In between Netflix series? Looking for an excuse to procrastinate the heck out of doing anything adult-related, this weekend? Well my fellow lounge lizard, don’t I have a treat for you. Amidst my scramble to find something that doesn’t require brainpower, I’ve discovered Dead To Me and boy am I pleasantly surprised. It’s probably the most underrated, under-hyped, under-everything series of the year. Here are 5 reasons why you need Dead To Me in your life, too.
#1 Christina Applegate Is One Funny Chick
Applegate plays Jen, a grieving real-estate agent who is muddling through life following the horrific death of her husband. Jen begins attending a local support group where she soon meets Judy (played by Scooby Doo star, Linda Cardellini). Applegate is the frazzled widower who’s taken to suppressing her emotions, until she befriends Judy and the two kick-off their extremely dynamic, and extremely layered friendship.
Whilst Applegate’s character is the stereotypical straight-edge, the series follows her grief process in a comedic, yet extremely relatable light. Prepare for unexpected turns and comical takes on topical issues like grief, loss, heartache and friendship (even the toxic type) that will have you in stitches and at times, feeling very uncomfortable.
#2 It’s A New Genre: ‘Traumedy’
If you’re into a series that explores heavy-hitting shit in a light-hearted kind of way, Dead To Me is right up you’re alley. Jen’s late husband was the victim of a hit and run, and whilst the series explores Jen’s grief processes beyond the incident, a number of lies are exposed along the way. The dramatic irony is what will carry you from episode 1 through to 8 pretty darn fast, too. This is the perfect mix of brain-numbing comedy combined with slightly morbid
Jen and Judy’s friendship balances the kind of healthy/unhealthy elements you need, too. Think a sneaky booze fest before midday and joints with your grief counsellor…
#3 Friendship Toxicity Is A Thing
When you and your gal pal hit it off from the start, only to realise you’ve done something really, really bad (potentially friendship-ending), what do you do? Dead To Me explores some really important feels we’ve all faced one time or another. Friendships are extremely layered, and so too are the lies that (somehow) hold them together. Judy is the free spirit that uncovers an interesting side to Applegate, it’s just that the two are held apart by one huge secret. How’s that for a teaser, hey?
#4 Linda Cardellini Is A Vibe
I miss Velma and Dead To Me is a welcomed journey back to the Scooby Doo era. Cardellini’s newer role has her playing a free spirit, yet she also brings a tension to the role with her juicy lie. Essentially, it’s a bunch of emotions you need to get around.
#5 Your Left With A Huge Ass Cliff Hanger
Now to be quite frank, the whole ending of Dead To Me was rudely ruined after a really obnoxious spoiler. I’m fuming because honestly, this series had me hooked and the only reason I had paused the show was because I had this thing called ‘work’ to attend (really mad). So I can now confirm that the ending is really bloody huge.
Sources: IMDb.
