The second season of the surprising "Dead to Me" was released in early May, and we raced through its easy-to-view 10 episodes with a quickness.
The new arc is almost the same as the old arc, only this time Jen (Christina Applegate) has accidentally committed a grievous act personal to Judy (Linda Cardellini). Hilarity, near-misses, inexplicable decisions, and separations from reality ensue.
The show plays on the undeniable chemistry between Applegate and Cardellini, and James Marsden shows impressive range playing twins with highly distinct personas. However, the Type A-hippie union does not hold up here as Jen and Judy have switched personalities at times.
Also, for a Type A widow with two teenage-ish sons, Jen spends an inordinate amount of her time pounding wine, covering up fairly obvious crimes, and making inexplicable decisions seemingly designed to lead to her own capture (is this what she really wants, subconsciously?).
The hysterical moments persist, but Season 2's darker side shows through much more. These episodes explore obsession of all kinds, ending on an unbelievable-but-anticipated moment that opens the door to a potential third season that would be likely to fall apart under its own weight.
Applegate is tremendous and Cardellini is irresistible, but creator Liz Feldman has created a series built on unfathomable consequences, so there is a definite house-of-cards (*fill in your own Kevin Spacey joke here*) quality to the show.
Quitting while you're ahead isn't the Hollywood way, but that would probably be best for "Dead To Me" while it still retains the originality and charm that's propelled it this far.
No comments:
Post a Comment