Madeleine Hull
Santa Clarita Diet is an American horror-comedy series created by Victor Fresco for Netflix. The show stars Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant as Sheila and Joel Hammond, a pair of married real estate agents living in Santa Clarita, California. Their lives take a dark turn when Sheila dies and becomes a zombie, craving human flesh. The show follows the couple as they navigate their new reality, trying to find a cure for Sheila while dealing with the moral dilemma of killing people to satisfy her hunger. The series received generally positive reviews for its unique blend of humour and gore, with critics praising the performances of the lead cast and the show's engaging premise.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Genre | Horror-comedy sitcom |
| Creator | Victor Fresco |
| Stars | Drew Barrymore, Timothy Olyphant |
| Plot | A married couple who are realtors in Santa Clarita, California, face a series of obstacles when the wife, Sheila, undergoes a metamorphosis, becomes undead and starts craving human flesh. |
| Number of seasons | 3 |
| Number of episodes | 10 |
| Episode duration | 30 minutes |
| Platform | Netflix |
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What You'll Learn
Sheila's transformation into a zombie
Santa Clarita Diet is an American horror-comedy series created by Victor Fresco for Netflix. It stars Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant as Sheila and Joel Hammond, a pair of married real estate agents living in Santa Clarita, California, with their teenage daughter, Abby.
Now, onto Sheila's transformation into a zombie:
Sheila Hammond, a seemingly ordinary woman, undergoes a sudden and mysterious metamorphosis that turns her into a zombie. One day, she wakes up feeling strange and throws up, realising soon after that she has no heartbeat and has, in fact, died. Despite this, she continues her everyday life as a realtor, a wife to Joel, and a mother to Abby. However, there are some significant changes. Sheila's personality becomes more primal and impulsive, and she develops a craving for human flesh. Her libido increases, she feels more liberated, and she can function on less sleep.
As Sheila's transformation progresses, she becomes more aggressive by the minute, and her family members, particularly her husband Joel, worry about finding a cure for her condition. They seek to manage her new diet by trying to find the worst kind of people to kill and feed her, which leads to many funny and dark moments. Despite the challenges, Sheila and Joel's marriage is strengthened as they bond over their shared secret and their efforts to adapt to her new state.
Sheila's transformation also impacts their interactions with their neighbours and the wider community. They must navigate cultural norms and societal expectations while dealing with the consequences of her new appetite. The show explores the fine line between empowerment and narcissism, reflecting on how people can become "ultimate zombies", consuming and destroying without consequence.
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The Hammonds' profession as realtors
The Hammonds, Joel and Sheila, are everyday suburban real estate agents in Santa Clarita, California. They are ordinary husband-and-wife realtors until Sheila undergoes a metamorphosis and becomes undead.
The choice of the Hammonds' profession as realtors was a deliberate one by the show's creator, Victor Fresco. He wanted a profession that would "get them out into the world" and also one that would require a degree of "forced friendliness".
As realtors, the Hammonds are able to move around Santa Clarita, interacting with a variety of people and getting into various situations. This provides a lot of opportunities for comedy and also allows the show to comment on the mundanity of suburban life.
The show centres on the couple's lives, which change dramatically when Sheila starts craving human flesh. As realtors, they have to navigate their new reality while dealing with neighbours and cultural norms. They also have to balance their work lives with their sudden need to find people for Sheila to eat.
The show explores the challenges they face in their profession as they try to maintain a sense of normality and keep their business afloat while also dealing with Sheila's new appetite.
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The show's positive reception
Santa Clarita Diet received generally positive reviews from critics. The first season has a 78% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with an average rating of 7.20/10. Metacritic reports that the first season received "generally favorable reviews" with a score of 67 out of 100, based on 30 critics. The second season was also well-received, with an 89% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an average rating of 7.85/10.
Many viewers praised the show's cast, comedic elements, and engaging premise. One viewer commented that "each and every performance in this comedy is brilliant, from the most minor of supporting roles to the lead cast." Another viewer highlighted the chemistry between the lead actors Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant, stating that they are "very respectful and welcoming and encouraging of each other."
The show's creator, Victor Fresco, is known for writing off-kilter family comedies, and he wanted to create a family show with an interesting twist. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Fresco stated that he wanted to give the family a giant problem and see how it would affect their relationships. He also mentioned that the central message he wanted viewers to take away from the show is that empowerment is a good thing, but there is a fine line between empowerment and narcissism.
While the show received mostly positive reviews, some viewers found it to be repetitive, and the ending left some fans disappointed as it ended on a cliffhanger.
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The show's cancellation
The decision to end the show came down to Netflix's ""cost-plus" budget model," where the streaming service pays for production costs upfront, plus a premium of 30% or more of the total costs. With each new season, the budget increases, and talent can see their pay increase from hundreds of thousands to millions. Netflix's decision-making is based on audience turnout and critical acclaim, and the show's cancellation left many fans disappointed and frustrated, with some even cancelling their subscriptions.
The show's unique blend of horror and comedy, along with its engaging premise and excellent cast, had won over viewers. The story centred on the Hammonds, a family of realtors living in Santa Clarita, California, whose lives are turned upside down when Sheila Hammond becomes a zombie and starts craving human flesh. The show followed the family as they tried to adjust to Sheila's new "condition", hiding it from their neighbours and searching for a cure.
The cancellation of Santa Clarita Diet is part of a pattern of Netflix cancelling shows after three seasons, with GLOW and Locke & Key meeting similar fates. While Netflix has revived shows in the past due to audience demand, the abrupt ending of Santa Clarita Diet left many fans feeling let down, especially as the show ended on a cliffhanger.
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The show's commentary on narcissism
Santa Clarita Diet is an American horror-comedy series created by Victor Fresco for Netflix. It stars Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant as Sheila and Joel Hammond, a pair of married real estate agents living in Santa Clarita, California, with their teenage daughter, Abby. The show centres on the couple's lives, which take a dark turn when Sheila suddenly dies and becomes a zombie.
The show has been described as a "commentary on how we as people and humanity are the ultimate zombies, destroying and consuming without consequence". In an interview, creator Victor Fresco stated that the show's central message is that "empowerment is a good thing, but at the same time, there is a fine line to walk without being narcissistic". He observed that, in recent years, reality TV has contributed to a narcissistic culture where "narcissism is admired and glorified" and "we consume and consume without thinking about consequence, as the undead do".
Sheila's transformation into a zombie is a metaphor for the dangers of unchecked empowerment and the potential slide into narcissism. As a zombie, Sheila becomes more aggressive, impulsive, and primal, with a new craving for human flesh. Her behaviour is a reflection of the dark side of empowerment, where the pursuit of one's desires can lead to a disregard for the needs and well-being of others.
The show explores the fine line between empowerment and narcissism through the lens of dark humour and gore. It presents a satirical view of a society driven by consumption and instant gratification, where the consequences of one's actions are often overlooked or ignored. The Hammonds' profession as realtors was chosen to represent the "forced friendliness" inherent in customer service roles, further highlighting the tension between maintaining appearances and giving in to one's primal desires.
Through its exploration of narcissism, the show also offers a critique of reality TV and its impact on popular culture. By presenting the Hammonds' struggle to navigate their new reality, the show invites viewers to reflect on the potential consequences of a narcissistic culture and the importance of finding a balance between empowerment and consideration for others.
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Frequently asked questions
The Santa Clarita Diet is about a married couple, Joel and Sheila Hammond, who are real estate agents in Santa Clarita, California. Their lives take a dark turn when Sheila dies and becomes a zombie. Sheila starts craving human flesh and her personality becomes more primal and impulsive. Joel and Sheila's family try to help her and seek a cure for her condition while dealing with the consequences of her new diet and changed personality.
The Santa Clarita Diet is a horror-comedy or dark comedy series. It has elements of gore and humour, and received positive reviews from critics for its engaging premise and strong cast.
The Santa Clarita Diet was a Netflix original series. It premiered on February 3, 2017, and was cancelled after three seasons on April 26, 2019.
