Diksha Sundriyal
In Hulu’s ‘How to Die Alone,’ a woman learns to live her life to the fullest after she has a near-death experience. The protagonist, Mel Jackson, feels very lonely, especially on her birthday, when she spends the evening alone. She is not on great terms with her brother, her friends tend to prioritize other things, and the man she loves is engaged to someone else. The money troubles are another part of Mel’s life, and at the age of 35, she has yet to take her first flight, even though she works at an airport. So, suddenly, when she finds herself in a hospital, she is forced to take stock of her situation and change her ways. SPOILERS AHEAD
The Fictional Mt. Zion Hospital Plays a Pivotal Role in Mel’s Story
Mel lives in New York City and is taken to Mt. Zion when she has an accident in her apartment in which she almost dies. There is no hospital named Mt. Zion in New York. However, there is the famous Mount Sinai Hospital, which probably served as the reference point for the fictional hospital in the Hulu series. The Mount Sinai Hospital was founded in 1852 and is known for being one of the “largest and most respected hospitals, acclaimed internationally for excellence in clinical care.”
Interestingly, even though Mt. Zion is supposed to be in New York, the scenes concerning it weren’t filmed in the United States. The Natasha Rothwell show was filmed entirely in Canada, specifically in the Ontario area. Toronto served as the primary filming location, where interior sets and soundstages were employed to film the scenes in the first episode following Mel’s accident and her recovery in the hospital bed.
Her experience in the hospital becomes a life-changing deal for Mel for several reasons. First of all, this is where she discovers that she stopped breathing for three whole minutes, making her realize how close she had come to dying. Another fact is the realization that she doesn’t have anyone to rely upon. When she tries calling her brother and her best friend, no one picks up her call, even though it is her birthday and they should have been with her. The third thing is her meeting with Elise, whom Mel sees as an older version of herself.
Much like Mel, Elise also doesn’t have anyone attending to her. What makes it even more traumatic for Mel is that Elise dies while Mel is still talking to her. The hospital factors into her story again when Mel receives the bill and discovers that not only did she stop breathing, but she was actually dead. Moreover, there is a huge bill that she now needs to pay off, even though she is already broke. This calls for some desperate measures, and this is when Mel’s life begins to change.
Read More: How to Die Alone: Is Hop Hap Thai a Real Restaurant in New York?
