Natasha Rothwell shines in her near-death dramedy “How to Die Alone”

With a title like How to die aloneyou might expect either a self-help comedy full of #grateful #blessed platitudes or a harrowing existential drama. This new Hulu series from creator and star Natasha Rothwell in fact, it blends the two possibilities into an eccentric, uplifting dramedy with a real voice at its center.

Rothwell is a TV ninja who has flown under the radar for years, attracting attention at every appearance. She first caught attention on Unsure; she was hired as a writer for the series and eventually landed the role of Kelli, Issa's funniest and most free-spirited friend. Then there was her role in the first season of White Lotus (soon to reappear in season three) as Belinda, the soulful masseuse whose dreams are shattered by the wealthy clients she serves.

Melissa, the character Rothwell plays in How to die alonehas something in common with Belinda: She knows what it's like to be invisible to the people around her. Mel spends her days driving a car around JFK, chatting cheerfully with passengers who barely notice her presence and giving them travel tips to exotic destinations she's never visited. In fact, she's so afraid of flying that she's never even been on a plane. And she's so afraid of rejection that she dumped her ex-boyfriend Alex out of defensiveness (Jocko Sims), a colleague she still has to see every day. After a (very relatable) accidental death while assembling Ikea-style furniture, Mel realizes that she has been sleepwalking through her life. She tells the elderly woman in the hospital bed next to her, “I died today, and it wasn't what I expected.”

This near-death experience is initially played for laughs. The neighbor who found Mel quips, “I thought I'd have a ghost problem on top of my rat problem.” But the horror of what almost happened to Mel lurks beneath the surface of the series, motivating her to reevaluate everything in her life. This includes her habit of sabotaging herself professionally and romantically, her family (SNL alum Ellen Cleghorne as her gratitude-circle-loving mother) and her relationship with her gay colleague Rory (Conrad Ricardo), Mel's most important companion – the only thing that stands between her and her loneliness.

It takes several episodes for How to die alone to find its rhythm as it switches between Mel's emotional journey and her workplace adventures. She and her colleagues view the desolate airport as a wonderland of unseen delights, including a falcon master who prevents birds from flying into planes and a magical area filled with confiscated food from which they can sneak away with a $4,000 “investment ham.” That mood is heightened by surreal forays into fantasy, as Mel imagines an airport dance contest or an alternate version of herself. And, of course, there's a hint of simmering romance between Mel and her wise tarmac buddy Terrance (KeiLyn Durrel Jones).

But everything ultimately leads them back to real life. At some point, Mel and her colleagues embark on a crazy race through the terminal to get a glimpse of Lizziewhich is rumored to be coming soon. After everything gets out of hand, Mel uses the superstar's success to beat herself up: “We're both 35, both fat, both black, both broken – but look what she's made of it!”

There are very few “fat, black, crazy” heroines on television, let alone ones portrayed with so much nuance and heart. Rothwell is the perfect person to change that. She recently said that her own experience – being hospitalized alone while writing for Unsure– inspired the show, and that doesn't surprise me. How to die alone is a poignant personal journey through the crazy gap between Atlanta, uncertain And Ted LassoInstead of worrying about the final destination, Rothwell sets her eyes on the sky.