It’s sad to see Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt go, but all things considered, it might be for the best.
The end is nigh for Netflix’s Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, scheduled to end with its fourth season, which will be released in just a few weeks — although it might be followed by a movie.
It’s sad to see the show go. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is one of the few cheerful, funny and heartwarming shows released in recent times. We’ve followed Kimmy’s journey from “mole woman” to businesswoman, and seen her bloom (into maybe a weird kind of flower, of course, but that’s okay) in the difficult new environment she suddenly found herself in. And we fell in love with Titus, Lillian, Xanthippe, and even Jacqueline.
But while it’s okay to be sad, we shouldn’t be devastated. It’s a good thing that the show is ending — and we should be thankful that it is.
We all know what can happen when a show drags on for longer than it should. And while dramas become stale in a more noticeable way, even comedies have an expiration date. As much as we love seeing the characters, there’s only so much that the story has to offer as we approach season 4 and maybe even a movie.
We started out meeting Kimmy and slowly unpacking what happened to her in the bunker with the Reverend, and the traumatic consequences that experience created in her life. We watched her become friends with other characters, learn to have healthy friendships with them, and even became invested in their stories. And finally, we saw her reach her goals and become the kind of woman she always wanted to be.
Now that she already has a job, some education, friends and stability, where could the show go? After a while, the story becomes less about Kimmy the survivor and more about Kimmy Schmidt in general. And as much as we love seeing her, we’re moving further and further away from the premise of the show. It’s fun to see the characters we’ve met along the way, but there is a risk that the story could become mundane; the jokes could become old, or worse — Kimmy’s happy-go-lucky attitude could become tiresome.
It’s better to let Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt come to its natural end, because no matter how great a story is, it has to intentionally end if it wants to be meaningful, rather than slowly fizzle out over time as audiences slowly lose interest.
Season 4 is bound to be great. It’ll bring some closure to Kimmy and her friends as they put the final touches into becoming the people they want to be. And if a film does happen, then co-creators Tina Fey and Robert Carlock have the perfect format to offer a well-crafted, structured story that might transcend being just a funny show and give a nice finishing touch to the story that we love.
More importantly, it allows space for everything that needs to happen to give us closure, and still gives us all the jokes and silliness we love about the show without becoming old.
So find some comfort in knowing that this is the way every show dreams of going: willingly, by choice, and with a bang. And get ready for all the fun that’s in store in season 4… and maybe a feature-length cherry on top afterwards, if we’re as fortunate as Kimmy.
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt’s fourth season is set to premiere via Netflix in two parts. The first part, which consists of six episodes, will premiere on Wednesday, May 30.
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