How to Die Alone Series-Premiere Recap: Lift, Thrust, Weight, Drag

As a storyteller, I find myself utterly captivated by the complex lives of these characters weaved together so intricately in this narrative. The journey of Melissa, a woman grappling with her past, present, and future, resonates deeply with me. Her struggle to break free from the shackles of comfort, fear, and debt mirrors my own experiences in life – albeit without the dramatic twists of shenanigans, near-death experiences, or love triangles!

A 35-year-old black woman, single and living alone, was found unconscious in her apartment by her neighbor. This is the devastating news that Melissa Jackson, a new endearing character portrayed by Natasha Rothwell, encounters upon waking from a severe head injury in the opening episode of “How to Die Alone.” The unfortunate incident involving complex Swedish furniture, a rat, and crab rangoon (made with real crab, not imitation) is what landed her in this dire situation, making it all the more tragic that it happens on her birthday.

As a movie critic, I found myself captivated by Rothwell’s self-declared labor of love, “How to Die Alone.” This narrative revolves around a woman whose brush with death sparks a transformation, compelling her to confront the role she plays in her own isolation.

In this narrative, we’re first introduced to Melissa as a series of clips showing her stumbling into work, colliding with busy travelers, and going unnoticed even by her colleagues. It’s her birthday, yet she feels just as unseen as ever, like an extra in other people’s travel tales. To add salt to the wound, she receives an invitation to her ex-manager/almost lover Alex’s wedding in Maui, stirring up old feelings. Melissa’s 35th birthday quickly spirals into a series of unfortunate incidents that culminate in a hospital visit. When Rory cancels their plans to secretly rendezvous with a frequent flier named Ben, she spends the evening alone, comforting herself with her favorite food and assembling furniture she impulsively bought to calm her nerves. Despite the instructions stating that the furniture needs two people to put together, Melissa manages it on her own. As she rejoices with a dance and a bite of crab rangoon, she had earlier fought off a rat for, the dresser collapses on her, causing her to choke on her takeout. For three minutes, she slips into unconsciousness, technically experiencing death alone, though thankfully, her neighbor discovers her in time for paramedics to revive her.

In the hospital, doctors determine that Melissa has sustained multiple injuries and a concussion. When a nurse requests her emergency contact because the one on file is her own phone number, it becomes clear to Melissa just how isolated she truly is. Rory doesn’t answer her call since he’s engaged elsewhere with a companion, and she angrily reprimands the nurse for persisting. Elise, the elderly woman in the shared hospital room, steps into the conversation, finding humor in Melissa’s boldness. They converse for some time, with Elise sharing stories of her life that remained unfulfilled until she decided to take charge. She acknowledges her past similarities to Melissa but now claims to have taken a leap and immersed herself deeply. The conversation is overly saccharine, interrupted by Elise’s final breath. Elise’s heart monitor escalates before the nurses confirm that Elise has no close relatives.

Melissa gazes at Elise’s lifeless form, and instead, perceives Elise’s face on the corpse, which triggers her dread of dying alone, resulting in an amusing, uncontrollable vomiting incident onto Elise’s head. The hospital passes Elise’s possessions to Melissa following her discharge, leaving Melissa as the only one with remnants of Elise’s life. With no clear direction post-hospital (her brother, Bashir Salahuddin, gives her a lift though their relationship is strained so the journey is brief), she ends up at a bar and pours out her emotions to the bartender, Allie, who provides a sympathetic ear and her contact details, forming a new friendship. Subsequently, Melissa enters Elise’s apartment, and if vomiting on her dead body wasn’t enough, she takes Elise’s pet dog Bubba and credit cards. Using one of the cards to purchase an airline ticket for the Maui wedding after it was declined, she decides to conquer her fear of flying.

Beyond the ordeal of identity theft, Melissa finds new life and vigor by immersing herself in Elise’s world and relying on painkillers prescribed by a doctor. Back at work, Melissa recovers from her accident and skillfully evades queries from her colleagues regarding the specifics of what transpired (she avoids Rory until he apologizes for abandoning her and acknowledges his infidelity). However, she cannot conceal her agony, so she embarks on a series of escapades with Rory in search of replacements for her expired Percocet prescription. This quest takes them on a roundabout path, starting with the theft of a $6,000 ham a passenger couldn’t bring on the plane, followed by tracking down Carl, who manages the falcon that keeps birds away from planes. H. Jon Benjamin portrays Carl (his job as a falcon handler seems similar to one of Sterling’s adventures in Archer), and he imparts wisdom about flying that mirrors Melissa’s life. Carl explains the four fundamental forces of flight: lift, thrust, weight, and drag. He clarifies that lift and thrust are evident, as they propel you upwards and forwards, but they require the opposing forces of gravity to build momentum. Sometimes, the obstacles that impede us and weigh us down are precisely what we need to get moving again.

Despite not locating the pills, their interaction with Carl shifts Melissa’s viewpoint. She confides in Rory about Elise and receiving a ticket to Maui without revealing the details. Melissa portrays the trip as a journey for personal development, but Rory expresses concerns about attending the wedding of a man she harbors feelings for, which they discuss while being interrupted by Rory’s father, Sam, over a missing ham incident. In response to Melissa’s involvement in the prank, Sam is so impressed that he proposes she apply for a management-training program to advance her career. Despite Rory’s objections, Alex had already penned a glowing letter of recommendation for the program. As Melissa reads his words later, she realizes her ambition to elevate her career and her longing for the man who truly understood her. She contacts Alex, reigniting their connection in a playful manner as his fiancée stays late at work.

The series uses flashbacks to reveal that it was actually Melissa who thwarted the possibility of a future for her and Alex, despite their strong chemistry. Four years ago, Melissa was employed at a Thai restaurant owned by a troublesome white man with a history of verbally abusing his staff. One day, when Rory dined there, he encouraged her to challenge her boss, offering her a job at the airport instead. Once she began working at JFK, Melissa and Alex quickly connected, although it’s evident that her act of courage confronting her boss was more about standing still than moving forward – during their relationship, Melissa and Alex continued to frequent the same Thai restaurant where she used to work, ordering the same meal. When Alex proposed reporting their relationship to HR, Melissa resisted, content in her comfort zone. She chose against her heart, telling Alex they were only a fleeting romance before crying with Rory about her anxieties over being vulnerable and facing rejection.

The show flashes forward to Melissa receiving her hospital bills, realizing that it would take her 47 years to pay off her debts. She attempts fraud again, but Elise’s cards are maxed out. Scrambling, she asks Rory to co-sign on a payment plan. He refuses, stating he’s trying to make better financial decisions, putting a bigger wedge in their relationship. She returns to fraud as a solution, using her brother’s social security number without permission. Soon, the tension between Melissa and Rory implodes once he finds out about the management training. While Melissa’s been on her journey, his relationship with Ben blossomed, but he doesn’t feel his bestie’s support, claiming she’s changed. Melissa tries to explain how her near-death experience changed her life, but he shuts her down, telling her to move on. Ugly feelings come out, like Melissa’s resentment from the co-sign rejection and the pressure Rory feels being Melissa’s only friend, and they both leave the conversation in tears.

In a work environment where Rory and Melissa maintain a distance, an unexpected situation arises when a lockdown at the airport occurs due to a missing child. This incident brings Melissa and Alex’s fiancée together in an awkward encounter. Motivated to move on from her past relationship with Rory, Melissa seizes this opportunity by developing feelings for another airport employee she meets in a training class. The brief encounter, lasting about two tense minutes, ends when she learns that he is already married. Realizing the importance of not mixing personal and professional relationships, Melissa decides to take this as a step towards being more open.

In the fourth installment, the series subtly paves the way for exploring my stance against office romances as I’m introduced to Terrance, a colleague who works outdoors on the runway. We share many tender, heartfelt exchanges, and it seems that Terrance provides me with a steady source of encouragement during difficult times. However, it appears that Terrance has been casually dating flight attendant Tina, a fact that sets the stage for a potential love triangle involving me. In an earlier conversation, Terrance hints at his reluctance to share food, even in small amounts, which seemed absolute when he refused to give Tina any of his chips. But as the episode progresses and I reach for some chips, not only does he allow it but also offers more, suggesting that perhaps a workplace romance isn’t entirely out of the question.

2024-09-14 01:57

How to Die Alone Series-Premiere Recap: Lift, Thrust, Weight, Drag

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