Dead to Me — Season 2 Review
by KJ Proulx
When season one of Dead to Me hit Netflix last year, I was blown away by the surprise factor that each episode presented. I found that it was one of the best shows Netflix had ever produced and I was eager to see more. Well, season two has just been released and it’s honest;y just as good, if not better than last year’s season. For that reason alone, I no longer have anything keeping me from calling it easily one of the best shows Netflix has put out there. I will be with this show until the end, no matter how many seasons they make. From the performances to the writing, here’s why every element of Dead to Me makes it a must-see.
I’ll start by saying that if you haven’t seen season one yet, I’ll be giving some minor details on the events leading up to this season, just to give some context. After a certain death at the end of the previous season, Jen leads Judy to believe that she did it in self-defence. As the season progresses, more light is shone on that aspect and many side characters get a lot more time to shine here. I feel that Linda Cardellini and Christina Applegate have found their career-defining roles here. The way they continue to play off of each other with such friendship and hatred all feels so natural.
Not only are their performances terrific, but Sam McCarthy as Jen’s teenage son had a lot more to do here this season and his character became one of my favourites. Whether it’s when he’s just trying to live a teenage life and impressing a girl or whether he’s character dives a little deeper and becomes a small-time detective, each character added a much-needed level of depth. The main cast is superb and the rest of the secondary cast in Diana Maria Riva and Brandon Scott (and a one other that I just can’t ruin) bring their A-Game throughout the entire duration.
Creator/Occasional writer Liz Feldman has a team working with her that makes this series feel like a feature film each season. Not only does each season feel like a five-hour feature, but the cinematography by both Daniel Moder and Toby Oliver adds a sense of richness to it. Through certain angles, you can tell that this crew isn’t striving to make just another television show with standard camerawork. There is a lot of effort put into every aspect of this series on a technical level, even though there aren’t tons of locations.
In the end, this is a hard series to talk about without ruining things, because it’s written in such a way that keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout every episode. One surprise leads to the next reveal and that reveal has revelations that eventually lead to another slippery slope that won’t end well for someone. This the type of binge-worthy television that earns that term profusely. Season two is just as engaging as the first and progresses the story much further and I can’t wait to see where these characters go next. There’s so much more potential for crazy storytelling. Poignant, funny, and overall engrossing, absolutely check out the second season of Dead to Me, and if you haven’t even seen the first, then it’s time to start from the beginning.
Rating for Season 2: 4.5/5
Check out the trailer for Season 2 Below:
