Netflix had some great TV Shows. Popular series like Stranger Things, Sex Education, and Wednesday have established their legacy to all the video streaming platform subscribers.
While browsing Netflix, I stumbled upon an unusual TV Series that shocked me to my core.
Dead To Me almost has all the comedy and drama elements—a series that tells us more about friendship, trust, betrayal, loyalty, and deception, with a lot of swearing and cursing.
Premise
Dead To Me, throughout three seasons, tells the story of two unusual friends, Jen Harding, and Judy Hale. Jen is a real estate agent and a mother of two young boys who recently got widowed after her husband died in an accident. She tries to overcome grief by doing therapy sessions, listening to heavy metal songs, etc. One day while attending a grief support group, she met Judy. They exchanged information and became close friends. Judy claims she is grieving for her fiancee, who died of a heart attack. In reality, she is the hit-and-run driver and broke up with her fiancee. She hides the truth from Jen because she wants to preserve their friendship.
Jen maintains a negative feeling towards everything as she tries to unravel the mysteries of her husband's death and find the killer. Meanwhile, Judy keeps it upbeat and serves as a crying shoulder for her friend. Like yin and yang, the two jive in the weirdest ways. Their bond and friendship are tested when Jen unravels the mystery involving her husband's death and Judy's secrets.
Characters
Throughout three seasons, there are only a couple of main characters involved.
Jen Harding - played by the extraordinary Christina Applegate. Throughout the series, Jen seems to be the most upfront character. She is straightforward and does everything to get what she wants. She works as a real estate agent. She also has a temper problem and gets quite destructive with her actions. She maintains a negative disposition in life as she struggles with grief and her friendship with Judy. Her character elevates during the third season as she becomes a shoulder to lean on for Judy.
Judy Hale - played by Linda Cardellini. You may have known her character as Hawkeye's wife in several MCU films. Her personality here is a world apart compared to MCU. She works at a retirement home and is an excellent painter as well. At first, you think that she is a one-sided character. She always has a positive outlook on things but hides a dark past that she tries to cover up. She reciprocates Jen's personality by showing her kindness and forgiveness. Unlike Jen, she is like a mother figure for her children.
Steve Wood - played by James Marsden. He is the ex-fiancee of Judy, who was with her when the hit-and-run happened. He is a rich guy laundering money from illegal investors and working under the Greek mafia. He is a pain-in-the-ass character because of his arrogance toward everyone. He leaves Judy because of her miscarriages and discovers she cannot get pregnant.
Ben Wood - also played by James Marsden. His character is introduced during the second season and plays a significant part until the end. He is the twin brother of Steve. Unlike his brother, he is kind but suffers from depression and alcoholism. His life becomes intertwined with the two main characters, especially when he falls in love with Jen.
Review
Dead To Me, surprisingly, has an excellent plot. The story doesn't drag, and the pacing is just right. Each episode always ends on a perfect cliffhanger. It's a good show that gives you a good laugh and sometimes will make you cry. The series finale ended with a lot of questions but was perfect.
The chemistry between Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini is excellent. The two actresses delivered stunning performances, and their acting was superb. Both characters' personalities are different, but they work out very well. There may be a lot of swearing in their dialogue, but I think it's necessary to show their emotions. Their friendship is tested when a crime is committed, and the two try to outwit the authorities.
What I like about the characters is they are easily relatable. Although fictional, you can connect to them like they are part of you or your community. Their everyday struggles with grief and emotion could happen in real life.
This series is weird because most of its in-the-car scenes are shot on a green screen. You don't see it, especially since this has been released recently. It's common for anything produced in the 60s or earlier.
Overall, Dead To Me is a solid series that thrives on showing the characters' emotions. It handles themes like grief, loyalty, friendship, and mental health problems. Judy and Jen may have different personalities, but they both need each other as a shoulder to cry on. Their friendship is tested when encountering problems, but they support each other very well.
You rarely watch a very underrated, well-loved Netflix series due to the story and characters.
A solid 4 out of 5 stars.