Death To 2021 Sneak Preview Released By Netflix

12/02/2021 04:12 pm EST

Netflix has released a sneak preview of Death to 2021, the faux-documentary retrospective that looks back on the last year, and celebrates its inevitable (and welcome) passing. The series started last year (what other year?) with Death to 2020, attempting to provide some much-needed catharsis to viewers who had been experiencing the unprecedented stresses and horrors of the COVID-19 pandemic, the election, social upheaval, etc. However, a lot of viewers seemed to be left more confused than amused by Death to 2020, and the list of stars like Samuel L. Jackson, Hugh Grant, Lisa Kudrow, Tracey Ullman, Leslie Jones, Kumail Nanjiani (and more) playing fake scientists, politicians, and social figures. 

Well, 2021 has offered plenty of new material to poke fun at. From the attack on the American Capital on January 6th, and the chaotic resolution of the presidential election, to the somewhat muted and murky attempt to transition back to "normal" life and all the new signals of just how impossible that might be. Oh, then there's the endless parade of new COVID variants that will definitely be the subject of discussion. 

Well, as you can see in the "sneak peek" above, Death to 2021 won't be trying to reinvent the wheel in terms of the series format. This preview centers on Diane Morgan's character, Gemma Nerrick, who's about as close to a "central character" as we get in this. The joke here is that even in 2021 when things were supposed to have "returned to normal," Gemma is still living an isolated and (frankly sad) life. Her return to "dating" and "intimacy" pretty much amounts to drinking and/or eating alone in front of a laptop screen, where she can "cuddle" with her "Zoom date." 

Bottom line, however you felt about Death to 2020 is pretty much how you're going to feel about Death to 2021. Set your expectations accordingly. 

A year unlike any other in history, (excluding the last one)…so to celebrate Netflix brings you Death to 2021, a comedy event that tells the story of another dreadful year. This landmark documentary-style special mixes archival footage harvested from across the year with commentary from fictitious characters played by some of the world's most beloved actors.

Starring: Hugh Grant, Lucy Liu, Tracey Ullman, Samson Kayo, Joe Keery, William Jackson Harper, Stockard Channing, Cristin Milioti, Diane Morgan, Nick Mohammed, and others. 

This comedic retrospective mixes archival footage and scripted sketches as it revisits all the dread — and occasional delight — that 2021 had to offer.

Disclosure: ComicBook is owned by CBS Interactive, a division of Paramount. Sign up for Paramount+ by clicking here.