Dead to Me

This excellent ten-episode first series of black drama/comedy is thoroughly enjoyable and consequently highly addictive.

The stars of the show are Linda Cardellini (Judy), Christina Applegate (Jen) and James Marsden (Steve). Ed Asner (Abe) also makes a memorable appearance in a minor role.

‘Dead to me’ is the story of two young women who meet at a grieving therapy class and become close friends. Judy says she is mourning the sudden death of her fiancé. Jen, on the other hand, is a mother of two sons, trying to come to come to grips with the hit and run death of her husband. But, all is not as it seems.

Judy moves in with Jen and her boys. Judy and Jen are very likeable, larger than life characters. Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini are perfectly cast as characters who are alike, yet very different to each other.

The storyline is neither cliched nor predictable.  In fact, some expected outcomes are challenged. The tone of the humour is also not overly dumbed down. The series does an enviable job of simultaneously maintaining the humour, while developing the drama and suspense.

This series is a breath of fresh air. It is not bleak, crude or violent. While the language is very colourful, it is not gratuitously crude.

I watched the ten episodes of the first series in two sittings. Clearly, I found this show addictive. This was not so much  because I could not wait to see what would happen next, but rather because I was enjoying the show immensely.

‘Dead to me’ is light, yet quality television. It has justifiably received high praise.