Often, before watching a show, I watch trailers or at least read something about the show, but I got to be pleasantly surprised by the subject and hilarity of the Netflix original, Santa Clarita Diet. After I’ve watched through the series, I saw the trailers, and I feel they barely scratch the surface on how clever and laugh-out-loud this show really is. Honestly, based on the trailers, I probably would have passed on this series, but I loved it, and I’m so glad I watched.
Starring Drew Barrymore (50 First Dates, Donnie Darko), Timothy Olyphant (The Grinder, Justified), and Liv Hewson (Before I Fall) as the Hammond’s, a small suburban family that encounters a big problem. Sheila (Barrymore) starts having “digestive” issues and strange cravings, beginning with raw meat and escalating to human flesh, which her dedicated husband, Joel (Olyphant), is determined to help her through. Her symptoms are also accompanied with increasingly erratic behavior, leading to extremely quotable one-liners, like,
Sheila: “F***ing top heavy Dan and his narcing butthole.”
And:
Friend: “What’s going on with you?”
Sheila: “It’s probably my new diet. I’ve been eating lots of protein.”
Friend: “How many grams?”
Sheila: “All of them.”
…and many funny encounters with neighbors and co-workers. But the Hammond’s can’t hide Sheila’s cravings from their teenage daughter for long and she and their nerdy, conveniently knowledgable neighbor, eventually join the team to help acquire her mother’s sustenance.
Sheila and Joel’s occupation as a real estate duo make for some hilarious encounters, one in particular involving a chicken and a rain poncho made me laugh so loudly my neighbor texted me to ask what I was watching that was so funny. Cameos from famous comedians like Patton Oswald and Thomas Lennon, and memorable appearances from Nathan Fillion and Portia de Rossi, also help to up the comedy factor.
To discount Santa Clarita Diet as just another series cashing in on the zombie show craze would be a mistake, in my opinion. SCD absolutely lives up to the high standards set by other Netflix originals in being unique, funny and surprising, with wonderfully developed, and endearing characters. I am very much looking forward to Season 2 of this excellent comedy.
-Morgan@1063RL