Dante Carrillo
In the Netflix horror-comedy series *Santa Clarita Diet*, Sheila Hammond, a suburban realtor and the show's female protagonist, undergoes a mysterious transformation from a timid and self-conscious woman to a confident and impulsive zombie with a craving for human flesh. The series begins with Sheila falling ill and dying, only to come back to life as an undead being. While the exact cause of her initial death is not explicitly revealed, it is implied that she contracts a Serbian virus from consuming infected clams at a restaurant, leading to her metamorphosis into a zombie.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the character | Sheila Hammond |
| Occupation | Realtor |
| Family | Joel Hammond (husband), Abby Hammond (daughter) |
| Cause of death | Food poisoning from Serbian-imported clam special |
| Symptoms | Vomiting, loss of appetite, craving for human flesh |
| Aftermath | Becomes a zombie, kills and eats Gary West |
| Other consequences | Loss of impulse control, preaching to friends about doing whatever they want |
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What You'll Learn
Sheila dies from a mysterious illness
Sheila Hammond, the wife of Joel Hammond and mother of Abby Hammond, is the female protagonist of the Netflix series Santa Clarita Diet. The series begins with Sheila becoming undead.
Before her metamorphosis, Sheila is tense, self-conscious, timid, and shy. She wishes she were more interesting. She starts feeling ill, brushing it off as a stomach ache. While showing a house to some clients, she projectile vomits all over the carpet and then runs to the bathroom, where she continues to vomit and then dies.
Joel finds her on the floor of the vomit-soaked bathroom and begins to mourn her. However, Sheila suddenly wakes up, and after a brief stint at the ER, she insists on returning home. From here, a series of out-of-character behaviors ensue, and the Hammonds turn to their neighbor Eric Bemis, who diagnoses Sheila as undead.
It is later revealed that Sheila's condition is caused by a Serbian virus contracted from infected clams sold at a nearby restaurant. There is also a Serbian order looking to seek and destroy the undead. Sheila's mysterious illness is what ultimately kickstarts the plot of the show, as the family navigates her new undead state and its consequences, such as her craving for human flesh and her radically altered personality.
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She becomes undead
In the Netflix horror-comedy series *Santa Clarita Diet*, Sheila Hammond, a suburban realtor and the wife of Joel Hammond, becomes undead after contracting a mysterious illness. The series begins with Sheila feeling unwell and vomiting profusely before dying briefly. After she wakes up, she starts exhibiting out-of-character behaviours and is eventually diagnosed as undead by her neighbour, Eric Bemis.
As an undead, Sheila undergoes a metamorphosis, developing a craving for human flesh and a more impulsive and primal personality. She kills and consumes her co-worker Gary, who later turns into a zombie, and they keep his decayed, severed head out of guilt. Sheila and Joel also kill and eat other people, including their neighbour Dan Palmer, a sheriff's deputy.
Sheila and Joel discover that her condition is caused by a Serbian virus contracted from infected clams sold at a nearby restaurant. They learn that there is a Serbian order seeking to destroy the undead and that there are multiple other undead individuals in their town. Each of these undead individuals vomited up a small red fleshy ball, which grows legs and acts as a pet to its host.
Throughout the series, Sheila and Joel navigate their new reality, dealing with neighbours, cultural norms, and the potential consequences of her condition. They also face obstacles such as the police investigation into their activities and the challenge of maintaining their moral compass while trying to satisfy Sheila's cravings.
In the third season, Joel struggles with the idea of becoming a zombie himself to be with Sheila forever. In the finale, "The Cult of Sheila," Joel overcomes his fears and accepts his desire to join Sheila in zombieland. As he expresses his love for her, a giant, fleshy spider-like zombie creature, known as Mr. Ball Legs, crawls into his brain, leaving fans questioning Joel's fate.
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She kills and eats Gary West
In the Netflix horror-comedy series Santa Clarita Diet, Sheila Hammond, a realtor and the female protagonist of the show, becomes undead after a mysterious illness. She is portrayed by Drew Barrymore.
Sheila Hammond kills and eats Gary West, her co-worker, after he sexually harasses her. She disembowels him and eats him, only to realise later that she can no longer eat raw animal meat and can only eat human flesh. This is the first person she kills and eats, and he later turns into a zombie.
Sheila and her husband Joel bury the remainder of Gary's corpse, but their neighbour, Dan Palmer, who is an LA County Sheriff's Deputy, finds one of Gary's fingers in their backyard. Dan then uses this to blackmail Joel into killing a criminal named Loki Hayes. However, Loki escapes and it is revealed that not only did Sheila bite him, but they also left their contact details at his apartment.
Sheila and Joel are horrified to discover that Anne, Dan's partner, has begun a relationship with Lisa, and Anne is investigating the disappearances. They try to derail her interest in the investigation but she deduces their identities and confronts them as they prepare to mercy-kill Gary's head. They confess everything to her, and she believes that they are tools of God, sent to destroy evil in Santa Clarita.
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She kills and eats Dan Palmer
In the Netflix horror-comedy series Santa Clarita Diet, Sheila Hammond, a realtor in suburban Santa Clarita, undergoes a metamorphosis and becomes undead, craving human flesh. Her husband, Joel, and the rest of the family try to help her manage her new condition while dealing with suspicious neighbours and cultural norms.
One such neighbour is Dan Palmer, a Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputy and the Hammonds' next-door neighbour. Dan is a recurring character in the series, portrayed as a nosey, middle-aged man with a bad relationship with his stepson, Eric Bemis. He is also married to Lisa Palmer, who is later romantically involved with her partner, Anne Garcia, after Dan goes missing.
As the series progresses, Dan becomes suspicious of Sheila and Joel's activities, especially after finding a chopped finger belonging to Gary West, who was the first person killed and eaten by Sheila. Dan blackmails Joel into killing searched criminals, threatening to arrest him and Sheila. In an attempt to get rid of Dan's body, Joel hits him in the head with a shovel, and Sheila eats him.
The killing and eating of Dan Palmer by Sheila and Joel mark a turning point in the series, as they realise that they will have to resort to killing people to satisfy Sheila's cravings for human flesh. This act also adds to the growing list of secrets and cover-ups that the Hammonds must keep from their neighbours and the wider community.
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She bites Joel
In the third season of the Netflix horror-comedy series *Santa Clarita Diet*, Sheila bites her husband Joel. This event occurs in the final episode, titled "The Cult of Sheila".
Sheila, now a zombie, has been hoping that her husband will join her in zombieland, but Joel has spent the season panicking about the prospect of immortality. In the previous episode, "We Let People Die Every Die", Sheila offers Joel the undead-making bite, but he is reluctant. In the final episode, Joel overcomes his fears and decides to join his wife in her undead state. He tells her, "I never want to live or die without you".
At this moment, Sheila's spider creature, Mr Ball Legs, crawls into Joel's brain. This is a terrifying moment for fans, who are left questioning whether Joel is dead, undead, or possessed by his wife's spider creature.
It is speculated that Mr Ball Legs may have killed Joel out of spite, or that Joel is now possessed by the spider. However, the show's creator, Victor Fresco, has confirmed that Joel is indeed possessed by Mr Ball Legs.
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Frequently asked questions
Sheila Hammond, the wife of Joel Hammond and mother of Abby Hammond, dies from a mysterious illness. She starts feeling unwell and later projectile-vomits all over the carpet while showing a house to some clients. She then runs to the bathroom where she continues to vomit and eventually dies.
After her death, Sheila wakes up and becomes undead. She starts craving human flesh and her personality becomes more primal and impulsive. She kills and eats her co-worker Gary, who later turns into a zombie.
No, it is not clear if Sheila and her family know the exact cause of her death. They are bewildered by her condition and try to find a cure while dealing with the consequences, such as her new craving for human flesh.
Yes, Sheila remains undead throughout the show. In the third season, she even offers to turn her husband Joel into a zombie as well, which he eventually accepts in the finale.
