Carol wheels her chair two steps away from her desk to announce she is stepping out of the office to get toner for the printer and asks if anyone needs anything. It's like she is speaking into a void instead of a hall filled with some 50-60 people each at their desks staring into computer screens and typing away.
Carol brings banana bread to work dreaming and hoping that it will win the heart of Donna, an intimidating colleague she wants to befriend. When she does work up the nerve to offer her bread to Donna in the break room, she is turned down. You have to stop staring at me, Donna tells her instead. And she doesn't so much as look at the line load on the table waiting to be consumed with a cup of coffee and get-to-know-you conversation.
The funny thing is that Carol is here because despite the alienation she seeks solace from this work life. She doesn't have to be here. But she and the rest of the staff will even volunteer to spend late nights at work when asked. In a place where nobody knows her name. The world is on a countdown towards its end and this medium is what gives meaning to her life until then.
Planet Keppler is heading towards Earth and the date of impact is about 7 months away. The strength of this animated series about the 42 year old single, deadpan and introverted Carol Kole lies in it's exploration of everydayness and banality. Carol is loath to step out of her comfort zone yet with the end of the world looming large and visible in the sky, she is pressured to say yes to things she wouldn't ordinarily.
The struggle to stay true to herself and discover new things in life, striking off items from a bucket list like everyone else in Carpe Diem mode and anarchy. The urge is to get away from it all but at the same time she desires to add value and depth to her personal life. So she decides to say yes to her sister who is a shocking polar opposite to her placid personality. Her sister speaks foreign languages because she is busy travelling the world, skydiving, and camping and basically taking life by the horns. She is an extreme extrovert and manages to convince Carol to go hiking with her one day in order to spend quality time together.
The episode is created like a home video recorded over an old tape. This technique of storytelling is delivered in such an enjoyable way it strikes one as something fresh and keeps you hooked. Both sisters are equally amusing through the entire duration of the hike. Of course Carol hates to be on camera and of course her sister will relentlessly poke it in her face 24/7. But they have both agreed to do this for the same reason, to spend time with their sister. The trek is fraught with tension for Carol yet all is well in the end.
Another episode, in which Carol tries to befriend her colleagues and eventually succeeds, strays into psychedelic time wraps. The staff in Carol's office has been working such long hours that they keep zoning out, falling asleep and having "work dreams" where their reality keeps tripping from real to unreal. Again, this is an instance where storytelling technique is employed so adeptly that it evades coming off as hackneyed.
The scriptwriting is understated and amusing, much like the character of Carol. Nearly every character is given some amusing trait which makes them endearing to the viewer. Against the backdrop of impending doomsday, everyone is flouting the norms - except Carol - and every character is up to something unusual. For example, Carol's parents are nudists who are in a throuple with their much younger and burly caregiver. What makes Carol an interesting protagonist is watching her trying to stay true to her staid and matter-of-fact self while making peace with living life as meaningfully as possible until the last day.