Yet Another Show On Decluttering and Reclaiming Life

Several years ago, the world was obsessed with Marie Kondo. To some extent, even after maximalism is back after the COVID-19 pandemic, people are still obsessed with the teachings of the Japanese tidying guru — even if being tidy is not always the priority for her — and debating whether the most simple objects are bringing joy back into their lives by existing in their space.

Self-help books have been a big market for those looking to tap into the creative energies that come with decluttering, offering advice on how to exercise one’s demons through feng shui, or figuring out how to get their finances–and life–back on track by fixing their home first. Whether it’s Queer Eye or Marie Kondo, America has been obsessed with this form of entertainment for a while now. The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning is another entry into the ‘cleaning clutter’ saga, offering a cultural insight into Sweden transplanted into the United States.

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The limited series is inspired by a book of the same name by Margareta Magnusson. The nonfiction book was a massive success when it was released, giving insight into how one could tidy up their life physically and mentally to get closer to where one wants to be. A lot of it is also about grief — the author wrote about the loss of her husband and what it meant to go through his objects, then ultimately let go of the life they had when he was still alive. Now, the television series is being produced by Amy Poehler (who also narrates throughout the episodes), and Scout Productions. Among the show’s many executive producers is Magnusson herself.

Focusing on eight people, the series attempts to capture the spirit of the philosophy behind death cleaning, utilizing three Swedes who come to the United States to help people out on their journeys. At 60 minutes, each episode manages to be relatively binge-worthy throughout, making it a weekend watch for those looking to start over themselves, or for a healthy dose of escapism. Whether it’s grief or letting go of the past life one once had before growing old, The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning has something for everyone throughout the series, offering reminders of what actually matters at the end of our lives.

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Weeding Through Possessions & Memories

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Consisting of eight episodes, The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning brings to focus one person in each episode. Each individual brings their baggage to the table when it comes to their life and its circumstances, but there is one thing uniting every single person: they have a lot of clutter within their homes. The average American might own a lot of objects, more than most others in the world, but it wouldn’t make great television if those selected for this show didn’t have some kind of collection.

The first episode, set in Kansas City, features a 75-year-old woman named Suzi who specifically collects sexual souvenirs from around the world. That sets the tone for what’s to come in the later episodes with an eclectic group of strangers who will become familiar faces by the end of their time on the show.

Frequent watchers of this genre will recognize the setup: three Swedes, fresh off the plane from Sweden, arrive in the United States into the homes of those they are going to try and help. They get each episode’s subject to try and get their things together so that one day, when they die, their loved ones will not have to deal with their collections.

There’s Johan, who handles the design side of things when going through one’s worldly possessions. Katarina is a trained psychologist who sits down with each episode’s subjects to sort through their mental clutter, talking about what’s important for them going forward. Finally, the trio is rounded out with Ella, who is dubbed the organizer of the group. She goes through and decides what’s useful out of one’s belongings.

Death Cleaning

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As one of the Swedes, Johan, says in the first episode, if one does not sort through their things, life begins to feel heavier. These philosophical musings interject throughout the series’ episodes, and while the camera lingers more on conversations rather than actual actions, giving insight into the lives of the people depicted on-screen.

Whether cancer, the loss of a loved one, or moving on from an exciting youth, the people seen throughout The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning have something weighing them down with the objects they are keeping and holding onto. While the audience does not get much about the actual cleaning part of the process, there’s a psychological journey going on throughout each episode.

And despite the connotation that this is all for the elderly preparing to die, ensuring their relatives do not have to painstakingly go through all their belongings once they are gone, The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning sells the fact that this is for everyone. Whether one is a young adult or in their 70s, this method truly can be applied by someone of any age to improve their quality of life.

Those appearing in The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning are from a wide range of ages and backgrounds, showing how there truly is not a one-size-fits all method for dealing with this. However, the problems feel distinctly American, and, as some familiar with the genre may notice, there are definite tropes repeated in this television show as well, which may be good or bad depending on who’s watching.

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The Televised Art of Decluttering

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There have been many predecessors to The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning, including the likes of Hoarders, taking one’s clutters to the extreme levels and broadcasting it all over the levels, and Marie Kondo, who captured the hearts of millions after appearing on a Netflix show. In the world of decluttering and cleaning television, there is tough competition, and The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning, despite its impressive background history in Sweden and relevant message, might not stick out when it comes to the rest.

In the lost art of cleaning up, one can only go so far with the content, forcing innovation to survive as an entertaining series. This series feels passive and restrained, too comfortable at times with the tone and pacing it sets from the beginning. In eight episodes, everything begins to blur together in a formulaic approach that becomes repetitive.

On one hand, Poehler’s narration feels jarring and unnecessary at times, providing commentary that tries a little too hard to be humorous. Another key problem that persists throughout the series is the pacing. While the subjects are certainly interesting and compelling people, there simply is not enough steam to sustain the episodes for an hour.

As entertaining as it might be to watch the Swedish team sit and have a coffee break, chatting about uniquely American mannerisms and whoever they’re working on that day, it feels like forced filler and prodding at how the Swedish team is quote-on-quote so different. These moments come across as meta in a way that’s poking fun at the American guests, but it also undeniably marks them as something not American or just foreign.

The Need to Need Less

In the end, that may undermine their tactics as an oddity, something to only be consumed as a form of entertainment, even if the methods and reasoning are quite logical. These forced interactions and dialogues begin to feel heavily orchestrated at certain points throughout the series, making the atmosphere feel more artificial and disingenuous. It reads as television entertainment that wants to be philosophical but hasn’t reached its full potential through the methods that got us to this point. Considering how little Americans probably know about Sweden, its culture, and its entertainment, that could’ve potentially led into uncharted territory.

Still, despite its shortcomings, something is endearing about the heart of shows like The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning. There are many reasons why Marie Kondo became a big name after her television show and book came out, inspiring many new trends in minimalism. People simply began to realize what truly mattered and decided clutter and objects weren’t keeping them satisfied versus real-life relationships and experiences.

As corny as one may find the jokes and scenarios associated with the projects, there are a lot of people out there like those depicted on The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning. And maybe there’s an element of escapism to all of this, as well — many viewers are dreaming of a world where they, too, can declutter their lives and start anew.

The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning releases on Peacock’s streaming platform on April 27, 2023.

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