2021 Review
Despite a promising start, 2021 wastes its potential on a dull, derivative mess.
It’s always disappointing when you buy into the hype of a big event, only for it to let you down (ahem Avengers Endgame ahem). And sadly, many of us fell on the tracks of the hype train again this year.
Coming out of the gate 2021 had some exciting plot lines. The assault on the US Capital was a horrifying act that fundamentally challenged many of the assumptions we place on American democracy. It set up an expectation that America would hold those responsible for whipping up an armed insurrection based on lies and hatred accountable for their actions. For the first time in history, a sitting president was impeached for the second time.
After the big election event at the end of 2020, it looked like there might be some political shake-ups: social safety net programs were on the horizon, along with infrastructure changes and an end to the filibuster that has gridlocked American politics for years.
The continuing COVID-19 storyline also showed promise. The long-awaited vaccine was being introduced to the general public, though resistance and conspiracy theories set up a gripping conflict: how long would it take to convince a world gripped by conspiracy theories and rampant selfishness to do their part to make the world safer? There was a bright spot of hope in June and July when the world appeared to be returning to normal…
And then none of that stuff happened.
I know it’s considered trendy to subvert the audience’s expectations, but come on. Sitting politicians lied to the American people and encouraged them to overthrow election results? Yeah, whatever, move on heal, this-isn’t-who-we-are, blah blah blah. ONE politician from a state that is stuck in the 1940’s derailed his entire party’s plans to make any meaningful changes in the two year window they have before an election reshuffles the deck in congress? A vaccine available to everyone in a country with a COVID death toll higher than the population of Seattle is just ignored?! We’re going to end up with as many COVID sequels (Delta, Omicron, Murderbeast, etc.) as there are Fast and Furious movies! It didn’t need to be like this!
…We are not back to exactly where we were this time last year. Things are not going wrong quite as fast as they were. There are chances now to safely enjoy events and get-togethers that seemed like a dream in 2020. Good people continue to work hard to try to make things better. Still, though. It’s hard not to look at all the hope we had when the clock struck midnight last year and wonder if it’s worth doing over again.
I gave 2020 1.5 Covid Vaccines out of 5. Those vaccines are plentifully available this year, but I only give 2021 2 out of 5.