Dead To Me
Starring: Christina Applegate, Linda Cardellini, James Marsden
Available To Watch: Netflix
There has been a bit of a lull in new movie content lately due to the quarantine, and I’m sorry to report that I cannot justify paying $24 to review Scoob, even if Zac Efron is one of the voice actors. However, this quarantine has been an excellent time to catch up on some new TV series. It seems like every weekend a new show premieres. The latest show that I finished watching was Dead To Me on Netflix. Who watched season 1 of Dead To Me and immediately got sucked into the drama, suspense, and intrigue? Well, season 2 is here with an even twistier plot than before.
Do not continue reading this if you have not seen season 1 of the series! This will contain spoilers. It’s an easy show to binge-watch, and I don’t want to ruin it for anyone!
After a dramatic altercation leads to Steve’s death in the season one finale, Jen and Judy try to clean up the mess without attracting any suspicion from others. With the police investigating Steve’s whereabouts, the two try to stay under the radar, but trouble finds them at every turn. The two grapple with grief, trauma, and the difficulties of motherhood. Can they make it out of their twisted web? Or will they get caught?
What I appreciate about this show is the writing of complex and compelling female leads. Jen and Judy are very messy people who would seemingly never be friends due to such different lifestyles and personalities. Applegate is type-A, motivated Jen, who will stop at nothing to gets things done for her family. Then there’s Cardellini’s Judy, a bohemian artist who does whatever people ask of her. Despite their significant differences, the two have shared traumatic experiences. Through their grief, they bond and help each other through life. It’s important to note that I don’t think this show would work as well without Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini as Jen and Judy. They have such perfect comedic and witty timing with each other.
Season two has a major focus on the complexity of female relationships, whether it’s the mother/daughter (Judy and her mother) dynamic or the friendship dynamic. Jen and Judy are the centers of the show. Their friendship is a complicated one to unpack with each episode and has grown a lot since season one. There is an overarching theme about mothers throughout the entire season, which I found to be quite fascinating. Through some of the episodes, it’s like Jen is almost a surrogate mother to Judy. That aspect of the plot becomes even more interesting when we learn about Judy’s mother this season. Without giving away too much, it explains a lot about her character.
This is a Netflix drama after all, and it has its fair share of far-fetched plot twists. It falls into the soap opera tropes with its usage of James Marsden this season. He returns to the show, but not as Steve. Although the plotline is a little wild, I loved his storyline. He gets to play a character completely different from the Steve of season 1. This shows off his range as an actor, plus there are some hilarious moments in the plot.
Another aspect I enjoyed about season 2 is how many details have come full circle. In season 1, Judy was lying to Jen. This time around, Jen is the liar who feels a sense of guilt. The tables turned completely, and we get to see her reaction when the shoe is on the other foot. It’s good writing by show creator Liz Feldman and her co-writers.
If you enjoyed season 1 of Dead to Me, I’d recommend checking out season 2 of the Netflix original series. At just 30 minutes per episode, it’s a thrilling binge-watch with fascinating character development that will keep you glued to the story.