What Would You Do if It’s the End of the World?
I have been watching the Netflix series “Carol & The End of the World.” It’s an adult apocalyptic story about Carol and the other people she encountered as they all awaited the end of the world in seven months.
What would people do when they know they only have a limited time to live?
This seems to be the question the series meant to tackle.
For many people in the story, it was shown that they pursued many of the things they had on their bucket list. They tried to enjoy everything the world could still offer them whether it’s traveling to another country, eating the finest food or going on a new adventure. They partied, danced and had fun for as long as they possibly could.
On the other hand, there is a certain woman named Carol who didn’t seem to know what she wanted to do. She was not the type to enjoy extreme sports or loud parties. She even lied to her parents that she spent time surfing just so they won’t be worried about her.
What gave Carol a sense of purpose was her employment at a certain company that mysteriously existed in normalcy despite the abnormal situation outside. It’s in that line of work where she formed human connections and consequently some meaning for the remaining time that she had on earth.
To be honest, I was shocked when I started watching the show. Although it was an animated series, I didn’t know there would be so much mature content like nudity and loving multiple partners.
While I understand that it only meant to show reality and how some people would choose to spend their last days, I still thought it could have lessened some of those visuals to cater to a more general audience.
So for parents who are watching Netflix with their kids, this is a reminder in case you’re planning to watch this cartoon series.
On another note, I appreciate that the main character wasn’t the type that planned to spend her remaining days in the same way that other people did.
Although the thought of working in a regular job may sound absurd considering that the world is ending, it was there that she found more depth and meaning.
She formed friendships with other people in the company, gave a proper send-off ceremony for a co-worker who died and even called other people properly using their names. For Carol, they were not mere nameless workers working like machines in a company. They are people who can be known and talked to.
As a Catholic, however, I felt something lacking when it comes to exploring the area of faith.
The initial impression for Christians at the beginning of the show was that of a “fire and brimstone” type of faith. It’s as though all that religion could ever do was to scare people and remind them of the coming punishment from heaven.
If that’s all there is to faith, it’s no wonder then that the writers of the show never included religion as a viable option in spending one’s last days.
You can either party all you want or spend it just like Carol did. But it was never shown that you can have a third option. One that can give meaning and beauty to your remaining time on earth.
Having a religion isn’t just for saving oneself away from the punishment of hell. It’s so much more than that!
In all fairness, there was an episode that included the celebration of Christmas. But even that seemed to focus on the external side only, showing the usual traditions during the season. Nowhere did I see the importance of prayer and of the spiritual life.
Even the brief scenes that showed nuns riding motorbikes contributed nothing to letting people know about the significance of one’s spiritual connection with God.
Faith isn’t something detached from one’s life on earth. It’s something that imbues everything with light.
Having faith is having that beautiful, eternal and incomparably meaningful relationship with Someone, with God. If only people can realize how much happiness there is to that, every other amusement and pleasure on earth would certainly pale in comparison!
Rather than depicting believers as people who are afraid, I think we could also show them as people who have found purpose, truth and love.
And what would you do as a Christian in your last days?
I think that it depends on every person. But one thing is certain. That if one has an authentic relationship with God, that person would spend one’s days not only caring for oneself but loving other people and drawing them closer to God. One would also try one’s best to let others know that despite the impending doom of the planet, there is hope that can be found in God.
This life may be beautiful. But it is only the beginning of the more beautiful life that is yet to come. We need not despair because death can never have the final say. Jesus Christ has risen, and if we can believe in Him, He will lead us all to everlasting happiness and life.
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