensive cruises across the Atlantic Ocean so she can brag about her life to strangers. Carol seemingly wanders around every day with a worldly personality and a dearth of interests outside of work and home. When you don't want the big moments in life, how can you really make the most of the time you have left on Earth?
In each episode, Carol delves deeper into what makes her happy. Bottle stories litter the miniseries in lieu of an ongoing plot. However, new characters are introduced into Carol's life every half hour, and they usually stay close to her as the season nears the middle and end. The structure of the narrative feels like a puzzle that is slowly being put together, and this should come as no surprise when you look at the creative talent behind the script. Dan Guterman's mind fuels Carol & The End of the World. Guterman contributed to the scripts for Rick and Morty and Community early in his career, so you can expect a lot of similar humor in this new show.
Metaphors, symbols, and tangents often take up large sections of each episode, and if you're not used to that kind of storytelling, or it's just not your cup of tea (this reviewer raises his hand here!), Carol & The End of the world could be prolonged for you. A loaf of banana bread isn't just a random pastry when the characters munch on it for 20 minutes. Dream sequences that make it difficult to discern the difference between reality and fiction make the show more philosophical than science fiction. The meta-humor and direct comments on the morbidity of the backdrop will ring hollow for sections of the viewing public.
Looking at the jokes objectively, there's no denying the wit and sharp tongue that Guterman and the writers apply to the show. Thoughtful monologues and five-minute-long scenes with just a couple of characters allow people to familiarize themselves with the themes of each episode. Even if many of the jokes go over your head, the characters are likable and bring a surprising amount of heart to the story.
Carol is a woman of few words, but she possesses a perseverance and strength that makes the show feel almost optimistic at times. Her desire to make friends and enjoy the complexities of daily life demonstrates the most subtle responses to how many of us would like to spend our last months alive. Carol decides to make friends in the most unlikely places, often bringing together people who refuse to talk and otherwise commiserate. A midseason episode in which he learns everyone's name in his office and then delivers a eulogy for a dead coworker who squawks right at his desk gives a glimpse into the gentle balance between dark humor and humanistic goodness that underlies the program. Those two things are usually juxtaposed, but Carol & The End of the World brings them together under one umbrella.
Strange factors in the show's quality include a gloomy animation style that won't draw attention. A mix of pop music montages and original tracks blend into a coherent melody of songs that make the series enjoyable to listen to.
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