Abhiroop Das
Created by Raphael Bob-Waksberg, Netflix’s ‘Long Story Short’ charts the lives of the Schwooper family over the course of decades, jumping through timeframes to pinpoint seemingly random moments from their lives. However, when strung together, these beats paint a fuller picture, showing how time can fly by before one even realizes it. Over the course of the story, Avi, Shira, and Yoshi Schwooper go from being confused children to confused adults, and yet they learn from their mistakes and become better people. All of this happens in the presence of their father, Elliot Cooper, and Naomi Schwartz, who have their own complex trajectory to follow. Naomi, in particular, steers much of the narrative, and her thoughts and actions provide insight into the nitty-gritty of family life. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Naomi Died in 2020 Due to a Viral Disease
Although it is not shown in any episode of the show, Naomi Schwartz passed away in 2020. The reason for her death is never explicitly mentioned, but we learn that she contracted the novel coronavirus in the same year, and it is implied to have caused her demise. The disease itself alludes to the real-life pandemic that began in 2020 owing to COVID-19. Furthermore, Shira laments how the family was forced to mourn Naomi’s death via virtual meetings due to the lockdowns instituted to contain the virus. This means that they never got to properly process her death, and it leaves a visible impact on their collective psyche, increasing the distance between them. While the season finale is centered around the death of Naomi’s uncle, Barry Klein, the narrative uses him as a springboard for a deeper conversation about the Schwooper matriarch and her legacy.
In the beginning, none of the family members brings up their feelings about Naomi’s death, as in the narrative, it has already been two years since the event. However, it is still the driving force for their meetup at the funeral. Shira visits to get back at the Klein family members for not paying respects at her mother’s funeral, while her father and siblings come to have a get-together. Out of all of them, Yoshi is the first person to come clean about his feelings, stating that he does not feel ready to attend another funeral just yet. When his car has an accident on the road, he is forced to stay in a motel for the night. In this moment, the Schwoopers realize that instead of fixating on their minor annoyance, they have to get together and find closure. To that end, the entire family becomes whole once again in the motel and celebrates a Shabbat ritual.
The Shabbat scene serves not only as a blend of humor and poignant emotions, but also as a mirror to the opening scene of the season, reflecting Naomi’s mental state when her mother passed away. This time, Avi fills in that role, unable to find happiness in his family’s joyful exchange of past anecdotes. When they recall the day of Naomi’s mother’s death, all these elements coalesce. That day, everyone was having a jolly time with Barry, only for Naomi to disrupt the scene, enquiring why they were all happy on a day of mourning. The same question applies to the present day, and forces the family to contemplate. In that moment, the family has a collective understanding of what Naomi’s passing really meant to them. In a bittersweet moment of reflection, they realize that the remaining Schwoopers are her real legacy, and how they lead their individual life will determine how she is remembered.
Naomi’s Demise Uniquely Impacts the Rest of Her Family
Prior to her death in 2020, Naomi’s trajectory was defined by coming to terms with all her shades as a mother. In episode 8, she is confronted by her children about her harmful ways of parenting and how they continue to negatively affect the family. Hearing this, she nearly breaks down, but instead chooses to use that as a learning experience to better her ways as a mother. The foundation of her personality can be found in a sequence that depicts her childhood. Surrounded by many siblings and busy parents, the only way Naomi gets their attention is by hurting herself. As such, her present tendency to take things directly to heart and draw attention to herself can be interpreted as a contortion of her original desires to be seen and appreciated. As the family matures, both the children and their parents grow more understanding of each other, creating a healthier atmosphere for Naomi in her final years.
In 2021, a year after Naomi’s passing, Shira has her own moment of connection with her mother. When she tries to make Naomi’s signature bread rolls, she repeatedly fails to nail the recipe. Ultimately, this journey takes her back home, where she finds her mother’s added notes to the recipe asking for more garlic, specifically for Shira. Hearing this, the daughter sheds tears, realizing that despite their differences, her mother still had a deep love for her. Although Naomi was a stickler for rules and never quite satisfied with their actions, her eldest son, Avi, makes sure that her maternal love for the family seeps down into the next generation. When Hannah asks him whether her grandmother had any problems with her, he states that she did not, and while it’s not the complete truth, it taps into the essence of their complex relationship as a family.
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