Netflix’s New Show Dead to Me Is Big Little Lies –Level Addicting

There's one specific moment in Netflix's new series Dead to Me that reminded me of Big Little Lies in the best way possible. It happens at the top of episode one, when Jen (Christina Applegate), who's husband recently died, accepts food from her neighbor, Karen, as a condolence gift. "I just can't imagine what you're going through," Karen says, to which Jen responds, "Well, it's like if your husband got hit by a car and died suddenly and violently. Like that."

Applegate delivers this line with such sardonic wit that you can't help but laugh—even though the subject matter is so morose. Big Little Lies had a similar vibe at times: The women on that show dealt with incredibly heavy issues, but jokes and quips cut through the tension. That tone is part of what made BLL such a smash, and it's what should make Dead to Me your next Netflix pick.

The 10-episode series explores what happens when a widow (Applegate) befriends a kind but possibly sketchy woman in her grief support group, Judy (played by Linda Cardellini). Judy seems harmless at first: She tells Jen she also lost her partner suddenly, giving them instant common ground. It's not long before they're staying up all night, talking on the phone about their relationships and healing processes. But then something happens that suggests Judy isn't who she says she is. I can't say much else without revealing major spoilers—just know that the bomb dropped in episode one is massive, and yet somehow Judy still ends up moving in with Jen.

Intrigued? I know. Dead to Me has all the soapy qualities I love in a show. The drama is high-stakes, the twists are actually shocking, and the dialogue is sharp. But the series also tackles some intense issues from an authentic female lens. Dead to Me was created by a woman, Liz Feldman, and more than half of the episodes were led by female directors. Also great: All 10 episodes were crafted by woman screenwriters, and only two of those received input from a man. That's all to say this show is female in its DNA, and it shows in the ways Judy and Jen are portrayed.

One narrative I particularly latched on to was how Jen deals with grief. I haven't lost a partner unexpectedly, like Jen, but I remember feeling an amalgamation of emotions after my grandmother passed when I was 20. I felt devastation, numbness, indifference, anger, and even humor. I distinctly recall making jokes with my sister en route to the funeral before having a wave of sadness rush over me the second I left the car. The contrast was extreme, and I always felt a little bad about it, but Jen experiences a similar emotional roller coaster in Dead to Me. One minute she's sobbing in her bed alone, the next she's screaming to metal music in her car or angrily exercising on a stationary bike. Her phone calls with Judy weave between mundane small talk—their favorite desserts, the TV shows they're watching—to heavier subjects like death. That felt extremely realistic.

There's no judgment, either. Judy never criticizes how Jen works through what happened to her husband. Of course, there might be some sinister reasons for this, but it still clearly means something to Jen. "Thank you for not saying and doing the same stupid shit that everybody says and does that just makes you feel more alone than you already are—and for not being repulsed by my version of grief," Jen says to Judy during an especially poignant moment in episode one. Despite the truly wild things Judy does in Dead to Me—which, again, I can't reveal, just go watch!—it would have been nice having her around during my grandmother's death. She might have saved me from months of guilt over my own "version of grief," as Jen so aptly puts it.

If you haven't experienced losing someone, though, there are several other issues Dead to Me covers that will likely hook you in some way: divorce, betrayal, infertility, aging, infidelity. I can't wait to see what conversations this very funny, emotionally resonant show starts.

And no, I'm still not going to tell you what horrible things Judy does. All 10 episodes of Dead to Me are now streaming on Netflix, so go find out for yourself.

Christopher Rosa is the staff entertainment writer at Glamour. Follow him on Twitter @chrisrosa92.