Dead to Me

Dead To Me has a pace that never lets up, with plot and dialogue that are consistently, furiously both dramatic and hilarious. The first episode of season three seamlessly picks up where season two’s dramatic end left off, but it also introduces several new twists, including a precarious health situation for Judy, that you’re going to want ti see through to the very end.

It’s more overly sentimental and predictable than expected, sure, but Jen and Judy’s undying love was always the driving force. Applegate and Cardellini sell the hell out of it, balancing the comedic and emotional beats perfectly.

The electric odd couple chemistry between Jen and Judy that we’ve come to love is ever present, and the genuine love and appreciation they have for each other has never been stronger, but it almost seems like the characters also know that their story is coming to an end, making each episode both cathartic and ominous.

“Dead to Me” has never been a perfect show, and the final outing is particularly uneven when it comes to the criminally minded storylines. ... It might not matter to viewers, though. The series, from creator Liz Feldman, excels in its depiction of two dynamic women who become each other’s chosen family. ... The show knows when to close the loop on its unwieldy narrative; the murder mysteries become secondary as the show focuses more on the core friendship at its center.

“Dead to Me” recaptures some of the magic it had in its strong first season. But in its desire to wrap up all of its loose ends along the way, Feldman and the writers stuff too many ideas into the mix, almost as if speedrunning a three-season arc into the one final turn at bat that Netflix would actually shell out for.