Milly Gaines
In Netflix's zombie comedy Santa Clarita Diet, suburban realtor Sheila Hammond (Drew Barrymore) becomes a zombie and starts craving human flesh. While the show initially avoids revealing the cause of her transformation, it is eventually discovered that Sheila turned into a zombie after consuming bad clams at a restaurant called Japopo's. This is revealed in the final moments of season 2, episode 4, The Queen of England, when Sheila and her husband, Joel (Timothy Olyphant), investigate the apartment of another zombie, Ramona (Ramona Young), and find a receipt indicating that she also ordered the clams special on the same night as Sheila. The day after consuming the dish, both women vomited excessively, expelled a strange red ball, and died before reanimating as zombies.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Reason for turning into a zombie | Consuming bad clams |
| Type of zombie | Cannibalistic |
| Symptoms | Enhanced endurance, high intelligence, articulacy, immense pain tolerance |
| Virus type | Serbian zombie virus |
| Appearance | Not a rotting corpse, but a vibrant, renewed life force |
| Habits | Eating people who ate pizza |
| Side effects | Able to have sex, maintain friendships, have a successful career |
| Other | Bit Loki Hayes and turned him into a zombie |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
- Sheila Hammond becomes a zombie in the first episode of the series
- Bad clams are the source of the virus
- Mister Ball-Legs, the spider-legged monster, is connected to every case of zombification
- Sheila's zombie lifestyle empowers her, subverting traditional zombie stereotypes
- Sheila's undead status improves her life, saving her from self-destruction
Sheila Hammond becomes a zombie in the first episode of the series
The first episode of the Netflix original sitcom Santa Clarita Diet reveals that Sheila Hammond, one of the show's main characters, has become a zombie. Sheila is part of a husband-and-wife real estate team with her spouse, Joel Hammond. The series centres on how the Hammond family deals with Sheila's new lifestyle in the suburbs.
Sheila Hammond is portrayed by Drew Barrymore. Her character is depicted as a vibrant, renewed life force, subverting the stereotypical image of zombies as rotting corpses. The show explores how Sheila's life has been made better by a monster virus, also known as the Serbian zombie virus, and how she can continue to live a functional life as a zombie. This includes maintaining her career, friendships, and even her sex life.
Sheila's zombie status is a result of consuming bad clams, which causes her to throw up a liver-red, organ-like ball that becomes a spider. This is known as Mister Ball-Legs, a peach pit/anus monster on spider legs connected to every case of zombification in the show.
Sheila's new lifestyle as a zombie leads her to kill and eat Loki Hayes, a criminal who has committed numerous crimes and gotten away with them. However, her attack on Loki goes awry, and he escapes, turning into a zombie himself due to being bitten by Sheila.
Dieting on a Budget: 4-Cab Calorie Count
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Bad clams are the source of the virus
In the Netflix comedy Santa Clarita Diet, the Hammonds' lives are turned upside down when Sheila Hammond starts showing symptoms of becoming a zombie. By the end of season 2, it is discovered that bad clams are to blame for Sheila's transformation.
In the freshman year finale, "Baka, Bile and Baseball Bats", Joel Hammond is admitted to a psychiatric hospital. While there, he mentions to a doctor that the food wasn't great during a date night at a restaurant called Japopo's, specifically warning them to "stay away from the clams". This is later revealed to be an important piece of foreshadowing.
In season 2, it is discovered that the clams at Japopo's are what turned Sheila into a zombie. Sheila and Joel investigate the apartment of a fellow zombie, Ramona, and find a receipt revealing that she ordered the clams special at Japopo's on the same night as Sheila. The day after their meal, both women vomited excessively, expelled a red ball, died, and were reborn as zombies.
Showrunner Victor Fresco explained that the choice of bad clams as the source of the virus was made for comedic effect. He stated that it was fun to call back to an early episode where Joel and Sheila considered whether the restaurant could be tied to her transformation, and that it reflected how small, random events can spiral into giant events.
Dieting Without Self-Loathing: A Guide to Feeling Good
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Mister Ball-Legs, the spider-legged monster, is connected to every case of zombification
In the Netflix comedy-horror series *Santa Clarita Diet*, the mysterious Mister Ball-Legs is indeed connected to every case of zombification. Mister Ball-Legs is a spider-like creature with multiple legs and a single eye. It is a companion to the zombies, and every infected zombie coughs up these red balls, which eventually turn into Mister Ball-Legs.
The story centres on husband and wife realtors Joel and Sheila Hammond. Sheila, the first to turn into a zombie, initially coughs up a red ball, which is stored in the freezer. Later, when Ramona, another zombie, is introduced, her red ball is shown to have grown legs, thus giving rise to the name Mister Ball-Legs.
Mister Ball-Legs is shown to have a mind of its own. In the final episode of Season 3, "The Cult of Sheila", it crawls into Joel's ear and directly into his brain, killing him. Sheila, in a panic, bites her husband, zombifying him and keeping him alive. This is the first time a Mister Ball-Legs has been shown to crawl into a human brain, and it leaves fans questioning whether Joel is dead, undead, or possessed by his wife's Mister Ball-Legs.
Mister Ball-Legs is also shown to be protective of its zombie host. In one instance, Ramona's Mister Ball-Legs attacks a motel owner who tries to intimidate her over payment. In another instance, Sheila's Mister Ball-Legs escapes its cage when it hears the Hammonds want to hide all evidence of her being a zombie. However, it does not attack the Knights Grand Prior Petra Blazic, a zombie hunter, when she visits the household.
The source of the zombie virus is eventually discovered to be bad clams, but it is still unclear whether Mister Ball-Legs is a mutated clam or a weird side effect of the virus.
Taste Test: Diet Lemonade's Sweet and Sour Secret
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Sheila's zombie lifestyle empowers her, subverting traditional zombie stereotypes
In the Netflix original sitcom Santa Clarita Diet, Sheila Hammond becomes a zombie after consuming bad clams infected with a Serbian zombie virus. The show centres on how Sheila and her family deal with her new lifestyle in suburbia.
Sheila's new life as a functional zombie is not only possible but may have saved her from self-destruction. She is depicted as an empowered female zombie, maintaining a successful career in real estate and even killing bad people to eat their corpses. This portrayal suggests that zombies are the ultimate narcissists, doing anything to get what they want without caring about other people's needs.
Sheila's enhanced endurance, high intelligence, and immense pain tolerance further empower her. She can now throw up a liver-red, organ-like ball that becomes a spider, Mister Ball-Legs, connected to every case of zombification. This ability adds a layer of dark mythology to the show's blend of horror and comedy.
Overall, Sheila's zombie lifestyle in Santa Clarita Diet empowers her by challenging traditional zombie stereotypes. Her vibrant presence, maintained relationships, and unique abilities present a unique twist on the typical zombie narrative, creating a delightful and unpredictable viewing experience.
Eating a Cookie While on a Diet: What's the Verdict?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Sheila's undead status improves her life, saving her from self-destruction
In the Netflix original sitcom Santa Clarita Diet, Sheila Hammond, a successful real estate agent and mother, becomes a zombie. Her undead status improves her life, saving her from self-destruction.
Sheila's transformation into a zombie is caused by consuming bad clams, which contain the Serbian zombie virus. This virus results in her technical death, but her body and mind remain reanimated. Despite being undead, Sheila retains her articulacy, high intelligence, and enhanced endurance, and is immune to pain and harm.
Sheila's new zombie lifestyle empowers her, challenging ingrained zombie tropes. She is portrayed as a vibrant, renewed life force rather than a rotting corpse. Her undead status allows her to maintain her friendships, career, and sex life. It also enables her to embrace her true self, as she no longer has to suppress her desires and can do whatever she wants without considering other people's needs.
In addition to empowering Sheila, her undead status also saves her from self-destruction. Prior to becoming a zombie, Sheila struggled with feelings of emptiness and a sense of imploding in on herself. Her new condition provides her with a sense of purpose and fulfillment, as she discovers that being a zombie is everything she ever dreamed of being.
Furthermore, Sheila's zombie powers enable her to fight evil and bring justice. For example, she turns Loki Hayes, a convicted felon who has evaded punishment for his crimes, into a zombie. Interestingly, becoming a zombie improves Loki's character, making him a better person.
Overall, Sheila's undead status in Santa Clarita Diet improves her life and saves her from self-destruction by empowering her, providing a sense of purpose, and allowing her to embrace her true desires.
Anti-Inflammatory Diet: Eating to Reduce Inflammation
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
Sheila became a zombie after consuming bad clams infected with the Serbian zombie virus.
The name of the virus is the Serbian zombie virus.
The symptoms of the virus include enhanced endurance, high intelligence, articulacy, immense pain tolerance, and cannibalism.
Sheila is played by Drew Barrymore.
Yes, several other characters became zombies throughout the series, including Loki Hayes, Ron, Jean, and Anne Garcia.
