Review: Dead To Me 2
by Jeanmarie TanChristina Applegate and Linda Cardellini are two of the most underrated actresses in the business, currently starring in the equally underrated dark comedy that is streaming on Netflix.
It is baffling that neither has received much awards love, but fortunately, a loyal fan following has kept Dead To Me alive.
Just like the seductive soapy drama of Desperate Housewives and Big Little Lies before it, the show is fun and easy to breeze through despite introducing crazy new twists and turns.
Unlikely best friends Jen (Applegate) and Judy (Cardellini) are a ridiculously watchable double act you continue to root for, even as they get caught up in more lies, betrayals and chaos and struggle to keep more secrets buried in the addictive second season, which picks up in the aftermath of the murder of Judy's ex-fiance Steve (James Marsden).
It also mirrors the events of the first season, as now both women are responsible for killing each other's partners.
They have also become complicit in covering up the crime and disposing the body, which tests their bond like never before and opens up more emotional floodgates.
Thankfully, the script, plotting and pacing remain solid and manages to keep up.
As the F-bomb-dropping realtor widow-mum with so much baggage to unpack, Applegate is a lioness who effortlessly attacks every scene and line as if they were slabs of raw meat. And witnessing the carnage is pure joy.
Nobody can swear, cry, ache and fly into a rage quite like her, but yet there is so much nuance and range in her performance.
When actress and character come together so flawlessly, you want to keep coming back for more.
Cardellini will always be overshadowed by her flashier co-star, but she is the show's heart and soul, holding her own as Jen's quirky foil who gets her share of tragicomic moments and a new love interest (Natalie Morales).
Those who miss Marsden's cocky, double-dealing antagonist will be glad to know the actor returns in a dual role as Steve's dorky, self-deprecating and nice-guy twin who shows up to check on Steve's whereabouts and falls for Jen in the process.
Even better news is that he will be very much a part of Season 3.
RATING: M18