How to Die Alone ⁞⁞ Series Spotlight

The Hulu comedy How to Die Alone tells the story of Melissa (Natasha Rothwell), a neurotic JFK airport employee who attempts to embrace her independence as she faces her birthday alone. When her ambitious attempt to build a shelving unit by herself leads to a major accident, she learns that she died for a while before being resuscitated. The experience causes her to rethink her path in life, putting her on a mission to get over all of the fears that have stifled her success in life. Despite being lonely in love, Melissa is inseparable from her gay best friend Rory (Conrad Ricamora), who also works at the airport, which is owned by his parents. The slacker Rory is not so unlucky in love as shown when Mel & Rory's cart accident leaves him covered in their drinks, leading him to the bathroom to change, where he shares a fateful meeting with sports doctor Ben (Glenn Fleary). Rory takes a shot at romance, causing him to ignore a call from Mel, unaware that she's contacting him from the hospital after her accident. This incident puts their friendship on a path towards confrontation as Mel's new outlook has her embracing opportunity at work, enrolling in a management training program that Rory asks her to reject because she gets the offer from his father (Peter Keleghan). Rory's combative relationship with his father seems to stem from his background as an adopted child. Flashbacks reveal how Rory & Mel first met and how he convinced her to ditch her waitress job in favor of him getting her a job at the airport. Rory's relationship with Ben continues to grow over the course of the season, as his relationship with Mel reaches a breaking point after she asks for his help to secure a loan to help with her medical bills. The two best friends have a major confrontation as Mel comes clean about the training program and questions the nature of their friendship, causing Rory to lash out, reminding her that he is not her boyfriend. This puts them at odds for most of the season. Despite their rift, Rory is shown to be extremely concerned when she goes missing at the airport, missing her training graduation ceremony. He helps to locate her, only for her to continue ignoring him. 

In the end, the two finally make amends as Mel gathers her courage to finally conquer her fear of flying. While she doesn't travel to Hawaii for her co-worker, and ex-boyfriend, Alex's wedding, Rory sits with her while waiting for the flight. Ben joins them and they all end things happily. Mel goes on her own travel journey, sharing updates on social media to all her happy friends, including Rory who is shown in Hawaii with Ben. In addition to Rory & Ben, there is other gay content as the series also features gay recurring character Josh (Michael Hartney) who works as a barista at the airport and is friends with Rory & Mel. Rory also has a run-in with an ex in the form of TSA agent Jason (Tom Hearn), whom he consults in his efforts to help Mel score some free medication from unclaimed luggage at the airport. Mel also befriends bisexual bartender Allie in the first episode. The two become fast friends when they bond over their dogs, and Allie helps motivate Mel on her journey of self-improvement.