Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant play a married real estate agent couple with a teeange daughter that have it going on in their hometown of Santa Clarita until they run into a little snag; one day, out of the blue, wife and mom Sheila realizes that she doesn’t have a pulse. To determine what is actually happening to her they seek the assistance of their geeky teenage neighbor who confirms the unthinkable: She is turning into a zombie. Since she hasn’t shown signs of wanting to eat humans, the family keep her hunger in check by feeding her raw meats and it works! However their bliss doesn’t last long because a sleazy competitor sexually harasses her and in her fit of rage and disgust she ends up eating him alive. Oops!
To avoid the mess and impulsiveness of her first kill, the family determimes that to keep Sheila’s hunger in check she must only murder bad people. Her husband Joel was reticent at first about this idea but slowly comes around as the season evolves. As a team, they embrace her new zombie skills and lifestyle to capitalize on their predicament, living a double life. Their daughter Abby gets angry because she isn’t included in the killing scheme and decides to get into some mischief of her own to even the playing field. Eventually, they talk it out and find suitable roles for each family member and their neighborly sidekick to ensure the odds work out in their favor.
The series is written as a comedy and it works really well because the rapport between Drew and Timothy is very natural and entertaining. Their exchanges are so hillarious you can’t stop laughing at this couples’ inside jokes and ridiculous fights over the minutia of murdering people and covering up their tracks. By episode four it becomes harder and harder to pry yourself away from all the cursing, ridiculous plot twists, and the amazing bad parenting that the situation evokes from Sheila and Joel. Their new life is messy, full of secrets and excitement but they embrace it together, coming out with an even stronger marriage in the end.
Watch Santa Clarita Diet streaming now on Netflix.
Bon appetit!
Mrs. Enginerd - Nerd Whisperer 