Monday’s…ugh; I mean especially ugh when it’s the Monday after Super Bowl Sunday. But, I have something to make all of you hungover Earthlings excited to get home from work today. The Super Bowl was not the only great thing to grace our televisions this past weekend, The Santa Clarita Diet also premiered. I expect after you all read this review you’ll be racing home to begin Episode 1 Season 1 of The Santa Clarita Diet. I took it upon myself to binge watch the entire first season on Saturday night, so you guys didn’t have to. I’ve been getting a TON of positive feedback from my recent reviews on books, movies, and shows. I thought I would get jump on The Santa Clarita Diet and review it for all of you so you don’t have woof the whole thing down in one shot.
First of all Netflix went above and beyond to promote The Santa Clarita Diet. I’m totally digging on them selling the show as a real life diet. Netflix sent Green Juice cups advertising The Santa Clarita Diet to a ton of social media influencers, the influencers posted themselves working out with their cups all over the internet. The ingenious marketing ploy made us all believe that there was some new hot diet we all needed to try, when in reality Netflix was selling us a Zombie Comedy. If that isn’t brilliant marketing than I don’t know what is, any show that can create that type of buzz before airing is something I am interested in.
Drew Barrymore and Timothy Oliphant make one of the best on screen campy couples that I have seen in a long time. They have great comedic timing and have us all believing that maybe they really are married. They spear head a witty and well versed ensemble cast, that just completes the whole picture. The show gives me super reminiscent vibes of our dearly departed Weeds. Both shows take place in suburban Southern California, and both shows encapsulate just how hard it is to be a housewife and have a HUGE secret. Weeds and The Santa Clarita Diet both know exactly how to balance comedy with serious story lines. In the case of The Santa Clarita Diet, we are laughing out loud even though Drew Barrymore is eating her neighbors alive.
Drew Barrymore seems to almost be playing herself, The Santa Clarita Diet makes us all think that maybe Drew is a flesh eating residential real estate broker in real life. It’s hard for women to deliver a decent dick and fart joke, but Drew makes it look so natural in The Santa Clarita Diet just like she has in 50 First Dates and The Wedding Singer. She also has a way of making a working mom seem whimsical, like maybe I wouldn’t mind befriending this mom zombie. Timothy Oliphant is one hundred percent hitting his mark at playing the cool dad. Between his secret pot smoking, and constant reminiscing on his high school quarter back days; we all have a general empathy for his character. But he doesn’t remain a peaked out high school wash up, we get to watch his character develop strength and a huge set of nuts as the first season progresses.
The only thing I’m upset about when it comes to The Santa Clarita Diet is that I have to wait a year for season 2. It definitely will fill a huge void for any fans of Weeds, but also has forged its own path. Gore and comedy are woven together so well in The Santa Clarita Diet, and I think it has carved its own special niche in television. It will be exciting to see up coming shows that will try the recipe The Santa Clarita Diet has followed. I will honestly say they have taken a difficult task and knocked the ball so far out of the park, I don’t think it can be found again.
