Netflix and Chill is a biweekly column reviewing popular (and unpopular Netflix shows) so you know if they’re worth putting in your watch list. I am also a strong supporter of binge watching…
February brought a completely new collection of Netflix originals. One of those shows was Santa Clarita Diet, the story of a California realtor and mother who suddenly becomes a zombie. A few years ago the Walking Dead started the dramatic zombie television and movie sagas. Santa Clarita Diet is a comedic zombie show that has hit at just the right time and will leave you wanting more.
Courtesy: Coming Soon
Like many Netflix shows, Santa Clarita Diet didn’t have much released about it before it was available for streaming. Here is the low down of the show. Sheila Hammond (Drew Barrymore) suddenly turns into a zombie while she and her husband Joel (Timothy Olyphant) are showing a house to a reality customer. The zombie transformation starts when Sheila begins to crave raw meat and eventually human flesh. The moral dilemma experienced by every nice killer on TV (Dexter, I’m talking only about Dexter) begins. Sheila needs to kill people to eat them, but her and her husband Joel don’t want to kill just anyone. They only care about killing the bad people (see, Dexter). All the while, Joel and Sheila’s daughter Abby (Liv Hewson) has a bit of a breakdown because her mom’s a Zombie. Another problem is that both of Joel and Sheila’s next door neighbors are cops.
Courtesy: Rolling Stone
Now that you’re caught up let me explain that this show isn’t for everyone. Like all comedy, it’s rather subjective. The show doesn’t take itself too seriously and often times makes fun of the characters, their occupations and the superficial qualities of California. The comedy isn’t all that outright, it is a bit subtler but you can still easily catch onto the jokes. It’s witty and in tune with itself which can be a nice break from the seriousness of other shows and the in-your-face-ness of others.
Aside from being a comedy it also has great character development, something other comedy series can seriously lack. The main characters go through an arc while still remaining true to their core beliefs, well as much as you can while being a zombie. The show uses auxiliary characters to their advantage and makes them fully developed characters and not just plot points for the main characters. Santa Clarita Diet is also well written and developed when it comes to the plot. The actors are fantastic and do a great job showing some of the moral struggles the characters experience every episode. Perhaps the best part of the cast is how naturally they fit together. The cast has great chemistry which plays into the dynamic humor and plot.
With a great cast and amazing writing, this show should definitely be on your radar. If you have the chance (during or after the semester) you should watch this show. It is not as much of a commitment as Narcos or Orange is the New Black because the episodes are only 30 minutes. Netflix has a world of options out there for you. Make Santa Clarita Diet one of them (or at least add it to your queue).