To use one of social medias favorite catch phrases, I dont know what TV show needs to hear this but you dont have to include COVID-19 in your story telling. Seriously. You dont. You shouldnt, even. We beg of you.
A funny thing has happened as network shows returned to productionthey forgot that viewers turn to TV as their escape. Instead, writers seemed to have this compulsive need to include the global pandemic in their storytelling. The results have ranged from beautifully poetic to horrible to why, just why? Mostly its resulted in masks as an accessory, casually flung over the ear or dangling from the chin. Or even worse, clunky dialogue that tries to justify why characters are behaving in ways they shouldnt. More often than not, the inconsistent way series are treating COVID leads us to wonder, why arent they wearing a mask? Is that too many people for an indoor gathering? Shouldnt they be using hand sanitizer? Are they letting someone into their home who is not in their bubble? At best, these pandemic faux pas take us out of the storytelling immediately. At worst, they are portraying to their viewers that mask wearing and other social distancing measures arent important.
To try to make sense of what is happening, weve ranked nine of the most high-profile network shows on a scale of 0 (worst) to 5 (best) masked emojis.
Network: ABC Rating:
This ABC mystery started out with a jaw-dropping premiere moment. But there was something we just couldnt escape. Every so often the characters would oh-so-casually reference the pandemic. But no one was wearing masks or social distancing. People were eating in restaurants and going into offices and dancing cheek-to-cheek with strangers. In the most recent episode, a store owner references that shes running a COVID special and that her merchandise is being sold at a discount. But she doesnt have a mask on. The customer doesnt have a mask on. WHAT IS HAPPENING? Does everyone in town think the pandemic is a hoax? There is absolutely no reason for this series to reference the pandemic at all. Having an occasional throwaway line about it is just truly bizarre.
Network: NBC Rating:
Unlike Blue Sky, there actually is a reason for this medical drama to portray the greatest health crisis of our time. But there are doing it so peculiarly. Half the hospital seems to be enmeshed in COVID-related cases while the rest of the characters apparently exist in a parallel universe where COVID is not a thing. Doctors and nurses greet patients without masks or gloves. A patient came in from prison and was treated without masks and gloves. And when they are wearing masks they arent even wearing the N95 ones. Family memberslots of themare allowed into the hospital where they can discuss their loved ones care. I spend more time trying to understand the incongruent ways the characters are behaving than actually paying attention to the plot.
Network: NBC Rating:
UUGGHHH. Our hero Olivia Benson (Mariska Hargitay) is interviewing witnesses and interrogating perps with no mask. Everyone is walking around the station like things are normal except for the occasional mention (again, why mention it if you arent going to actually address it?) The season kicked off with a page ripped from the headlines as a Black man is confronted by an unhinged woman in a park, and the episode forced Olivia to confront how embedded systematic racism is even with someone like her who considers herself an ally. The series is much better poised to take on police reform than the global pandemic. The way the characters were behaving was infuriating.
Network: NBC Rating:
This is the one that upsets me the most. The show should have existed in a non-COVID parallel universe. This is Us has always been geographical challenged and truth-adjacent when it comes to the time space continuum. Before they moved, Randall (Sterling K. Brown) regularly drove from Alpine, New Jersey to Philadelphiaa trip that is easily two hours one way without traffic. This is a family that treats flying across the country like they are just going to the store for the gallon of milk they forgot to buy. Their cross-country jettisoning isnt possible in a COVID world. In the season premiere, they rented an RV and drove from California to Pennsylvania. That isnt able to happen every week though, which has led to way too much action on the show being via phone conversations. Since this is a series that bounces back and forth with time and constantly plants little hints, using previously filmed footage also presents a problem as none of the old footage has the characters in masks. The extended Pearson clan has an extremely casual relationship with mask wearing and social distancing. Sometimes they remember. Sometimes they dont. Heres hoping when they return in 2021, COVID is a thing of the past in the Pearsons world.
Network: ABC Rating:
After kicking off the season with two stellar election-themed episodes, the long-running ABC comedy ran two pandemic-themed episodes thatwhile not exactly flowing narrativelyaddressed many of the issues families are dealing with. In Hero Pizza, Bow (Tracee Ellis Ross) works the front lines of the pandemic while lamenting she doesnt need applause from people at 7 p.m. She needs them to wear a mask and follow the rules. In Dre at Home Order, Dre (Anthony Anderson) balances work-related Zoom calls with remote learning, and has a very relatable meltdown when his grocery delivery contains knock-off Oreos. By the next episode, the show seemed to have moved on. Juniors (Marcus Scribner) girlfriend Olivia (Kaitlyn Nichol), who had been previously banned from even outdoor visits, was in the house. Dre was back in the office not wearing a mask. I would have thought the show had left the pandemic behind until Uncle Norman (Danny Glover) showed up for a visit touting his negative COVID test. And Bow, who had freaked out when Junior was even seeing Olivia outside, was telling Dre is was totally okay for his extended family to come stay with him.
Network: ABC Rating:
The Conners and its predecessor Roseanne have always been steeped in reality, so it makes sense that the comedy would show how the pandemic is affecting this family that was already struggling financially. And sure enough, the afghan masks the cast wore in this seasons promos were super cute. Darlene (Sara Gilbert) and Becky (Lecy Goranson) get a job at Wellman Plastic, the factory where their mom and aunt worked in the original series. But often, while at work, Darlene and Becky have their masks casually slung around their chin. And whats even worse, in order to move a plot forward, the show often employs awkward lines of dialogue to justify how the characters are behaving. Darlene invited her new boss Robin (Alexandra Billings) over for dinner which was apparently totally fine because theyve been strictly quarantining. (Should we start a drinking game every time a character mentions they are strictly quarantining?) Becky baptized her baby inside of a church where a lot of people werent wearing masks. The show is learning its not easy to tell stories when COVID is in the mix. It limits the narrative just like it limits our lives.
Network: ABC Rating:
This ABC medical drama chose the path of least resistance. They kicked off the season with two episodes (entitled Frontline, Part 1 and 2) devoted to the pandemic, especially the early days when the medical profession was scrambling to keep up with a virus no one yet understood. By the seasons third episode, star Freddie Highmore, who plays the titular character, came on to tell viewers that the episode portrays our hope for the futurea future where no one will have to wear a mask, or take other steps to stay safe from COVID. And with that the show moved onto more traditional storytelling. The series introduced a new round of surgical interns, and life on the show returned to normal. Its a little odd for a medical drama to sit this one out but it also frees the show up in its storytelling and frees the viewer up from having to worry about every scene where the characters arent wearing the appropriate PPE.
Network: NBC Rating:
Set in a Target-like big box store, the NBC comedy is the perfect series to show how the pandemic is affecting frontline workers. From the rush on toilet paper, to the rude customers, to the parking lots littered with masks and gloves, Superstore gets it. And they made us laugh. For the most part, the characters are always in masks and socially distancing. The plastic shields are up. They even managed to find a way to write off Amy (America Ferrera) and send her to corporate America while still being true to what was happening in the real world.
Network: ABC Rating:
Thats right. I know I said the scale only went to five but you know what? Greys Anatomy is the only show not only perfectly poised to take on the pandemic but also the only show doing it completely right. So they get double points. My list. My rules. Except for a blip in the premiere that used footage filmed last spring, the doctors are always in full PPE. Family members discuss care over FaceTime. The doctors are regularly tested. And COVID has personally affected Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital. Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) has been in a COVID-induced coma since the premiere, which has led to the return of not one but two beloved and deceased characters. Dr. Koracick (Greg Germann) tested positive and was quarantining at home until he had to be rushed to the hospital. Miranda (Chandra Wilson) moved her parents into an assisted living facility in Seattle only to see her mother get COVID and die. That devastating episode ended with a scroll of the names of some of the lives lost to this insidious virus. She deserves to be surrounded by love and family, Bailey laments.
In the closing voice over, Bailey says, Even in their deaths, they are not faceless. They are not nameless. They are more than statistics, more than co-morbid conditions or nursing home patients. They are sons, brothers and uncles who speak five languages and run restaurants: Wade Klein, 66. They are great grandfathers who love Broadway: Jacob Lappin, 92. They are baseball-loving nurses with an easy laugh: Dane Wilson, 45. They are the worlds greatest mothers and they are the most beloved wives: Elena Rose Bailey, 84. Honestly Im crying just writing these sentences. Each week the series reminds viewers that the virus isnt a hoax. That people are dying. Loved ones are dying. The show is educational and informative. That it can do all this while still being entertaining and having the supply room hook-ups that made the show famous is pure magic. And we could all use a little magic right now.
Amy Amatangelo, the TV Gal, is a Boston-based freelance writer, a member of the Television Critics Association and the Assistant TV Editor forPaste. She wasnt allowed to watch much TV as a child and now her parents have to live with this as her career. You can follow heron Twitter(@AmyTVGal).
For all the latest TV news, reviews, lists and features, follow @Paste_TV.
Go here to see the original:
How Well Are Grey's Anatomy, This Is Us, Chicago Med and More Handling COVID Storylines? - Paste - Paste Magazine
- 19 Most Memorable (and Heart-Wrenching!) 'Grey's Anatomy' Episodes of All Time - PEOPLE - March 30th, 2025 [March 30th, 2025]
- 16 stars you forgot were on Grey's Anatomy before their big break (including future Oscar nominees) - Entertainment Weekly News - March 30th, 2025 [March 30th, 2025]
- "I Cried When He Died": Shonda Rhimes Is Still Deeply Impacted By Killing One Grey's Anatomy Character - Screen Rant - March 30th, 2025 [March 30th, 2025]
- See the Best Greys Anatomy Behind-the-Scenes Photos to Celebrate 20 Years of the Medical Drama - PEOPLE - March 30th, 2025 [March 30th, 2025]
- Katherine Heigl, Jeffrey Dean Morgan reunite to talk Grey's Anatomy , from Denny's death to ghost sex - Entertainment Weekly News - March 30th, 2025 [March 30th, 2025]
- Sandra Oh Is Changing Her Tune on a Potential Return to 'Grey's Anatomy' - PEOPLE - March 30th, 2025 [March 30th, 2025]
- The Scrapped Grey's Anatomy Spin-Off Would Have Ruined The Show's Best Characters - SlashFilm - March 30th, 2025 [March 30th, 2025]
- Anatomy of a flood: The Derna tragedys lessons for Libyan governance - Brookings Institution - March 30th, 2025 [March 30th, 2025]
- 19 Years Later, Shonda Rhimes Still Isnt Over This Greys Anatomy Death (and Neither Are We) - Collider - March 30th, 2025 [March 30th, 2025]
- The perfect palliative balm of Greys Anatomy - Financial Times - March 30th, 2025 [March 30th, 2025]
- 15 Behind-the-Scenes Facts You Didn't Know About Grey's Anatomy, 20 Years After It Premiered - MSN - March 30th, 2025 [March 30th, 2025]
- I Have Zero Endings: Shonda Rhimes Has No Idea How (or When) Greys Anatomy Will End - Collider - March 30th, 2025 [March 30th, 2025]
- My Only Allegiance Is to the Story: Shonda Rhimes Explains Why Shes Killed So Many Beloved Greys Anatomy Characters - Collider - March 30th, 2025 [March 30th, 2025]
- 'Grey's Anatomy' star Ellen Pompeo says $20 million salary brings 'true independence': 'I don't have to do anything I don't want to do' - CNBC - March 30th, 2025 [March 30th, 2025]
- 'I love your song from "Grey's Anatomy"': How the ABC medical drama's soundtrack changed these artists' musical careers - Yahoo... - March 30th, 2025 [March 30th, 2025]
- Shonda Rhimes On The 'Grey's Anatomy' & 'Scandal' Spinoffs That Never Materialized: "We Thought About A Lot Of Things" - Deadline - March 30th, 2025 [March 30th, 2025]
- Shades of Gray in Twenty Years of Greys Anatomy - Books, Health and History - March 30th, 2025 [March 30th, 2025]
- Linda Lowy talks casting Shondaland, from Grey's Anatomy to the best audition she's ever seen - Entertainment Weekly News - March 30th, 2025 [March 30th, 2025]
- Shonda Rhimes is 'forever bitter' about having to fight for 'Grey's Anatomy' musical episode - Entertainment Weekly News - March 30th, 2025 [March 30th, 2025]
- Greys Anatomy: Is It Finally Time for Owen & Teddy to Call it Quits? (POLL) - TV Insider - March 30th, 2025 [March 30th, 2025]
- After 18 Years, Meredith Finally Proves Ellis' Most Hurtful Criticism Wrong In Grey's Anatomy Season 21 - Screen Rant - March 30th, 2025 [March 30th, 2025]
- Arte France Boards Movistar Plus+s The Anatomy of a Moment, From The Plagues Alberto Rodrguez - Variety - March 30th, 2025 [March 30th, 2025]
- Makes Me Just Go, Hmm: Christinas Potential Greys Anatomy Return Addressed By Sandra Oh, Who Admits Her Stance Has Softened After Years Of Hard No -... - March 30th, 2025 [March 30th, 2025]
- Shonda Rhimes Reveals "A Bunch" Of Never Made Grey's Anatomy Spinoffs, Including One Based On The Shepherd Family - Screen Rant - March 30th, 2025 [March 30th, 2025]
- Anatomy of a Massacre - by Theo Padnos - Persuasion - Persuasion | Yascha Mounk - March 30th, 2025 [March 30th, 2025]
- We Thought About a Lot of Things: Shonda Rhimes Discusses Greys Anatomy Spin-Offs That Never Were - Collider - March 30th, 2025 [March 30th, 2025]
- 'Grey's Anatomy' Redefined the Medical Drama on TV - Collider - March 30th, 2025 [March 30th, 2025]
- Greys Anatomy turns 20: How Katherine Heigl pulled off her Emmy upset and remains the only series regular to win - Gold Derby - March 30th, 2025 [March 30th, 2025]
- Why Shonda Rhimes Scrapped Spinoffs of Greys Anatomy and Scandal - TheWrap - March 30th, 2025 [March 30th, 2025]
- Greys Anatomy at 20: From their pretty exciting first day to their linchpin episodes, Chandra Wilson and James Pickens Jr. look back - Gold Derby - March 30th, 2025 [March 30th, 2025]
- 'Grey's Anatomy': Deceit Rocks Grey Sloan, Link and Jo Make a Big Decision and Meredith Faces the Wrath of Richard - PEOPLE - March 15th, 2025 [March 15th, 2025]
- Ellen Pompeo won't let 10-year-old watch Grey's Anatomy , isn't ready for her to see her in her underwear on TV - Entertainment Weekly News - March 15th, 2025 [March 15th, 2025]
- Ellen Pompeo Reveals Why She Doesn't Want Her 10-Year-Old Daughter Sienna to Watch Grey's Anatomy - PEOPLE - March 15th, 2025 [March 15th, 2025]
- How to watch Greys Anatomy' online for FREE without cable - PennLive - March 15th, 2025 [March 15th, 2025]
- Forget Marry Me Chicken: Links Insane Greys Anatomy Breakfast Sandwich Is the Real Deal-Closer - TVLine - March 15th, 2025 [March 15th, 2025]
- Original Grey's Anatomy Cast in Photos: Then and Now - Good Housekeeping - March 15th, 2025 [March 15th, 2025]
- Why Ellen Pompeo Wont Let Her 10-year-old Daughter Watch Greys Anatomy - Hollywood Reporter - March 15th, 2025 [March 15th, 2025]
- Ellen Pompeo's Good American Family Promos Airing During ABC's Grey's Anatomy Night Is Kind Of Trippy, But Her New Hulu Show Has Me Intrigued -... - March 15th, 2025 [March 15th, 2025]
- Ellen Pompeo explains why she doesnt want her 10-year-old daughter watching Greys Anatomy - New York Post - March 15th, 2025 [March 15th, 2025]
- Grey's Anatomy Season 21 Episode 10 Review: I'm So Glad Meredith Is Back In A Refreshing Return To Form For The ABC Show - Screen Rant - March 15th, 2025 [March 15th, 2025]
- Grey's Anatomy Showrunner Weighs In On The Pitt's Success & The Competition In Medical Drama - Screen Rant - March 15th, 2025 [March 15th, 2025]
- Ellen Pompeo on Stepping Back From 'Grey's Anatomy' to Take on Natalia Grace's Story (Exclusive) - Entertainment Tonight - March 15th, 2025 [March 15th, 2025]
- Ellen Pompeo Reveals Hilarious Reason She Wont Let Her Daughter Watch Greys Anatomy - E! Online - E! NEWS - March 15th, 2025 [March 15th, 2025]
- 10 of the Biggest Feuds in Greys Anatomy History - Shondaland.com - March 15th, 2025 [March 15th, 2025]
- Anatomy of a Recession Update: Consumer confidence | Franklin Templeton - Beyond Bulls & Bears - March 15th, 2025 [March 15th, 2025]
- Ellen Pompeo Says 'Grey's Anatomy' Fans Will Be Shocked By Her Role as Natalia Grace's Adoptive Mom - Access Hollywood - March 15th, 2025 [March 15th, 2025]
- A Guide to Security Investments: The Anatomy of a Cyberattack - SecurityWeek - March 15th, 2025 [March 15th, 2025]
- Noah Wyle Says His Kids Have Watched More Greys Anatomy Than ER : Its a Point of Contention (Exclusive) - PEOPLE - March 15th, 2025 [March 15th, 2025]
- Welcome from Head of Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience - News | University College Cork - March 15th, 2025 [March 15th, 2025]
- Greys Anatomy Showrunner Reveals Whether Ellen Pompeo Will Return for Season 22 - Collider - March 15th, 2025 [March 15th, 2025]
- Grey's Anatomy Season 21 Sneakily Continues A Key Station 19 Story A Year After ABC Canceled The Spinoff - Screen Rant - March 15th, 2025 [March 15th, 2025]
- Anatomy of the average American paycheck - Floyd Chronicle & Times - March 15th, 2025 [March 15th, 2025]
- Grey's Anatomy Showrunner Addresses Whether There Could Be A Future Without Any Meredith Grey - Screen Rant - March 15th, 2025 [March 15th, 2025]
- Greys Anatomy Actor Jason George Explains What Its Like Filming Amidst Schmitt And Yasudas Departure - CinemaBlend - March 15th, 2025 [March 15th, 2025]
- The Magic Behind 'Grey's Anatomy': CGI, Medical Expertise, and Hollywood Tricks - Collider - March 5th, 2025 [March 5th, 2025]
- Canadians and Wayne Gretzky: Anatomy of a Relationship on Thin Ice - The New York Times - March 5th, 2025 [March 5th, 2025]
- Spits & Suds: The Anatomy of how trade deadline deals get done in the NHL - 105.3 The Fan - March 5th, 2025 [March 5th, 2025]
- 'Grey's Anatomy' Star Kate Walsh Shares Healthy Habits for Cancer Prevention - Healthline - March 5th, 2025 [March 5th, 2025]
- The Anatomy of Fear: Tips on Scoring a Body Horror Movie - No Film School - March 5th, 2025 [March 5th, 2025]
- Go-to anatomy atlas featuring corpses of Nazi victims revamped by UCLA cardiologist - The Times of Israel - March 5th, 2025 [March 5th, 2025]
- Ellen Pompeo Reveals Which Viral Scene from Greys Anatomy Made Her Oldest Daughter Cry (Exclusive) - PEOPLE - March 5th, 2025 [March 5th, 2025]
- In Karnataka, the anatomy of three riot-like situations - The Hindu - March 5th, 2025 [March 5th, 2025]
- Ellen Pompeo Reveals The Grey's Anatomy's Episode That Made Her Oldest Daughter Cry - Screen Rant - March 5th, 2025 [March 5th, 2025]
- Heres Whats New on TV This Week Including Grey's Anatomy American Idol, The Righteous Gemstones, and More - Collider - March 5th, 2025 [March 5th, 2025]
- Greys Anatomy cast members who have spoken out about their own serious health conditions - Tyla - March 5th, 2025 [March 5th, 2025]
- Greys Anatomy Returns: Everything You Need to Know Ahead of the Midseason Premiere - TVLine - March 5th, 2025 [March 5th, 2025]
- All the Lingering Questions We Need Answered When Greys Anatomy Comes Back - Shondaland.com - March 5th, 2025 [March 5th, 2025]
- Greys Anatomy star Kate Walsh shares important message after being diagnosed with brain tumour - Tyla - March 5th, 2025 [March 5th, 2025]
- 'I Couldn't Hold It Together': Ellen Pompeo Recalls Grey's Anatomy Moment That Brought Her and Her Daughter to Tears - CBR - March 5th, 2025 [March 5th, 2025]
- Greys Anatomy star Kate Walsh reveals very subtle warning sign ahead of brain tumour diagnosis - Tyla - March 5th, 2025 [March 5th, 2025]
- Grey's Anatomy season 21 part 1 recap: All to remember before part 2 arrives - Sportskeeda - March 5th, 2025 [March 5th, 2025]
- Grey's Anatomy Season 21 Episode 9: Release date & time, what to expect, and more - Sportskeeda - March 5th, 2025 [March 5th, 2025]
- The Splendour of Life, Starring Anatomy of a Fall Actor Camille Rutherford, Picked Up by H264 (EXCLUSIVE) - Variety - February 25th, 2025 [February 25th, 2025]
- Greys Anatomy Sneak Peek: Its Tears for Fears in Your First Look at the Midseason Premiere - TVLine - February 25th, 2025 [February 25th, 2025]
- Can a Longtime Greys Anatomy Stan Learn to Love the Grim Medical Reality of The Pitt? - Vogue - February 25th, 2025 [February 25th, 2025]
- Greys Anatomy Is Coming Back Next MonthHeres What We Know About That Cliff-Hanger - Glamour - February 25th, 2025 [February 25th, 2025]
- New Extremity Box Set Collects 'High Tension,' 'Anatomy of Hell,' 'Frontier(s),' 'Martyrs' on Blu-ray - Bloody Disgusting - February 25th, 2025 [February 25th, 2025]
- When Does 'Grey's Anatomy' Return With New Episodes? - TV Insider - February 25th, 2025 [February 25th, 2025]
- Books of Discovery Expands Access to Premier Anatomy and Physiology Textbooks for Educators and Students - EIN News - February 25th, 2025 [February 25th, 2025]
- 10 Scenes That Made Grey's Anatomy Fans Quit the Show (& Never Look Back) - CBR - February 25th, 2025 [February 25th, 2025]