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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Politics
Natasha Sholl

As a carer, I’m not special – but sometimes I need to be reminded how important my role is

Jenny Slate as Nikki, Sissy Spacek as Gail and Michelle Williams as Molly in Disney+ series Dying for Sex. The series deftly portrays the role of the carer of a loved one with cancer.
Jenny Slate as Nikki, Sissy Spacek as Gail and Michelle Williams as Molly in Disney+ series Dying for Sex. The series portrays the role of the carer of a loved one with cancer. Photograph: Sarah Shatz/FX

When I started watching the Disney+ show Dying for Sex, I was wary that the cancer storyline might hit a bit too close to home, after our teenage son was diagnosed with cancer in 2022.

The series follows Molly (Michelle Williams) who decides to leave her marriage and pursue sexual pleasure after being diagnosed with stage four cancer. And yet while it’s a difficult watch for obvious reasons, it wasn’t the “cancer stuff” that hit me where it hurts (everywhere); it was the portrayal of Nikki (Jenny Slate), Molly’s best friend, who takes over as carer when Molly leaves her husband. Nikki loses her job, her relationship, her house, her own mental health. And it’s very rare that we see the role of a carer highlighted in pop culture in this way.

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