How to Die Alone Review: Hulu Comedy Struggles to Come to Life

Hulu’s eight-episode comedy How to Die Alone , premiering Sept. 13, has scenes that pull at your heartstrings and others that make you want to pull your hair out. Despite a strong cast led by White Lotus and Insecure star Natasha Rothwell (who also serves as How to Die ‘s creator/writer), the series’ first four episodes on which this review is based are, to be blunt, a downer.

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Multi-hyphenate Rothwell portrays Mel, an overweight, thirtysomething Black woman with a low-paying job as a “cart associate” (aka cart driver) at JFK Airport. She is estranged from her family, in debt and has just torpedoed a budding romance due to insecurity. She numbingly trudges through her daily life until a near-death experience changes her perspective, if not her tendency to make bad choices.

Rothwell brings just the right amount of stubbornness and vulnerability to the role. Her Mel can be attentive and sympathetic one minute, yet very defensive and wily the next.

Rothwell is surrounded by an able supporting cast that includes Conrad Ricamora ( How to Get Away With Murder) , who brings a steady calmness as Mel’s only friend, gay nepo baby Rory. Jocko Sims ( New Amsterdam ) is Alex, Mel’s almost-boyfriend who remains a little too cozy with the ex who rejected him, running the risk of creating too much audience wish fulfillment too soon. Michelle McLeod ( Women Talking ) is a standout as Patty, Mel’s take-no-prisoners nemesis and fellow cart driver.

But it often feels like Rothwell’s co-stars exist in a different show from her. There’s the How to Die Alone that revolves around morose Mel, and another one that centers on her mildly funny friends and colleagues.

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The larger problem, however, is that Mel doesn’t seem capable of pulling herself out of the funk she’s mired in. She’s also reluctant to take responsibility for making her life better, which, in turn, makes her tough to root for.

Yes, there are four more episodes beyond the four that I’ve seen, so it’s likely Mel will begin to course-correct. But will the audience have enough patience to stick around to see it?

THE TVLINE BOTTOM LINE:  Hulu’s How to Die Alone is a dark comedy that is perhaps a little too dark.

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