Diksha Sundriyal
Created by Natasha Rothwell and Vera Santamaria, ‘How to Die Alone’ follows the story of Mel, who works as a courtesy transport driver at JFK airport. Things haven’t been good lately for Mel as she struggles with loneliness, particularly after she discovers that her ex, Mike, is getting married a couple of months later. On the night of her birthday, which she celebrates alone, Mel has an accident that almost kills her. When she wakes up in the hospital, she realizes the importance of living and decides to take her life into her own hands.
The Hulu series takes us through the adventures that Mel embarks upon. From booking her first flight to taking some bold decisions romantically and professionally, she starts to change things for herself one step at a time. The grounded nature of her story makes it an extremely relatable watch. The reason that Mel and her story feel so real is because of the real emotion behind their creation. SPOILERS AHEAD.
How to Die Alone Stems from Natasha Rothwell’s Own Fear of Dying Alone
‘How to Die Alone’ is a fictional series co-created by Natasha Rothwell, who also produces and stars in the show. She revealed that the concept for the show emerged from her own fear of dying alone. In conversation with Vogue, she talked about a wake-up call she got when a woman she used to do improv with died tragically young. Rothwell revealed that it took just one year for the cancer to claim the woman’s life, and the sudden downfall of her health and eventual death shook the actress to her core. This made her reconsider her own approach to life and her “conflict-avoidant” nature that had held her back so much for so many things.
It is when she started to make massive changes in her perspective and brought it into action by doing what she really wanted without worrying too much about the consequences. It is this mindset that Rothwell infused ‘How to Die Alone With.’ Mel is in a similar state at the beginning of the show, where she has let life pass by her without changing anything. It takes a near-death experience to push her into action. Another thing that Rothwell wanted in the story was to make Mel her own savior. She talked about growing up watching romcoms and Disney movies where romance and the idea of a man walking into your life and solving all your problems takes center stage.
At the same time, the writer also felt that just being in a relationship didn’t mean you couldn’t be lonely, that it was more important to find love for oneself within oneself rather than chasing it around in the world. With Mel and ‘How to Die Alone,’ she wanted to tell a story where “the princess saves herself.” The story also underlines the difference between loneliness and dying alone, and this is reflected in its title as well. According to co-creator Vera Santamaria’s account in an interview: “the title is a tongue-in-cheek exploration of our deepest fears.” The mix of comedy with realism adds several layers to the storytelling, and it took about eight years for Rothwell to bring that balanced story to the screen.
Calling it a “love letter to the unhealed version of herself” in an interview with MVAAFF, she came up with the idea for the show in 2016 while working on ‘Insecure’ by Issa Rae, whom she called a great learning point for herself. Initially, HBO was interested in making it, but then things fell apart there, and it took a bit of moving mourned before the show landed for good on Hulu. Rothwell as referenced Rae as a huge influence on her while making ‘How to Die Alone.’ She has also talked about Nell Carter in ‘Gimme a Break!’ and Phoebe Waller-Bridge from ‘Fleabag’ as her inspirations. She was also influenced by ‘When Harry Met Sally,’ ‘The Breakfast Club,’ the playwright Tennessee Williams, and ‘The White Lotus’ creator, Mike White.
Mel is a Shoutout to the People Who Feel Invisible in Their Lives
While Natasha Rothwell tapped into her own feelings and insecurities to write Mel’s story, she didn’t entirely base the character on herself. One of the things that Rothwell didn’t want to do with Mel was to show her stuck in an unhappy and dead-end job. She didn’t want Mel’s journey to take an arc where she eventually ends up switching to her dream job as a museum curator. Instead, she wanted Mel to be at a job she loves and where she feels a sense of power in her own way. The writer-actor didn’t want “to cast aspersions on the people that make our lives work by saying that they’re not ambitious, or that they’re in those positions because they’re not dreamers. Their work is worthy, and it’s enough.”
Mel being in a regular job and a regular person also makes her more relatable to the audience, who can see themselves in her and, hence, find it easier to root for her. Calling it “the most vulnerable piece of art” she has worked on where she “didn’t pull any punches,” Rothwell wants the show to help people “create conversation around the topic” of loneliness. She emphasized that she didn’t want the show “to present solutions to the world” because it isn’t something that can be cured and gotten over once and for all. Instead, she wants “to present the opportunity for conversation.” She hopes that in rooting for the fictional Mel, they root for themselves and allow themselves to try and grow.
Read More: Where is How to Die Alone Filmed?
