The animated family sitcom has largely adhered to the template established 36 years ago by , influencing shows such as King of the Hill, , and . In keeping with the cartoon format, characters are larger than life, and their stories are exaggerated. Crucially, time remains static across seasons, contributing to their enduring appeal. These series, not constrained by the physical changes of human actors, exist in a perpetual present. While cultural references are updated, characters generally remain the same age (except for one that jumps forward eight years).
In Netflix’s Long Story Short, creator uses animation’s inherent flexibility to manipulate time uniquely. The show revisits a Jewish family numerous times, from the 1990s to 2022, and even once in 1959. This funny, distinctive, philosophical, and tender series—though perhaps more sentimental than BoJack enthusiasts might expect—interweaves generations of love and conflict, crafting a complex network of characters and relationships.
At the core of this web are siblings Avi, Shira, and Yoshi Schwooper, whose surname blends those of their father, Elliott Cooper (voiced by Paul Reiser), and mother, Naomi Schwartz (Lisa Edelstein). Avi (Ben Feldman), the eldest, is introspective, self-righteous, and resolutely secular. Shira (), the middle child, is defined by her anger. Yoshi (Max Greenfield), the youngest, is the family’s eccentric, in a family that, as Avi’s quiet girlfriend observes in the pilot, was never particularly normal.
By connecting pivotal moments from the Schwoopers’ childhood with vignettes illustrating their impact on their adult lives, Story explores as a key theme. Yiddish words are sprinkled throughout conversations. The is a constant presence. A notable episode follows Shira’s wife, Kendra’s (), intricate conversion to Judaism. Conflicting perspectives on and attitudes toward Judaism emerge. (While is beyond Season 1’s scope, Story has been renewed, and I hope Season 2 will bravely examine this challenging period for Jews globally.) Naomi embodies the archetypal Jewish mother—demanding, controlling, critical, passive-aggressive, and prone to theatrics—often bordering on caricature. Yet, we eventually learn that she is also its heart.
Bob-Waksberg demonstrates a talent for humorous, authentic details. Coupled with an excellent voice cast and expressive animation that visually represents the Schwoopers’ anxieties, he delivers clever parodies of ’90s alt-rock posters in Avi’s childhood bedroom, a surreal allegory featuring wolves in a middle school, and lines like “Uh-oh, Mom’s personality is starting.” However, Story also offers profound, life-affirming insights, much like and his bizarre, underappreciated Amazon series . Similar to those shows, it is captivated—and touched—by our individual experiences of relationships and time, and how the narratives we construct about them shape who we are.
“`