An exclusive clip from Facebook Watch's critically acclaimed drama from Kit Steinkellner has been an eye-opener for those who may have doubted the social media giant’s entree into original programming. As Netflix proved, these things are always tricky at first, that is until the first big hit rolls around. In the case of Facebook Watch, Sorry For Your Loss's thoughtful and meditative approach to the grieving process and the presence of Elizabeth Olsen and Kelly Marie Tran has helped the company gain a foothold in the world of TV.
The first season followed the recently widowed Leigh (Olsen) as she struggled to make sense of the death of her husband, Matt (Mamoudou Athie). Meanwhile, Leigh’s sister Jules (Tran) and mother (Janet McTeer) rallied around her, while her brother-in-law Danny (Jovan Adepo) came to grips with his changing feelings for Leigh. An emotional series, Sorry For Your Loss isn’t strictly about grief, however, as Steinkellner and her writers’ room have demonstrated by deftly weaving in intimate personal stories that leave plenty of room for humor.
There’s a healthy mix of both intimate personal drama and humor in the exclusive clip from episode 4, ‘Mr. Greer.’ The entire clip is a flashback to happier times, as Leigh and Matt enjoy a meal of vegan soy chorizo from Trader Joe’s and discuss whether or not they might ever want to have kids. Matt’s answer to that question is not typical to film and television, where it seems as though everyone’s eager to bring another person into the world, or at least they come around to it when the story needs them to. Check out the clip from Sorry For Your Loss season 2 below:
As the clip demonstrates, the series has a knack for maneuvering through otherwise tense conversations with grace and humor. Matt’s reserved feelings about having a child don’t result in a confrontation between him and his wife, instead it moves into a sweetly funny hypothetical about what they’d name their equally hypothetical child. As Matt, a teacher, lists off the unconventional names of his students, Leigh suggests they would have to compete by naming their (again, hypothetically) future astronaut/supreme court justice, Pickle.
If nothing else, the clip demonstrates how a series that’s largely centered on grief can be entertaining without also being a strain on the viewer’s emotional well being. Additionally, Olsen and Athie have such a charming chemistry with one another that these flashbacks only serve to make the series all the more engaging.
Sorry For Your Loss continues Tuesday, October 8 with ‘Mr. Greer’ @12pm PT/3pm ET on Facebook Watch.
