Commentary: ‘Long Story Short’ Is A Jewish And Animated ‘This Is Us’

Family drama is fertile storytelling material. There have been countless stories that revolve around dysfunctional families creating havoc throughout their lives. However, families don’t necessarily have to be quirky, like The Addams Family, or zany, like the one from Malcolm in the Middle. This is Us is a very grounded drama depicting a family throughout the decades. Although they go through their unique challenges, the family is fairly normal and the drama they go through is very relatable. Netflix’s Long Story Short combines both of these concepts by having ridiculous plots centered around a regular Jewish family as its members grow old together.

The program chronicles the intersecting lives of the Schwartz-Cooper family, which includes the father, Elliot (Paul Reiser), matriarch Naomi (Lisa Edelstein), and their three children: Avi (Ben Feldman), Shira (Abbi Jacobson), and Yoshi (Max Greenfield). It doesn’t follow a standard plot, though. Instead, every episode faces a stand-alone challenge at various points in the family’s lives. This includes Yoshi’s bar mitzvah, when Shira tries to ask Avi to be a sperm donor, and when Avi tries to get involved in her daughter’s life by addressing the wolves who moved into her school following years of remote learning.

Since the show was created by Raphael Bob-Waksberg, the same creator behind BoJack Horseman, it undoubtedly has ridiculous story lines — one of which involves Yoshi inventing a portable mattress that, unfortunately, shoots like a missile spontaneously. But the show has some very serious depth to it as well. Naomi died from COVID, forcing the family to move on without her amidst the pandemic. Jumping around in time to detail specific moments in the lives of these children mirrors the narrative structure of This Is Us. However, the Schwartz-Cooper family is also very Jewish. Judaism plays a heavy role in their upbringing and outlook on life. Combining Jewish culture, silly plot lines, and a non-linear narrative structure makes for a very interesting experience.

Long Story Short is now streaming on Netflix.