Why you should be watching Sorry For Your Loss

Last year on Christmas Eve, I was scrolling through my Facebook newsfeed and this show called Sorry For Your Loss came up. The trailer looked interesting, so I said sure why not. I needed something to watch while I knocked out this present wrapping business.

 What I didn’t know was that I was going to cry huge buckets of tears as I binge watched the entire first season on Facebook Watch. You heard me right. This is a Facebook Watch show.

 Now, I was a kid during Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen’s heyday, and you could not have told me that the real star of that family is their younger sister Elizabeth Olsen. We’re used to seeing her kick ass in the Avengers movies as the Scarlett Witch, but her true talent is drama.

 She absolutely steals the show every episode as Leigh, a young widow who is navigating grief with the unexpected death of her husband Matt, played by Mamoudou Athie. But the real twist of the show is that not only is it about grief, but the depression that was plaguing Matt and how Leigh discovers that she didn’t know much about Matt at all. 

 And along the way we also meet Leigh’s family and how they are individually impacted by Matt’s death as well. Her mom Amy who runs her own fitness studio and focuses on constantly trying to fix everyone. Her sister Jules (played by Kelly Marie Tran from Star Wars) who struggles with her sobriety. And lastly Danny, Matt’s brother, who Leigh has always had a contentious relationship with. So many story lines weaved together from one tragic loss.

 The one thing I absolutely love about this show is how beautifully it tackles very serious issues with a light touch of humor and wit. One moment you’ll be laughing at one of Leigh’s morbid jokes and then crying right along with her when something triggers a memory about Matt. The slow pace of the show is very reflective of the slow nature of grief. It doesn’t happen overnight. It happens over time.

So I beg you, give Sorry For Your Loss a chance. This show is so smart and so intentional and educational.. And it deserves way more attention. 

TFS Rating: A+