Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Not Dead Yet season 1 episodes 1 and 2.ABC's Not Dead Yet may have secretly spoiled the ending to the show. Gina Rodriguez stars as Nell Serrano, a 27-year-old who messed up her career when she moved to London for her boyfriend. She returns to the U.S. and gets her old job back, but she’s put on the obituaries beat. It's far from where she was when she left her job five years ago. Both of her old colleagues now run their own sections. Illustrating how far behind she is. She's understandably frustrated over how much time she's lost.
Nell starts seeing the ghosts of the people she has to write about. Only she can see them, so she looks like she’s talking to herself a lot. She puts her headphones in so she doesn't look quite as crazy. They follow her everywhere until she completes her piece. While this helps her get to know her subjects, it’s also a little maddening for Nell. And it's pretty funny watching her communicate with the ghosts and the looks on the faces of the people around her.
Not Dead Yet References A Christmas Carol In Episode 1
Nell’s first subject in Not Dead Yet episode 1 is Monty. She actually wrote about him in the past because of his jingle, which she hated. They go out for dinner at a fancy restaurant, and he starts telling her about his mistakes in life and what he realized. She tells him he doesn’t have to “ghost of Christmas future me” to get her to change. Not Dead Yet is clearly setting up Nell's happy ending in the series since Scrooge got his happy ending in A Christmas Carol.
There are a lot of takes on A Christmas Carol. Some follow the same format as the original book, and others, like Spirited and Ghosts of Girl Friends Past, have their own spin on the classic tale. Likewise, Not Dead Yet has its own format where it appears she will be haunted by a primary ghost each episode that will part some wisdom onto her. Though Not Dead Yet episode 2 shows the advice is not always good.
Nell’s Life Has Fallen Apart In Not Dead Yet & She’s Picking Up The Pieces
Nell is starting fresh after her breakup with her fiancé. She has a new apartment with a roommate with many rules for her to follow. She’s also starting over with her career. She may have gotten her job back, but it’s not where she was before. Her friend Sam, played by Hannah Simone, convinced the boss to give her the job. Nell has a long way to go before she gets to where she wants to be at this stage of her life.
Many depictions of women in their late thirties are married with kids. That isn’t how it’s always like in real life, though. So Not Dead Yet's Nell will be relatable for people who haven’t found someone yet and may be starting over in careers at that age. Gina Rodriguez will also be a draw because she’s known for playing relatable characters like Jane the Virgin and Jenny in Someone Great.