When Netflix announced plans to expand the original programs in their catalog to cover at least 50 percent of content, a common question asked was, “How good could all of these different shows be?” It is a valid thought, with so many different new series and movies it is unknown how many will be quality entertainment. Luckily, what they have released so far has been pretty good overall, including their most recent, “Santa Clarita Diet,” which is easily their most outrageous comedy to date.
Joel (Timothy Olyphant, “Justified”) and Sheila Hammond (Drew Barrymore, “Blended”) are an average, every day, suburban married couple. They are real estate agents whose lives have admittedly become a bit dull and routine.
One morning they discover that Sheila is somehow dead, which brings along a new energized personality, increased libido, very little self-control and a whole new appetite. Joel is a devoted and loving husband, so of course he will stick by his wife’s side now that she is sadly a zombie, even if that means becoming a murderer and an accomplice to various major crimes.
While trying to hide the new Sheila from the cop neighbors, work associates and the public in general, Joel and Sheila cautiously involve their teenage daughter Abby (Liv Hewson, “Before I Fall”) and her friend Eric (Skyler Gisondo, “Vacation”), who has some knowledge of the undead and other paranormal activities.
This first season is written entirely by its creator, Victor Fresco, who has some experience writing for other pretty goofy comedies, with shows such as “Better Off Ted” and “My Name is Earl” under his belt, and has Ruben Fleischer directing the first two episodes, while also serving as an executive producer. Fleischer already has experience in zombie-based comedy, with the 2009 film “Zombieland.” This sounds like an oddly specific thing to have experience in, but he is able to get the show rolling right out of the gate.
Barrymore already has plenty of experience in comedy, from starring in Adam Sandler films, to lending her voice on “Family Guy” and even hosting “Saturday Night Live,” but she is known mostly for her work in movies. It takes a lot to carry any series, it is a different format than film, due primarily to the content factor. Ten of these episodes equates to roughly five hours of television, which is a lot of time, more than double most movies. That time needs to be equally filled with jokes, entertaining scenarios and even some twists to elevate the series further. Barrymore is surprisingly very funny as the zombie wife. Barrymore is not universally loved, nothing is, but she generates some of the biggest laughs this show has. Whether it is her commentary about her zombie transformation or when she has to be cannibalistic, Barrymore was a uniquely perfect choice for Sheila.
Olyphant is no stranger to carrying television series. He starred in FX’s critically acclaimed “Justified” for six seasons. However, he is not as well-known for his comedic chops. He has been humorous in other roles, but those would usually be a guest spot or a lighthearted moment in one of his more dramatic projects. In “Santa Clarita Diet,” Olyphant is arguably funnier than his zombie wife, who should be the main laughing point, probably because he grounds the series. It would be crazy if someone’s wife was a zombie and they would be freaking out constantly if they were murdering and dismembering people for their wife to consume. There are some quite memorable scenes thanks to Olyphant.
Having a show revolve around the zombie concept is wild, but sometimes the jokes fall flat. Zombie based puns and humor can only get a show so far and even though this first season is good, it is hard to see a whole other season skating by like this. It would just be redundant, rehashed jokes and that is why things would need to be cranked up for season two. With a great cast and a solid production team, season two could have even more to like than the first.
