This year, Michael Schur created the series “The Good Place” (Netflix) that started in 2016, ended. The premise of the show is simple; Eleanor ends up in the ‘Good Place’ only for us to find that she’s a bad human. The story progresses for us to see how with the help of Chidi Anagonye, an ethics professor, she can change. With her we have Tahani Al Jamil, Jason Mendoza, Janet (Artificial assistant) and Michael, creator of The Good Place. It was focusing on answering the questions we might wonder throughout our existence but can’t seem to find.
It dealt with various philosophical concepts such as ‘deontology’ which is concerned with morality of one’s actions, ‘existentialism’ a theory that establishes a set of rules for practical ethics and ‘utilitarianism’ meaning that a moral act is one that provides the greatest good for majority of people. The greatest premise of the show is that it talks about ethics not as some afterthought but as a central premise of the show.
Worry not; it has multiple fart jokes, colorful settings to keep you laughing. When the show deals with dilemmas faced by the characters it gives a solution but not before making the viewer think of every possible consequence to that action and in turn making them think about their own life choices. Ultimately it all boils down to one question, ‘what does it mean to be a good person?’
Bojack Horseman (Netflix) premiered in 2014, also ended this year. Bojack is a famous celebrity who was known for the show “Horsin around” years ago. Now jobless, he creates a series of distractions and rejects realism to not face the ultimate truth. At the surface level is a show with talking animals, animation, glamour in Hollywood but dig deeper and it becomes a show that deals with bleak existentialism, modern crises faced by characters and the hopeless realities of life.
The show cleverly uses comedy and personal grief to convey the post-modern and tragic themes of the show in a cohesive manner without ever burdening the viewer, instead making them a part of their journey. A particular moment from the show that stands out is when Bojack makes a eulogy at his mother’s funeral. The episode beautifully captures the essence of the show and its eccentric way of dealing with loss, grief and ultimate acceptance and answers pertinent questions about life and happiness.
Forever (Amazon Prime) that came out in 2018 is created by Matt Hubbard and Alan Yang. Oscar (Fred Armisen) and June (Maya Rudolph) portray a couple that wants different things in life – and in death. It has themes of quiet persistence to break free from the bonds of love that can be suffocating for one partner but content for the other.
June craves for something more in the afterlife yet Oscar is completely okay with his normal routine. It teaches us how to have romantic relationships and the need for change. It challenges our narrative of a ‘happily ever after’ while also solidifying the idea that loving someone means a fundamental change of our very being. Although the show ends on an ambiguous note, it shows us that despite their uncertain future what matters are that they’ve chosen to dive in it together. And sometimes, that’s all you need.
Since as societies we’ve opened up on conversations regarding the truths of life, somewhere it’s easy when a story on TV can soothe us. Especially with the current world situation where we’re facing a pandemic since the year has begun, political wars, social media access that exists in every part of our life.
Day to day living and processing this time of separation from normalcy can make us question so much. The feeling of helplessness and loss has become more complex. Through showing the ‘points’ system in the said Good Place reflects how good we are. Only for us to find out through the characters that the ‘system’ being a symbolism for the world and points for humans, is ‘broken’ because it’s not easy to measure a human’s deeds or life.
On the other hand, Bojack is told by Cuddly Whiskers and Mr. Peanut butter that it’s all “meaningless” and only then you can let go. That when you do “it” (life) everyday, it’ll get easier. Whereas other characters tell him it’s your own actions that create your life. That you have complete freedom and your choices make you. In such times of introspection, these stories can restore faith in us and through laughter and sharing possibly make us a little more hopeful.
Sitcoms and philosophy go together like bread and butter. This combination is the perfect way for viewers to get a dose of laughter while pondering the big questions of life without getting an existential crisis. These shows are setting a standard for television to re-invent and challenge the notions that we usually associate with the comedy genre by expanding the narrative to a more inclusive and in depth approach.