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WHAT IT'S ABOUT:
Jen (Christina Applegate), Judy (Linda Cardellini) and the lies that entwine them are back. Picking up in the aftermath of that bloody backyard reveal, the irrepressible pair once again struggle to keep their secrets buried. With a surprising new visitor in town and Detective Perez (Diana Maria Riva) hot on their heels, Jen and Judy take drastic measures to protect their loved ones and each other - no matter the cost.
WHAT WE THOUGHT:
I didn't think Netflix could rival the sharp twists and turns in Dead To Me season one. But season two crash banged right into me – in a good way, I mean – with a few cuss words from Christina Applegate and a frazzled Linda Cardellini trying to keep everything together. They did, after all, just dump a dead body in the freezer in the garage just meters away from where they're making eggs on toast. Okay, Netflix, you've got my attention.
By the end of the first episode of season two, the show already offers up a new and rather big twist. Almost every episode ends on a cliffhanger, which, of course, makes the show all the more addictive – you'll be clicking "next episode" even though you promised to stop after your last "just one more". But Jen and Judy get caught up in a web of lies, and it shakes things up for the ladies every time, and keeping secrets of their own from one another on top of a murder makes for a hilarious and enthralling watch, where the dark humour just toes the line between comedy and drama.
One of the things I love most about this show is the fact that while it's hilarious, which is in no small part due to the comedic stylings of Christina Applegate with her blunt remarks and Linda Cardellini's brilliant portrayal of kooky, quirky Judy, it also showcases both female leads in the most vulnerable and heart-wrenching scenes. Sure, they just committed a murder, but as they work through their grief, there are also more relatable themes showing a single mom trying desperately to keep her family afloat. At the same time, her best friend navigates a new relationship after losing the only love she's ever known.
There's one scene in particular between Jen and Judy that will absolutely break your heart as they switch from their comedic selves to the more vulnerable. In a moment that really tests their friendship, Judy's ready to throw in the towel to save her best friend, before Jen has one of her meaner and more wicked outbursts. Judy breaks down, screams, starts hitting her head and bawls her eyes out in the middle of the street. Jen rushes to her side, holds her, and they cry.
Season one laid the foundation for their friendship, but in season two it becomes the heart and soul of the show. So even though they further explore love and loss in the second season with a few new characters, Dead To Me is and always will be Jen and Judy's love story – and that just ties everything together for me.
It's funny, it's sad, and it's dark – but not in the way that you can't handle right now. In fact, it could be just the 30 minutes you need to take your mind off the more frightful and grim things in life right now. And with these best friends to keep you company too – ah, the Spice Girls really meant it when they said: "Friendship never ends."
WATCH THE TRAILER HERE:
