Overview (Spoilers Below):
A woman (Martha Kelly) who finds it difficult to engage in hedonistic activities searches for the meaning of life in her last months on Earth.
Our Take:
We usually ask ourselves what the meaning of life is every day. We have all the time in the world to figure out this essential question. However, that isn’t the case when our planet is on the brink of extinction. While we won’t be biting the dust anytime soon, that doesn’t stop us from experiencing the thrills of humanity facing the apocalypse in any form, whether man-made or Mother Nature. But in some cases, we prefer the genre’s more dramatic and grounded side involving people finding themselves during their final moments on Earth. One example of this case is Carol & The End of The World, a 10-episode limited series created by Dan Guterman, known for his involvement in The Colbert Report, Community, and Rick and Morty.
With a title that has the phrase “end of the world,” some of us would assume it’s another apocalyptic survival series involving people bracing for the end of civilization, complete with fiery destruction from every corner. Of course, those who thought of that had not seen the trailer. It’s more along the lines of a drama set during the final days of humanity. It’s not without a few moments involving people doing crazy shit like being naked in public. However, the series takes a more subtle approach to the concept to stand out from the apocalyptic crowd. The result is a compelling and thoughtful piece of animation storytelling that goes in a surprisingly different direction halfway through, for better or worse.
Unfortunately, I wouldn’t be quick to call it the best animated series of the year. One of the reasons is the pacing. While I wouldn’t call it a slow burn, the fact that the series focuses more on dialogue-driven moments can be a turn-off for some viewers. Its third episode is one of the moments where the series slowed down to focus on building the relationship between Carol and her employees Donna (Kimberly Hebert Gregory) and Luiz. However, if the characters are interesting enough for the series to take its time developing, then the slow pace would feel like time has flown by. Carol & The End of The World offers just that, especially in its themes and animation style.
The series’s first half is a character study that asks the question, “Why are we here?” It depicts Carol as a depressed and uncomfortable woman who rarely does anything in her life. She even hangs out at an abandoned Applebee’s periodically. So, when everyone attempts to make their final moments on Earth count, she does nothing but mope and distance herself from anyone, including Eric. That is until she unexpectedly gets an accounting job that sets her on a path to open herself up to new opportunities.
This leads into the second half of the series, which has Carol unexpectedly changing her employees’s lives with her kindness. Guterman has described the series as “a love letter to routine” and “a comedy about the comforts of monotony.” From what I watched based on that information, Carol & The End of The World showcased how a simple change in routine and monotony can make a significant difference in the employees’s relationships. That would be a decent way to portray this thought-provoking topic if it didn’t have a massive planet hurdling towards Earth. The second half felt like an entirely different show than what I saw in the first four episodes, just with an apocalyptic setting. It’s not without its heartfelt moments, especially its eighth episode, “The Life & Times of Bashiir Hassan,” involving Eric and his son Steven. However, its misguided direction may disappoint specific viewers who want more out of its first few episodes.
The animation style resembles something I would find on Cartoon Network regarding its oddball character designs and settings, mainly Craig of the Creek. Whether that’s a good or bad thing is up to the viewer, but to me, it works well enough to capture its serene and often bizarre presentation. The weird hallucinations and subtle drama are something you would see from an A24 movie. I should know because I’ve seen a bunch of weird stuff from that studio. If that’s your thing, you might get a kick out of what this series delivered.
Overall, Carol & The End of The World took a few missteps in surviving the streaming apocalypse, but its portrayal of its themes and subtle emotions is enough to compensate for its direction. The first four episodes are endearing for their character-driven moments and commentary involving depression and the meaning of life. While the second half may not be as interesting as the series’s beginning, it’s still enjoyable for its decent animation, likable characters, and depiction of business routines. It’s far from another outstanding piece of animation history, but it’s a serviceable addition to Netflix’s animation library.