It was during my first break home from college on January 16, 2020, when I received the most devastating news that I’ve ever received in my life. I was casually lounging on my bed, scrolling through my Twitter feed when an unexpected headline evaded my phone screen, “Facebook Watch decides not to renew its original series Sorry for Your Loss for a third season.” The series starred Elizabeth Olsen, Kelly Marie Tran, and Janet McTeer, and it followed the heart-wrenching story of a young woman who recently loses her husband and has to learn how to navigate her life as a new widow. The pain I felt as my eyes darted back and forth, rereading the unwanted headline over and over again, was unbearable. It was like I was going through the five stages of grief, but I kept getting stuck at the anger stage. How dare Facebook Watch cancel this show that touched on many serious topics such as depression, suicide, alcoholism, and grief in such a respectable and realistic manner? The news crushed my spirit. If you know me personally, you would know that I am a sucker for any film or television show that displays the imperfect, dysfunctional aspects of life. Life isn’t perfect. Sometimes, bad things happen to good people. Sometimes, in the end, the guy doesn’t get the girl again. Sometimes, there is no happy ending.
This show helped me immensely during my first semester of college. It taught me how to accept my depression and cope with my mental health disorder in the best way that I could while navigating college, which was miles away from home. Some days will be good, and many days will be bad, but you have to keep fighting as hard as you can. After a stressful day of classes, I would look forward to every Wednesday to spend 30 minutes of my time with these characters that I have become so emotionally attached to. The show became very important to me, and I’m sure it became meaningful for the thousands of other viewers just like me that connected to it on an even deeper level. Facebook Watch, we officially have problems, and I’m not the only one that feels this way.
I decided to take my anger to Twitter and contact a few fans of the show. Here is what some of them have to say, even though it has been over a month since the show’s cancellation:
Kiera, 18
What did Sorry For Your Loss mean to you?
-
For me, it was a source of comfort and gave me a sense of belonging because it brought me a connection to so many people who had similar feelings to me surrounding the behaviour and emotions of the characters, particularly Matt and Jules.
Do you think we need more shows like Sorry For Your Loss and why?
-
We definitely do. The show created a strong community of people who could relate to many of the characters in the show which in my opinion is special and rare because many TV shows don’t touch people’s hearts the way Sorry For Your Loss did. It dealt with grief, depression and other issues in a way that was raw and unglamorous and that type of accurate portrayal is required in the media. Too often, shows don’t make light of these human experiences correctly because it can be awkward to deal with, but Sorry For Your Loss did it perfectly and in a way that made viewers feel comforted when watching the show. More media like this could help so many more people reconnect with not only themselves but others too.
Savannah, 19
What did Sorry For Your Loss mean to you?
-
SFYL was important for me in understanding how to deal with my friends who were grieving. I had no idea what to say to my friend when her sister was lost to suicide. After this show I feel so much more sympathetic and knowledgeable. This show taught me to hold on tight to my family and loved ones.
Do you think we need more shows like Sorry For Your Loss and why?
-
We need more shows like SFYL because of how brutally honest it is. Almost every other show pretends that the grieving process is over in a few episodes but Sorry For Your Loss was real and showed people the ugly side of humanity. It helped people to realize that sometimes we will never move on but we will get better.
Sedef, 19
What did Sorry For Your Loss mean to you?
-
I love the show. It had a topic which is a part of our society and showed one possible way how a possible widow could go through the grieving process of her late husband. It was also great that the viewer never got to know if he died by his illness or by mistake. The show was also held as realistic as possible so it had my interest through the show. It’s a family trying to get through the loss of someone and also a widow trying to get on with life, trying to start a new chapter in life. If the show should indeed continue, they better keep it that way.
Do you think we need more shows like Sorry For Your Loss and why?
-
I say yes, because it is an important problem/issue of our society which is not getting enough attention and I loved how the show concentrated on that kind of topic. It’s a topic which should be getting attention and a show like Sorry For Your Loss gives a possible insight of it. I also loved the way they showed Matt’s illness as realistic as possible so the viewer could try understanding the actions he made. There were also lots of widows who’ve watched the show and left comments for example, how it helped them ease their pain or how they have/had seen themselves in the widows personality/character etc. So it kind of proves that the show was realistic as possible and surprisingly helping women who went or still go through the grieving process of their loved one.
Sorry for Your Loss was a brilliant show. It touched on many issues and topics that are often too awkward, upsetting, and uncomfortable to talk about. But it’s the way Sorry for Your Loss portrays these issues that makes it such a special show. It was raw and it was real. And if Facebook Watch had some sense, it would give Sorry For Your Loss another season. I think they owe it to the many people that were moved by the series.