Netflix (2024)

Trailer available here

Netflix, and Dan Guterman, really pulled it out the bag with this one.

It was the art style that pulled me in. It reminded me of Hilda, by Luke Pearson, in a lot of ways and when I discovered that it was not it honestly took me aback a little. When sitting down to actually watch it though there were subtle things that made it obvious that is was not a Pearson piece; Still if you loved the Hilda art style then that makes Carol & The End Of The World worth a watch for that alone.

Then there is the plot and this makes it even more worth a watch. It is so well written and put together. Guterman has been involved in a handful of really successful shows, including Community, and his skillset shows fantastically here.

It focusses around Carol, a middle aged single woman that is almost certainly already depressed and/or extremely anxious, just trying to go through life with a huge rock hurtling towards Earth that will wipe everybody out. Her parents take up non-monogamy, her sister skydiving and being a ‘crazy adventurer’ and then there is Carol who just misses Applebee’s and goes to work in “The Distraction”.

But the thing about The Distraction is that it does not seem to fit what we traditionally think of as an office environment and that causes Carol some issues. Everybody just has their head down, keeps themselves to themselves and has no personal pieces on their desks. She tries to interact with them and gets no to little response but over time she finds a way to make it work by learning names, giving little head nods and offering to collect snacks for people.

Slowly it starts to work and she becomes not just co-workers with others, including Donna and Luis, but even what many might call friends. They go from socializing over the printer to interacting outside of the building and this ruffles the feathers of HR; Of course HR and management think it puts the whole concept of The Distraction at risk. It also shows a glimpse of other people just going around carrying out mediocre daily tasks still whilst so many people seem to go off and tick things from bucket lists and live lives they were perhaps too scared to fulfil or had things blocking them from pulling it off in the past.

The show highlights how for some people just have this ability to move on with the mantra of “it is what it is” and for others they just continue wanting to take things in their own stride and cannot find a new sense of passion and joy just because of a situational change. Over time Carol starts to realize a few things that she might want but only after processing everything at a slower more manageable pace for her; Something we often have to remind ourselves in our daily lives that we shouldn’t compare our progress, desires or timelines to others but do what is comfortable and right for us.

In many ways Carol & The End Of The World has a lot of darkness but it also brings about a unique sort of spirituality about everybody having a not God like awakening but an epiphany moment about emotions, desires and how ridiculous certain social constructs and expectations can impede our own joy and development. It allows for freedom and whilst it clearly shows that in the direct aftermath of the news of the end of the world approaching how people panicked, destroyed things like stores because they could suddenly get things with ‘no consequence’ and mourned the world as it once was that they then mellowed out and remembered the basic core of values.

This really is a show that helps to re-ground you and leaves you to think about your own values, personal development and perhaps helps to you refocus on the things that truly matter to you and what you want to say you have achieved in life come ‘the end’. Highly recommended and a delightful collection of nine episodes, including the pilot, to binge watch over a day or two.