I Relate To Melissa From "How To Die Alone" Way Too Much Not To Have A Season 2 — Here's My Farewell Letter, I Guess...

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25-04-2025

It's been six months since How to Die Alone premiered on Hulu, and I still haven't gotten over how brilliant the series is. In true Melissa form, I'm a little late pronouncing my love for the show, but better late than never, right (Alex, I'm not talking about you)? So here are all the times I laughed out loud, cried, or simply retweeted lines (in my head) watching How to Die Alone.
1. Blasting "Good Day" by Nappy Roots in the opener was a hilarious choice!
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I love it when movies and shows do this because Mel doesn't know it, but she's about to have a really bad day featuring crab rangoon, a rat, and expensive furniture. The irony is hilarious!
2. Risking your job to meet Lizzo!
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The golf cart ride through the terminal was a great way to jump into Mel's world and begin unpacking the chaos of her life. But I, too, was waiting to see Lizzo and was honestly disappointed they didn't actually show her. WTF? Lol.
Regarding Lizzo, Melissa says, "Did you know we're the same age? We both have the same amount of hours in our day. Both fat, both Black, both f*cked up. But look what she did with it, I mean shit." Wait, why was this so relatable, though? I think Lizzo is so inspiring, and naturally, when you see someone who looks like you dominate a space others have said they could never dominate, it's impressive. Pointing that out just made sense to me.
But one question I need answered: Is Melissa in the show named after Lizzo? Y'all know Melissa is Lizzo's real name, right? So was it a coincidence, or was it to emphasize their likeness pointed out by Mel in the scene with Terrance? Idk. I just couldn't help but notice.
3. Lizzo-Rihanna! Lasagna.
4. Single life can be... ghetto!!
I think we all have underestimated a task that reads "needs partner for assembly." Sidenote: I may or may not have tried to build something on my own and ended up needing stitches on my left pointer finger that left a permanent dime-sized bump. No questions, please. Point is, single life can be hard, and watching Melissa juggle her merchandise (where were the shopping carts?) offers a visual representation of the ups and downs of singleness. That's not to say that singles can't be great and achieve things on their own, but the premise of the show relies heavily on this part of Melissa's characterization to the extent that she is her own emergency contact (wait, that was actually very depressing, but real ig).
Natasha Rothwell makes this dark moment slightly humorous. She's fighting off Remy from Ratatouille just seconds before dying, screaming, "Pivot! Pivot!" in her apartment building hallway, breaking down the delicacies of crab rangoon to a doctor and his staff, asking the Ümlaut clerk for a family card discount... I mean, who, in modern television, has had a more chaotic opener than our girl, Mel? I was seated for the ride.
5. "There are three kinds of deaths."
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Elise says, "Physical death, we all know and write poems about. Then there's the kind when people stop caring about you. And the worst kind is when you stop caring for yourself... Now, when my life flashes before my eyes, at least I'll see something."
WOW! What a line. The fact that she dropped this gem moments before passing just blew my mind. You really have to live and live for yourself. She gives Melissa some much-needed wisdom, and this short encounter drives her ambition all the way to the last episode. Not only do we see all three deaths played out throughout the series, Melissa dying for three minutes, her best friend Rory bailing on her for Bicoastal Bae, and her letting her life pass her by, but we also feel Elise's presence in her absence! (And not just because Melissa uses this dead woman's card to fund a trip, which OMG Mel, really?)
6. "Every day I take people to where they want to go, but I have no f*cking idea where I'm going. And even if I did, I couldn't afford it! I'm still paying off the Lane Bryant bra they cut off my body to drag my fat ass back into a world where nobody sees me."
Whew! Ok, in Mel's defense, Lane Bryant bras are expensive AF unless you score discounts around the holidays or redeem your Lane Style Cash!!! Those bras are some of the best in the game, though, ngl. They'll hold the girls down AND up!!! Do ya feel me? I would be pissed if someone cut my Lane Bryant bra just to save my life. Bwaahahhaa, JK!
7. "Lift, thrust, weight, and drag."
Carl: "To fly, you need all four. Everybody knows about lift and thrust. They propel you upwards, forward. But weight and drag, they're equally as important. Do you know why?"
Terrance: "The opposing forces balance each other. Lift is equal to gravity, while thrust is equal to drag."
Carl: "You know, sometimes the things that hold you back and slow you down are actually the things you need to take off."
Melissa isn't just facing a hard time; she's also giving herself a hard time, often self-sabotaging, or counting herself out and making herself small in the presence of others. But one talk with the Birdman (and the president of JFK) changes her whole perspective. Her enrollment in High Flyers propels her to take off after being held back by peers and her own lack of self-motivation.
Truth is, many people hide behind jokes and friendships or get lost in the mundane routine of their jobs, etc., as a way to cope with things that are too hard to face. Melissa has been in pain ever since breaking things off with Alex, afraid of him seeing her flaws and not being able to handle them. Queue SZA's lyrics: "hoping you never find out who I really am, 'cause you'll never love me..."
Watching Mel be slowed down by a freak accident with furniture made me question: What role do we play in being loved? In being lonely? In being...unsatisfied with life? And watching Melissa come to that realization and balance the opposing forces that Carl talked about was a moment for my own self-reflection. Many shows and movies aim to have such a reaction from viewers, but this show actually succeeded in that endeavor.
8. Hospital bills... ugh!
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$30k, maybe I don't relate to that degree, but I feel like I died when I received my first hospital bill. Seriously, why are we not addressing the real-life issues of everyday Americans?
9. "I may be Black and round, but I am not a Magic 8 Ball."
Hahsisgeugocdiahiedjsldi!!! Wh0oo00ooo wrote this line? 😂 😭 I can't!!!!
10. I'm sorry, is it just me, or is Rory the worst friend ever?
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Ok, asking your bestie to co-sign on a bill for $30k is crazy, but aside from that, I'm on Mel's side because Rory needs Mel just as much as she needs him. Why was he making it seem one-sided? He's the one who called her over to "audition conversation starters" for meeting Ben's parents. Not to mention, he had just met this man in the bathroom at work a month prior. But I'm not here to judge, I'm just pointing out the facts. And asking your friend not to advance their career because you have a complicated relationship with your dad? Ummmm, how about you just find a job where your dad is not in charge? There. I just uncomplicated your life, Rory. Saying things like "Do you know how hard it is being your only friend?" and "Being the only thing that stands between you and your loneliness," and "I am not your boyfriend." Excuse me?
This was the most iconic scene of the show because I could see both perspectives, but I'm still side-eyeing Rory because he minimizes everything that seems important to Mel, but wants her to jump at all the little things that seem important to him. Being there for your friend when it matters is what true friendship is. Bestie, boyfriend, lover, sister, brother, etc., you CANNOT ditch a girl on her birthday. He's self-centered and never sees things from her point of view. He only prioritizes his life and issues, and that is the epitome of narcissism!
11. "You have such a pretty face. There has to be someone who can help you move on from Mr. Merman."
Excuse me? Julie, is it? Girl bye. Telling a big girl she has a pretty face is a backhanded compliment. It's bad enough that we already hate her because she's engaged to the man our protagonist loves, and then she went and made this statement. Girl, have several seats!
12. The Roomba metaphor with Terrance hit several times!
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Terrance says, "For the first couple of days, all the Roomba did was hit walls... Turns out, the walls were information. Every wall was teaching it where to go and where not to." The beloved Roomba had us all experiencing a little buyer's remorse, but he's right. I also appreciate Terrance's realization that he has feelings for Mel in this scene. He shares his food with her and doesn't share with anyone. Mel is also oblivious to a point, claiming she just comes down for his chips and metaphors. Is that what the kids are calling it these days? Instead of Netflix and chill, chips and metaphors? LOL.
Just like Melissa is herself around Terrance, he is too. But what about his girrrrrrlfriend? I can't help but notice how the Roomba metaphor just might apply to his situation, too. He's been dating that girl (whatever her name is), running into walls, getting information like the Roomba does, and realizing she's not the one. Maybe he's discovering "where to go and where not to."
13. The looooooooong Thanksgiving prayer!
Ian Watson / ©Hulu/Disney / Courtesy Everett Collection
Every family has a designated prayer person who basically delivers a sermon while the food on the Thanksgiving table gets cold. But nothing is colder than Beverly, who criticizes the sweet potatoes, calling them giant carrots, telling her daughter she's lucky her arms won't be out when she goes to Hawaii, only thanking her son while her daughter stands behind her, the list goes on. But what's Thanksgiving without a little shade from a family member, right? But seriously though, someone go check on those candles!!!!
14. Speaking of Thanksgiving... how about that catfish date?
Ian Watson / ©Hulu/Disney / Courtesy Everett Collection
When we first see Brian, he's scattin' with his date at the dinner table. But it's not revealed at the time that he actually has a wife. When he picked up Mel from the hospital in an earlier scene, she mentioned his wife, but I totally missed that on my first watch of the series! So initially, Brian convinced me that he was the picture-perfect family man who always came to his sister's rescue. He's got his stuff together; he's responsible and seemingly good-natured, but just a little concerned that his sister doesn't own up to her responsibilities. Idk, I kinda liked his candor (but telling your sibling you'll see them at the funerals is crazy!). Aside from that, I wanted to know what drove these siblings apart, and Mel catfishing her own brother really opened up a can of worms. Points were made.
Mel definitely needed to hear Brian say, "If you would just look up, you'll be surprised at how many people love you!" He calls out her self-pity, but in a loving way, and in a way no one else in her life seems to do. Don't get me wrong, Brian also needed to hear that he's not special just for taking care of his responsibilities, which are, in fact, his! If you ask me, they both needed to be read for filth, so this unusual encounter and confrontation needed to happen for the sake of Mel's trajectory.
15. I'm team Terrance all the way!!!!!
When Melissa was stuck in the elevator, there was a striking difference between how Terrance showed concern vs. how Alex did:
Terrance's text read: "Hey Jackson, are you okay?"
Alex's text read: "Where are you? I have to leave soon."
Then Terrance asks Alex how tall he is, shoots a napkin in the trash, and misses it while Alex throws a cup in the trash and scores!! I know y'all caught that!
But with all of this, Terrance still doesn't shoot his shot at a chance with Mel. He intended to by setting up the airplane simulator for Melissa just for Alex to take the win and run with Mel at the end of it. It made me sad watching Terrance get hurt in that way, and it made me see Brian's point when he told Mel to look up and see all those who love her: Allie, Tamika, Kaya, Shaun, DeShawn, and Terrance! Notice I didn't include Rory because I'm still mad at him, lol.
16. The Eloquii placement made my heart sing.
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I'm a big girl, and I absolutely love that Mel dreamed of a silky jumpsuit from Eloquii. For those who are... not as endowed, Eloquii is a great brand for plus-size and curvy shopping. I ordered from them several times and felt like a queen each time. They truly understand that just because we're not a size 5 or 6 doesn't mean we don't want to be stylish. Just because I am full-figured doesn't mean I want to look like I'm wearing a tent! From their regal furs to form-fitting dresses, from sensational tops to fun prints, their quality is top-tier, long-lasting, and well worth the money! I was hyped when I saw the placement of Eloquii in this show!
17. Ok, I think I actually hate Alex!
Ian Watson / ©Hulu/Disney / Courtesy Everett Collection
This man just spent an entire (romantic) night with Mel on New Year's Eve just to yell in her face about messing up his future? Sir, what? Oh, we're missing flights now? We're "havin' a night" now, but still going through with the wedding? Y'all too young, but it's giving Jordan and Harper vibes from The Best Man. No one should get Maui'd with this much unfinished business.
...After they sang the night away, I thought they were about to go break the bed together (again) and watch House Hunters. LOL. The kiss, to me, made sense. But not to Alex, who challenges Melissa to say I love you, but instead she says, "I want to, but I'm scared."
When Alex said, "I wish you could let yourself be loved," and then got in that taxi to fetch the woman who could say it (after reminiscing all over the city with his ex-lover lol), I just lost it and, admittedly, I almost stopped watching because that scene was too real. Please, Lord, don't let my ex-boyfriend read this. Amen!
18. When she's boarding the plane and sees her older version.
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*Chef's kiss*! Melissa has changed so much. She's flying, facing her fears, discovering herself, "becoming her," moving forward, thinking things through, and finding life's meaning. And I just knew this series would end on a good note...
19. "I met someone: me."
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I won't get into the ending of the series because now that it's canceled, I'm REALLY upset with how it ended with Melissa in handcuffs. We were just starting to get acquainted with the new Mel. SMH. But I also appreciate how she didn't just jump at Terrance because the endings of some rom-coms are a little too perfect.
Look, alls I'm saying is, we at least deserved one 'mo season! I almost wish it was a movie so that I could have closure but hey, it is what it is.