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WHAT IT'S ABOUT:
A hot-headed widow searching for the hit-and-run driver who moved down her husband befriends and eccentric optimist who isn't quite what she seem.
WHAT WE THOUGHT:
I’ve always thought Christina Applegate was a good comedic actress, but Dead to Me confirms that she is, in fact, a great comedic actress. Linda Cardellini does sweet, but with a huge secret so well and together the two make a wonderful pair to head up a 10-episode Netflix series.
This show is very addictive – I stayed up until nearly 03:00 to watch everything all in one go because it’s that good.
The pilot starts off very strong and starts with the hilarity from the very beginning as Jen (Christina Applegate) stands at her front door talking to her neighbour who has just dropped off a ‘grief casserole’ aka dishes of food people give to you when a loved one has died. The show gets right into it with the neighbour, Karen, saying she can’t imagine what Jen is going through and Jen saying it would be like if her husband “…got hit by a car and died, suddenly and violently. Like that.” They stare at each other awkwardly before Jen closes the door in Karen’s face and you’re left giggling at the abruptness.
This show is an excellent look at honest female friendship especially between older women as they go through grief and loss and heartache in various ways, but try to find a way to cope by relying on each other (and lots of wine and angry outbursts). Grief is a subject that’s often overlooked and seen as very private instead of being discussed openly and to get to look at it in this way where you see so many people struggling with their loss and realising there’s no one way to grieve while also laughing your head off, is, I think, a brilliant approach to the topic.
The show is brilliantly written and wickedly funny, but it also has lots of drama to keep you entertained. I love that all the women in the series are the ones who carry the show and the men are more background characters. One of my favourite characters (even though she’s only in a few episodes) has to be Jen’s mother-in-law Lorna, who is played by Valerie Mahaffey and does overbearing and overdramatic hilariously well.
There are lots of secrets hidden by everyone in this show, even the kids, and they range from juicy to silly to very dark. It will take you on a rollercoaster ride of emotions but in the best way. If you’re thinking of spending the weekend in bed and need a new series to watch, definitely give this one a go, you’ll be very happy you did.
If you’re not into dark humour though, you might want to give this one a pass as it’s funny but does go to some dark places.
Trigger warnings include accidental motor vehicle deaths, murder, and loss of pregnancy. If any of these are an issue for you, be warned.
WATCH THE TRAILER HERE:
