The first season of Dead To Me features a number of shocking twists and turns, and the cliffhanger ending drastically changes the dynamic of the series. The dark comedy was created by Liz Feldman and is produced by Will Ferrell and Adam McKay. Christina Applegate, Linda Cardellini, and James Marsden lead the cast of the recently released Netflix series.
Applegate plays the role of Jen, a woman who just lost her husband in a hit-and-run accident. Jen is a hard-nosed woman, but the grief causes her to join a support group where she meets Judy, played by Cardellini. Judy seems very easy-going - a very different personality compared to Jen. The two women find support in each other which leads to a trusting friendship, but the series soon reveals that there's more going on than meets the eye.
Dead To Me began by focusing on the trauma of two women, but it eventually turned into a full-blown murder mystery. Jen became obsessed with finding who killed her husband. Little did she know, the person who killed her husband is her closest confidant. It was inevitable that Jen would eventually learn that Judy was the culprit, but the details that came out along the way were truly shocking, and the season's closing moments that changed how the show should be perceived.
Dead To Me's Season 1 Cliffhanger
What started as a show following the lives of two grief-stricken women quickly evolved into a series full of shocking revelations. The intricate web of lies began with the revelation that Judy was at the wheel of the car that killed Ted. Judy then used her own remorse as a motivator to make things right for the newly widowed Jen. Despite the fact that Judy was hiding a horrid secret, her intentions were arguably heartfelt. She and Jen eventually struck up a beautiful, one-of-a-kind friendship.
Unfortunately for both women, the truth ultimately came to light... at least, some of it. After learning the truth about Judy's involvement in Ted's death, Jen still craved justice. Judy got caught up in Steve's money laundering case, so there wasn't much the detectives could do about Ted's case. At that point, Jen was feeling a new wave of suffering from Ted's infidelity. The widowed mother of two started to lose control of her job and had just learned the one person she could trust, Jen, betrayed her in the worst way possible.
When Steve (James Marsden) arrived at Jen's house looking for Judy, it became clear that the plot could go in one of two ways. Either Steve was going to completely lie and put the full blame on Judy for Ted's death, or he was going to slip and reveal his involvement in Ted's hit-and-run. Steve was never too bright, so it shouldn't be a surprise that he gave Jen enough reason to believe that he pushed Judy to leave the scene of the crime. He obviously threatened Jen enough to make her pull the trigger. Not only does she have complications stemming from Ted's death to deal with, but now she has a dead body in her pool with only one person to call for help: Judy.
The Mystery of Ted's Death
Towards the start of the series, Ted's death seemed cut and dry. Viewers are led to believe that he was killed in a hit-and-run during a late night jog. But as the season went on, the mystery surrounding Ted's death became more complicated. Viewers later learn that Ted went for a walk after he and Jen had a violent fight in the middle of the night. He wasn't wearing running shoes, and there was no real indication of whether he had a destination. Ted was sober, so he should have had a normal sense of awareness during his walk.
After watching the season, it's important to look back and connect some dots that might have been overlooked. After Jen forced Judy out of her life, Judy hit her lowest point. She returned to the scene of Ted's death and walked out into the open road to meet the same end that she brought to Ted. A car nearly hit her as she walked into the middle of the road, but the driver had enough time to swerve and avoid her.
Is it possible that Ted purposely walked in front of Judy's car at the last moment? Of course, that doesn't forgive Steve and Judy for leaving the scene, but the evidence is suggesting that there might be more to Ted's death than first thought. Ted was cheating on his wife, even claiming that he lost her to breast cancer. Charlie, the older son, stole his dad's pills and revealed to his mom that his grandmother has a pill problem. It's very possible that Ted could have been suffering from something similar. The series made clear that Jen was the breawinner in the family, and the pressure of failing at his musical dreams and his marital issues could have driven Ted over the edge.
What's Next For Jen and Judy?
The real question that viewers might find themselves asking after watching season 1 Dead To Me is whether Jen and Judy could get their friendship back. It will probably never be the same as it was, but now they're in this together. Jen certainly didn't kill Steve for some kind of revenge on Judy. If anything, Jen killed Steve because she knew that he had more to do with leaving Ted on the side of the road after the accident. Steve began to reveal his true self to Jen, and she knew how much he hurt Judy in the past.
The fact that Jen called Judy and told her to come home was extremely telling. The word "home" in itself still shows that Jen still considers Judy family in some way. They've been through a lot togethe,r and Steve's death will be another obstacle. Will they cover up Steve's death or spin it another way? Whatever they do, the women must come up with a plan together as they are both involved in the entire mess. Hopefully, Netflix decides to give Dead To Me a second season so viewers have a chance to see how the series could evolve.