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When I watchedSocial Distanceas the screeners provided for critics, Delete All Future Events wasnt the first episode listed.
The firstSocial Distanceepisode I watched was one called You Gotta Ding-Dong Fling-Flong the Whole Narrative.
One ofSocial Distances key gimmicks is that its told almost completely through technological interfaces.
In the episode I watched first, the story is told via the father Gregs phone screen.
Sometimes hes calling his sister to talk about how his wife, Anne, is doing.
Sometimes his phone displays images from a baby monitor in their sons room.
Its just a lie, and not a useful one.
Its not as blatant as changing the virus to a fairy-tale monster.
(Maybe if theyd made choices that strange and interesting theyd have been better, actually.)
Ideally, the best fiction about real-world trauma does perform some transformation.
I have actual mirrors in my home; I know what it looked like.
Coronavirus fiction onscreen is not there yet.
In the meantime, something like this unrelentingly sad episode ofSocial Distanceis actually a relief.
Not every episode ofSocial Distanceembraces that kind of clarity.
The Zoom-funeral episode is not great.
The barber episode is messy.
An episode about a gay couple considering a throuple aims for goofiness and does not make it.
The final episode (maybe?
