Dead to Me Season 1 Review

April 20, 2019 at 7:29pm
By Jason Stettner

This is a Netflix Original Series that follows two women that come together after both face a tragic loss in their lives. There’s a sense of mystery and dark comedy to this as they bond and deal with various issues that come across their paths. It’s an interesting setup, one that proposes its general concept by the end of the first episode and sticks with it. I’ll be light on certain details as to keep things fresh when you go to watch, but by the end of that first episode you should definitely be intrigued. It’s neat as you know something special, but are still able to see this truth get stumbled around throughout the series.

I thought it was generally handled well in a somewhat realistic, yet very strange way. The two leads of Jen (Christina Applegate) and Judy (Linda Cardellini) really deliver here with great chemistry. I enjoyed seeing them interact, and also how well the moments of sorrow were showcased. It’s quite a hard balance to bring in hard subjects, and to still have bits of comedy against the drama. I think it works here as I found the situations that came across during their time together as rather humorous. You never know where things are headed and there are many twists to witness throughout.

Some of them are out of nowhere, those moments could have used additional development. Towards the end things get wrapped up rather well and I’m very curious as to where they could take this looking forward. That is, if there is more to come down the road. What I’m mostly trying to get across is that this works quite well a standalone overall season, such as in a set run.

There’s a nice sense of loss in this as events slowly start to come together. We’re given a full range of those involved and impacted by this particular moment. That big moment being the loss of Jen’s husband. This isn’t a spoiler, as it’s generally the start premise for what happens in the show.

She’s obviously having many problems due to this, and it directly leads her to meet Judy. They come together at a group meeting for those that have lost loved ones. Both are lost in the world, and better one another in some rather crazy ways as things continue to progress. You’re never sure where things will head, and that’s the fun of it. It might seem to go a bit off track at times, but that does help build up the personalities of the two leads through escalation. I found the acting to be generally excellent, with the chemistry between the leads being the strongest.

The supporting characters fit well into the conflict, misery and those comedic moments. I did get some laughs out of this as there’s just this sense of pressure there and the series certainly kept me engaged. I thought the pacing was fine, it went by fast and I liked how everything progress. Again, I’m curious where they would head next with this one. Whatever they decide to do, assuming there’s another season. I’d be intrigued by it.

The Conclusion

Dead to Me Season 1 brings a tale of sorrow, and mystery with the audience generally being involved with that latter element. There are other mysteries aside from the big one however, and those twists will be revealed as events progress. This works well for providing some laughs, sad moments and some strange twists for sure.

It certainly surprised me as I was watching and that use of the edge really worked here. I’d definitely like to see the two leads together again, they worked well. When the sad moments hit, the two delivered and the bonding was excellent between them. It could have perhaps been even darker, maybe that’s where things will go in the future. Whatever the case, I enjoyed the show and thought it was a solid viewing.

Dead to Me Season 1 Review at Home with Streamed Viewing
Screening was Provided by Netflix

Rating Overall: 8.2