It's easily to fall into despair about the state of the world today, especially if you watch the news or, even worse, go on social media. Somebody Somewhere, however, offers a more hopeful account of life in the American heartland.
Now three seasons in, the show chronicles the lives of a group of friends in the small city of Manhattan, KS, focusing on the personal rather than the overtly political. Its many queer characters aren't defined by trauma or struggle, and yet the show doesn't shy away from difficult themes either, instead showing life in all its richness and complexity.
For these final seven episodes, Somebody Somewhere has found a groove that's perhaps even more low-key than past seasons. Lead character Sam (Bridget Everett) is working part-time in a bar and helping her sister Tricia (Mary Catherine Garrison) with her thriving "cunt" pillow business, while Joel (the radiant and magnetic Jeff Hiller) is settling into cohabitation with his boyfriend Brad (Tim Bagley), and Fred (Murray Hill) is on a health kick and has stepped into a slightly smaller role. Fred's wife Susan (Jennifer Mudge) has been revealed to be a bit awful, but rather than a key point of tension, this is more a case of learning to accept that you don't like a friend's spouse.
What little narrative there is concerns Sam's slow-simmering flirtationship with Víglundur a.k.a. "Iceland" (Ólafur Darri Ólafsson), the new tenant on the family farm. This becomes a key plot point later in the season, but for the most part, Somebody Somewhere basks in the subtle yet profound growth of its characters across three seasons.
In particular, it's a glorious celebration of the friendship between Sam and Joel, with previous conflicts left behind in past seasons, and heart-swelling love and support remaining. It's a beautiful account of a middle-aged intimacy, as these two people find each other at a time in their lives when many other friendships fade away. Their relationship is so tender and nuanced that it's hard to remember they became friends only three seven-episode seasons ago; it feels like they've been close for many years.
Comforting and yet frequently heart-wrenching, Somebody Somewhere ends on a high, with an impeccable finale that gestures hopefully toward the future without tying things up with too neat of a bow. It's tear-jerking perfection, instantly demanding a from-the-beginning rewatch.