Amid the tumult of 2020, the arrival of HBO’s How To With John Wilson felt like a necessary corrective. The understated, hilarious, and surprisingly moving documentary comedy series, now in its third and final season, is a window into a vibrant New York City at a time when a pandemic forced us inside and ground much of urban life to a halt.

Each episode of How To begins with a simple question, like how to dispose of your batteries or how to appreciate wine. Wilson’s search for answers sometimes takes him down rabbit holes beyond the five boroughs, but New York City is the show’s primary nucleus. The question-and-answer format structures the show, and the eccentricities of everyday New Yorkers color it in. Wilson rarely steps in front of the camera, but his haltingly awkward narration propels the show along as he documents street performers, public proposals, off-brand mascots, Avatar fanatics, Wall Street bankers, construction workers, Kyle MacLachlan incessantly swiping a MetroCard, and a woman covered in pigeons. Wilson inspires sympathy for everyone he comes across, from inept moving company workers dropping their client’s furniture to a well-timed piece of detritus that resembles a face.

Wilson’s New York is one where anything can happen and surprising turns of events are not uncommon. Some “only in New York” moments can be chalked up to serendipity, but Wilson also possesses an uncanny talent for identifying the weirdest guy on the street and figuring out what makes him tick. In a dehumanizing society, How To is an exercise in rehumanization. It also reminds us that our neighbors are worth fighting to save from powerful forces determined to grind them down, drive them out, and drain the city of its character.