‘Dead To Me’ is The Perfect Showcase For Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini

Netflix’s new dramedy Dead to Me reminded me of the streamer’s 2015 thriller Bloodline. Not because of the plot — although they both center around nominally good people who end up doing bad things — or because both shows predominantly feature the always wonderful Linda Cardellini, but because of the feeling it evoked after viewing. Dead to Me delivers a perfectly fine ten-episode season that would’ve made a great six-episode season. If Dead to Me were a two and a half hour time commitment, I’d enthusiastically recommend it, but five hours for this series is a big ask.

Described by Netflix as a “comedic Big Little Lies,” Dead to Me stars Christina Applegate and the aforementioned Cardellini as two women who strike up an unlikely friendship after meeting at a support group. Despite their mismatched personalities, the two develop a strong relationship after bonding over the recent deaths of their loved ones, but a shocking secret threatens to unravel everything. The series isn’t as funny or naturally compelling as its HBO counterpart, but it does offer a slew of exceptional performances. Luke Roessler is a young scene-stealer and both Brandon Scott and James Marsden deliver in supporting roles, but the obvious strength of the show is the performances of Applegate and Cardellini.

Your first thought might be “duh, dude.” They’re obviously great. Applegate and Cardellini, which also sounds like the perfect name for a Netflix buddy cop series, are theatrical rockstars. Despite all their accolades and stellar work on classic shows like Married… With Children, Friends, Freaks and Geeks, and ER, these two actually exceed expectations in Dead to Me. For all of the show’s shortcomings, series creator Liz Feldman gives her two stars a number of meaty, emotionally resplendent scenes to devour.

I could easily see Applegate or Cardellini pulling a Michael Douglas Kominsky Method-esque surprise and capturing a well-earned Golden Globe, Emmy, or hell, even an Oscar!

Okay, no Oscar. But you understand my point.

It’s easy to see why Applegate and Cardellini signed on to Dead to Me. It’s rare to find such an explosive mix of abject sorrow, pathos, and humor. The series may not be for me, but it definitely improves as the mysteries begin to unravel and the bond between Applegate and Cardellini’s characters grow stronger.

Dead to Me is no Big Little Lies but it has its moments. All ten Season 1 episodes are now streaming on Netflix.

Stream Dead to Me on Netflix