Why you need to binge-watch ‘Dead to Me’ Season 2 right now

Before we get into Season 2, just a quick recap of all the Season 1 action to bring you up to speed.

In the beginning, we meet a well-known realtor and headstrong mother of two, Jen (played by Christina Applegate), who has recently lost her husband. After meeting Judy (played by Linda Cardellini) at a local grief support group, their bond grows instantly, which undeniably lifts the burden of mourning for both of them.

After learning about Judy’s troubled past and current living situation, Jen lends a helping hand and their unlikely friendship deepens after she moves in.

The pressures from work, motherhood and dealing with her late husband’s unresolved hit-and-run accident become almost non-existent until Jen soon realises that she has potentially invited trouble into her home.

Judy later befriends a detective during the support group’s retreat and Jen’s hope to find her husband’s killer is ignited again. When truths and lies begin to unravel, the killer emerges and a common enemy too.

What makes it so easy to get hooked?

In an exclusive clip on Netflix’s The Callback, Cardellini responds to Applegate about their experience on the Dead to Me set:

“When we improv…it’s just so much fun, and Liz [Feldman, the creator] let’s us be so loose. I don’t ever really get the opportunity to really improv with another woman.”

Applegate then elaborates on this by saying it was their connections to their own characters that made the improv so effortless.

Infectious chemistry and the art of improv

After finding out that the series doesn’t strictly follow the script and that the stars get to improvise a lot, I thought it is no coincidence that their infectious chemistry is what brings their characters and the story to life.

Seamless blend of comedy and trauma

The dark side and comedy blend seamlessly in the writing. The main characters’ energy on screen is so compelling that, as an audience member, you almost forget that the entire narrative is driven by trauma.

The supporting cast also helps us to find and explore the “humorous side” of grief and loss.

I hadn’t realised what the term “slow burn” really meant when it is used in describing a TV show or film. Know I have learnt that it is the deliberate drag in a story, so it takes longer to get to a conclusion/ fulfilment.

Dead to Me is exactly that, but is structured well enough to have kept me engaged without making me frustrated as the viewer. A bonus if you’re an impatient viewer like me!

Get your wine and popcorn ready

I didn’t expect the second season to outdo the first, but more lives intertwine, new limits are tested and there are more twists that will leave you absolutely gutted.

The message in this entire series can be summed up in the following question: How far can one go to be selective about the truth but equally protect themselves?