The Importance of Years and Years in 2020

Years and Years, or how bad everything can go from Coronavirus to WWIII (NO SPOILERS)

Even though this limited series was released in mid-2019, it could be said that due to the recent events, it has become even more important today that it was just a year ago. This British show that evolves around the lives of a white middle-class English family, deals with tough issues such as racism, wars, politics and the toughest of the all... HUMANITY!

The Guardian has called it "the most terrifying TV show". But, how can this be if there are no monsters or supernatural elements? The answer is quite clear, because it shows the most terrifying element of this planet, humanity. However, the reality portrayed in each episode is not that different from the one we are currently living, there are thousands of refugees waiting -and dying- at the gates of Europe, and many countries are on a lockdown. 

It starts in 2019 and we follow the Lyons for the next 15 years. However, what goes down in that relatively short spam of time, is as shocking as it could possibly be. And that might be the most scary element of the whole plot, everything COULD happen to the point that the scriptwriters seem at moments to have had some help from the future. 

But the most shocking part of it all are not the different events that happen -mainly in the background-, but the fact that a white middle-class British family is affected by what happens in the world. It could be said that Years and Years has not done anything extraordinary, they address a dystopian future filled with wars, racism, and corrupt politicians... but by showing how the privileged part of society also has to pay the price, the audience is not able to feel look away. 

If you have seen the fourth episode -definitely my favourite one and the one I hate the most- of this limited series, you know what I mean. It would be an understatement to say that I had never feel so wrong in my own body. I know, maybe my life has not been the most difficult one, but it is not until you see someone like yourself suffer the consequences of our own terrible society, that you realise how wrong everything is. From that point onwards there is no going back, every episode is filled with even more breathtaking situation until we get to the year 2034. 

There is no way of telling if this situation will ever happen, although many say that it could become a reality as quickly as the Coronavirus took over the whole planet. That is why I strongly recommend everybody to give a chance to this incredible show. It looks like we are going to spend quite a few weeks looked inside our houses, so lets try to make the best of it and please stop binge-watching Elite.

You can watch Years and Years via BBC iPlayer if you are in the UK and HBO for the rest of the world. 

Sources:
- The Guardian
- Radio Times