Dead To Me is an excellent new show on Netflix starring Christina Applegate as Jen and Linda Cardellini as Judy. It’s the definition of a dramedy about a woman losing her husband in a crazy hit and run but finding a new friendship through her loss. Dead To Me deals with grief, anger, and everything in between so let me tell you all the reasons it should be your next binge!
The Friendship
Girls know that female friendships, quality ones, are hard to come by. Finding one depicted well on television can be equally as challenging. I definitely don’t want to give away too much of the story but Jen and Judy’s bond is a huge part of what makes Dead To Me amazing.
They meet over a shared life event but quickly discover how well they get along. They’re honest with each other and never afraid to shy away from the hard topics. I absolutely love Jen and Judy! They share the type of bond that all of us would and should be lucky enough to have with at least one person.
The Humor
The subject matter is on the dark side but this show tackles it with some excellent comedy. Grief can manifest in so many ways for different people but for Jen, it makes her angrier and frankly a little terrifying while Judy is a ray of sunshine in contrast.
The way these women interact with each other and those around them will have you laughing so hard you have to hit pause so you don’t miss out on something. There are so many lines that are going to stick with you long after you’ve finished the first (hopefully) season because it really is that good!
The Mental Health Awareness
Every character in Dead To Me is suffering from some type of mental health issue but there’s no stereotyping to be seen and that is so refreshing. It depicts those who hold everything in until they can’t take it, those who overshare or aim to please everyone even if it hurts them, and other issues in between, but all while breaking the stigma that usually accompanies them.
Not only does it avoid stereotypes but when someone uses the word ‘crazy’ to define anyone’s behavior, Jen or Judy are ready to defend and even sympathize with the actions that led to that word choice. Maybe the things people are doing aren’t good and could get them in a lot of trouble but that doesn’t make them ‘crazy’. Thank you, Dead To Me for bringing attention to the fact that everyone struggles and deals with things differently but that doesn’t make any of us insane but just makes us people!
The Drama
Like I said in the beginning, this series is a dramedy so you won’t be laughing the entire time. The main subject matter deals with grief and loss so there is definitely some deep emotions to deal with on screen. This show does an amazing job with both sides of the dramedy genre. However, the drama doesn’t just come from Jen or Judy’s losses because there is so much more at play here.
I won’t spoil anything but I will warn you that there are so many twists and turns coming your way. Don’t get too comfortable at any point in your binge because Dead To Me is going to throw something your way that you won’t see coming!
The Cast
Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini are freaking fantastic on this show! I have always loved Christina Applegate so once I saw her name I was ready to watch and she did not disappoint. I knew Linda Cardellini too (I just didn’t realize it) and she was perfect for the role of Judy. These women play off each other so well that you start to feel like you’re just hanging with your two best friends and not watching TV. I am in awe of the performances these two gave and I can’t wait to see what they’ll do in the future.
All of the supporting cast is amazing too but I have to tip my hate to Applegate and Cardellini because they are the glue that makes this show so damn good! Do you see this Netflix? I’m hoping you’ll announce a season renewal soon so I can stop stressing about it.
The Writing
The team behind this show are geniuses! Dead To Me is smart, funny, current, shocking and everything you could possibly want a show to be. Things are handled and written so well that I want this team to be behind more of my favorite shows. They avoided all the things that make TV cliche and, instead, gave us an original series that didn’t exist. That is the definition of good television! There are so many reboots out there and shows that are similar to others that it is so nice to have something new.
Don’t miss out on this awesome show! Check out Dead To Me on Netflix!
