By: Elena Donatone
Dead to me (2019-Present) is one of my favourite Netflix original series of the last few years. It's hilarious, dramatic and a breath of fresh air in the Netflix world!
But what makes the series so loved and praised is the complicated and odd friendship between the two main characters Jen and Judy, respectively played by the amazingly talented Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini.
The two women first meet at a grief support group. Jen is mourning the loss of her husband, who dramatically died in a hit-and-run and Judy is grieving her spouse Steve (James Marsden), who passed away as well because of a heart attack. Or so Judy says... as we soon find out, Judy is lying and Steve is alive. They are just not a couple anymore! Although Jen gets mad at the woman for lying, she finds out Judy is grieving anyway as she had several miscarriages when she was still with Steve.
Judy: "I hope this isn't weird. Can I give you a hug?"
Jen: "No"
Judy: "Okay"
From then on, their relationship grows stronger and Judy ends up living in Jen’s house!
In a dramatic turn of events at the end of season one, Jen discovers the person responsible for her husband’s hit-and-run is in fact Judy!
Judy knew all along who Jen was and got close to her at first because she felt guilty about the crime she committed. Jen is completely overwhelmed, not only does she finally know the truth about her husband’s death, but one of her closest friends is the one responsible for it!
How could their friendship ever be the same after the truth got out like that?
As it turns out, Steve was there when Judy committed the crime and he manipulated her into not calling the police, while the woman wanted to come clean straight away.
When Jen discovers that, she hits Steve in the head with her younger son's toy, murdering him.
From that tragic moment that will change Jen’s life forever, Jen and Judy slowly reconcile. Jen even finds the courage to tell Judy she was the one responsible for her ex’s death!
"You are beautiful and you are a good person, and you have a great heart."
Jen and Judy are polar opposites that attract at all times.
Jen is a sarcastic and outspoken realtor who has no problem telling people what she thinks, while Judy is a hippie and caring woman, who always prioritises other people’s needs above her own.
Although they are very different with a dramatic shared past, Jen and Judy share a bond neither of them can fully understand. How can Jen be friends with the woman who killed her husband, even if it was an accident? And how can Judy forgive Jen for the murder of her ex-lover?
Their relationship is clearly complicated and layered. It’s not a simple friendship and they often face ups and downs and dramatic fights.
But what brought the women together in the first place was loss. They both understand what true loss and pain feel like, and how they can affect your life.
It is hard for both of them to forgive each other, but their bond is strong because they are there for each other and care about each other more than the men in their lives ever did.
Jen’s husband was cheating on her before he died and Judy had a toxic relationship with Steve, who treated her poorly and put her down most of the time.
And that is why Jen and Judy’s friendship is true, they are each other’s comfort in life when their men failed them.
"Men call women nuts and crazy way too often just to undermine us."
The heart-warming moments Jen and Judy share made fans root for their friendship from the start and we can’t help but loving their weird and amazing bond!
They are each other’s family and Jen even appoints Judy as her children’s guardian in case the police finds out she killed Steve.
No matter what happens, the secrets and love they share will keep their friendship alive and they know they need each other to go on.
Now that Dead to Me has been renewed for a third and last season, we can’t wait to see this odd and loving duo one last time!
"You are not alone. You'll always have me."
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