The End review: A comforting yet raw approach to the tragic reality of death

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**Warning: This article discusses themes of suicide and self-harm throughout.**

Have you ever considered how you would like to die?

Blissfully drifting off into a peaceful sleep completely unaware that your time was coming to an end. Or seeing your life flash before your eyes as you make one last heroic act that will cement your legacy among your family and friends.

The thought of dying is a topic that’s still seen as taboo and something we all willingly shy away from whether that be out of fear or sadness or the uncertainty that comes with death.

Yet, the new Sky Atlantic series The End challenges these views and forces you to ask yourself whether or not we should all have the right to die.

Created by Samantha Strauss, the Australian screenwriter has brought to life the tale of her grandmother through the character Edie Henley (Harriet Walter), who was basically rebirthed after she moved into residential care when Sam was only in her teens.

But while there’s the underlying theme of depression running throughout the series, the director has managed to mix comedy into a somewhat dark narrative through Edie making the most of her final years by exploring her sexuality and experimenting with drugs.

Yet by no means does the show shy away from rather triggering subjects, as it hones in on suicidal thoughts and self-harm, seeing the trans schoolboy, Oberon Brennan (Morgan Davis), covered in scars as he contemplates whether or not he should take his own life.

Even the opening sequence sets the tone for the remaining nine episodes, with a horrific scene showing Edie’s suicide attempt before a fire alarm forces her to save herself.

And if that wasn’t enough to warn viewers with what’s to come, we’re then introduced to Edie’s daughter and Oberon’s mum, Dr. Kate Brennan (Frances O’Connor), who works at a hospital and is faced with the impossible decision as to whether or not she should help one of her patients die while she still has her dignity.

Samantha has managed to gracefully tackle hard-hitting situations, from coping with both mental and physical scars after beating cancer; terminal illnesses seeing patients demand control over their own death; how depression and anxiety warp the human mind; and how even the carer needs to be cared for at some point in their life.

But what first appears as a thought-provoking and controversial series, actually secures family, love and friendship at the heart of the show, and how humanity will fight for survival when thrown into some of the most difficult of circumstances.

The End will be available to stream on Now TV and Sky Atlantic from 10 February.

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