For this month’s Binge-Watching in the Nonahood, I’m reviewing the Netflix show Dead to Me. I realize I’ve been on a roll with the Netflix shows lately for this column, but because of their huge selection of content and my lack of a Disney+ subscription, I decided to start Dead to Me. It’s a bit of a gem I uncovered randomly at a time when all of my beloved shows were on a hiatus and I didn’t have much to watch when I wanted to unwind. And I really didn’t want to go down another reality TV rabbit hole.
Dead to Me is a dark comedy with two female leads, played by Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini. Jen, Applegate’s character, is grieving her husband, Ted, because of his recent death – a car accident. When she starts attending an emotional support group, Jen befriends Judy, Cardellini’s character. Jen thinks nothing of their budding friendship, but the audience is able to see episode by episode that Judy’s motives aren’t pure in the slightest. Little by little, it is revealed that Judy and Jen meeting in a support group wasn’t a coincidence and that Judy actually had a part to play in Ted’s death. The bulk of the show is us hanging on, ready to press the “keep watching” button to start the next episode, trying to figure out the mystery of what happened the night Ted got run over and why so many different lies are wrapped around his shocking death. Everyone’s got secrets – Jen, Judy, Judy’s ex-fiancé named Steve, even Ted himself! As we get to know each character, there are more secrets the audience finds out; we’re the lucky ones to get to see them scramble to cover up their wrongdoings. It also pushes the story deeper into unpredictability. The cliffhanger that ends this show is just jaw-dropping!
One pro about this show, especially for those busy bees who don’t want to commit to yet another show, is how short the episodes are. Only 30 minutes per episode and one 10-episode season, Dead to Me is just the right length for its story and is pretty easy to finish (maybe in a day or two, side-eyeing myself here). The fast pacing also helps build up great suspense.
I really have to commend Christina Applegate’s performance as well. She is outstanding and authentic in playing a mourning widow, which isn’t an easy feat. Jen has daily breakdowns because of how much she has suffered. But she never really seems weak as she balances her job as a realtor, continues to raise her two sons and help them grieve their father, and figures out how to restructure her life. And all the while, Jen has a go-getter attitude, a quick tongue, and provides a majority of the good comedy in the show.
Dead to Me was renewed for a second season, expected to be released sometime next year. Linda Cardellini shared on her social media that they had just finished filming this last month. I’m excited to see what the second season encompasses and how this great cliffhanger finally gets resolved!
