Jeffrey Salazar
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. Their lives take a dark turn when Sheila dies and becomes a zombie, craving human flesh and exhibiting a more primal and impulsive personality. The show follows the couple as they navigate their new reality, dealing with neighbours, cultural norms, and their quest for a cure for Sheila's condition. It received generally positive reviews from critics, with praise for its cast, humour, and engaging premise, despite the gore potentially being off-putting for some viewers.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Genre | Horror-comedy |
| Creator | Victor Fresco |
| Stars | Drew Barrymore, Timothy Olyphant |
| Plot | A married couple who are real estate agents in Santa Clarita, California, undergo a dramatic change when the wife, Sheila, dies and becomes a zombie |
| Tone | Dark, gory, funny, repetitive |
| Episodes | 30-minute episodes, 10 per season, 3 seasons |
| Central message | Empowerment is a good thing but there is a fine line between it and narcissism |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
Sheila becomes a zombie
The Santa Clarita Diet is an American horror-comedy sitcom created by Victor Fresco for Netflix. It stars Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant as Sheila and Joel Hammond, a married couple who work as real estate agents in Santa Clarita, California. The show centres on the couple's lives, which take a dark turn when Sheila dies and becomes a zombie.
Sheila's transformation into a zombie occurs early in the series and is marked by her craving for human flesh. Her symptoms first appear after she consumes a Serbian-imported clam special at a restaurant, causing her to suffer from severe food poisoning. As a result, Sheila can no longer eat regular food and can only consume raw meat. Her new diet includes human flesh, and her personality becomes more primal and impulsive.
Sheila's condition leads her to kill and eat people, including her neighbour, Gary West, a realtor and the Hammonds' co-worker. She also stalks and kills AJ, a potential client, after mistaking him for her boss, Carl. Sheila's job begins to stress her out, and her actions while in a zombified state cause her and Joel to become the subjects of a police investigation.
As the series progresses, Sheila and Joel discover that her condition may be linked to a mysterious group called the Knights of Serbia, who are tasked with finding and killing the undead. They also encounter other zombies, such as Loki Hayes, who Sheila stabs with an infected knife, and Ramona, a Rite-Aid employee. The couple must navigate their new reality while trying to maintain their everyday lives and keep Sheila's condition a secret from their neighbours and community.
Eating the Rainbow: Understanding Colorful Diets
You may want to see also
Explore related products
![Pride + Prejudice + Zombies [DVD]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/718YuyKLEpL._AC_UY218_.jpg)
Sheila's new cravings
Sheila Hammond, a real estate agent living in Santa Clarita, California, suddenly finds herself craving human flesh. Her newfound appetite for people is a result of her mysterious transformation into a zombie. While the cause of her metamorphosis remains unknown, its effects are clear: an increased libido, a sense of liberation, and a reduced need for sleep.
As her body readjusts, Sheila's taste for human meat becomes stronger. Her husband, Joel, and their daughter, Abby, witness her growing aggression and impulsivity. Despite the challenges, the family sticks together, helping Sheila navigate her new diet and attempting to find a cure for her condition.
Sheila's cravings lead her to kill and consume her first victim, Gary West, a fellow realtor and the Hammonds' co-worker. However, her appetite is not satiated for long, and soon enough, she is hungry again, sending Joel on a desperate search for her next meal. As the family adjusts to their new reality, they must also deal with the cultural norms and curious neighbours of their suburban community.
The Hammonds' lives become intertwined with those of their neighbours, the Palmers. Sheila's friendship with Lisa Palmer, Eric's mother, takes an unexpected turn when Lisa becomes romantically involved with Anne Garcia, a religious sheriff's deputy, following her husband Dan's disappearance. The situation is further complicated when it is revealed that Dan, a sheriff's deputy himself, was killed by Joel and later eaten by Sheila.
Chips and Diets: Can You Enjoy Both?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
![Zombieland [4K UHD + Blu-ray]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91xZyWfCeWL._AC_UY218_.jpg)
The family's search for a cure
The Hammond family's search for a cure for Sheila's zombie affliction is a central theme of the show. The family's mundane lives are turned upside down when Sheila begins to exhibit symptoms of being a zombie, including a craving for human flesh and a more primal and impulsive personality.
Despite their best efforts to return to normality, the family soon realises that a cure for Sheila's condition may not exist. Determined to save his wife, Joel Hammond, alongside his daughter Abby, continues the search for a solution. They attend a convention to meet Anton, a supposed expert on the paranormal, only to find he is a fraud. However, they are directed to a doctor who may be able to help.
The family's situation is further complicated by the strange occurrences in Santa Clarita, which Eric and Anne investigate. They discover evidence of a secret government experiment involving a new strain of a virus causing the zombie outbreak. The virus has mutated, and they fear it could spread worldwide.
The family and their friends band together to uncover the truth about the virus and its origins, indicating that their search for a cure is ongoing and a central driving force of the narrative. The show explores how the family navigates this unique challenge while also dealing with the cultural norms and neighbours of their suburban environment.
Nutritarian Diet: Meals and Their Benefits
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Sheila's new, impulsive personality
Sheila Hammond, a suburban realtor in Santa Clarita, California, undergoes a mysterious metamorphosis, dying and becoming undead. As a result, she develops a new, impulsive personality, characterised by a primal and aggressive craving for human flesh. Her libido soars, and she feels more liberated, but she has to eat people to survive.
Sheila's new personality is a far cry from her previous life as a normal, everyday, suburban real estate agent, wife, and mother to Abby. Her new, impulsive behaviour includes insulting the principal of Santa Clarita High School and encouraging her daughter to embrace her inner badass. She also hatches a plan to turn her friend Jean undead, so she'll be around to meet her grandchild.
Sheila's husband, Joel, and daughter, Abby, along with Abby's best friend, Eric, help her navigate her new undead life. They try to maintain a sense of normality and seek a cure for her condition, all while dealing with the challenges of her new diet and increased libido. They decide to only kill people who deserve to die, but this doesn't always go according to plan, leading to hilarious and gross circumstances.
Fast Dieting: Skinny or Not?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
The show's commentary on consumer culture
The Santa Clarita Diet is a horror-comedy series that centres around a significant change in the life of a suburban couple, the Hammonds, when Sheila, the wife, undergoes a transformation into a zombie. The show is set in the picturesque, cookie-cutter suburb of Santa Clarita, California, known for its idyllic lifestyle and cheerful, friendly residents. However, the seemingly perfect neighbourhood serves as a stark contrast to the dark and bizarre events that unfold. As the story progresses, it becomes clear that the show uses its unique premise to offer a satirical and often grotesque commentary on consumer culture and the suburban lifestyle.
The show's depiction of consumer culture is evident in how it portrays the act of consumption itself. As a zombie, Sheila's dietary needs have drastically changed; she now craves human flesh and has an insatiable appetite. Her new diet reflects a critique of consumerism, where the relentless pursuit of satisfaction and the need for instant gratification are taken to a grotesque extreme. The show exaggerates the idea of consumption as a mindless, ravenous act, highlighting the excesses of a consumerist society. The very act of consuming, which is often glamorized in popular culture, is portrayed in a disturbing light, forcing viewers to confront the darker side of their own consumption habits.
Furthermore, the show critiques the notion of keeping up appearances, a theme often associated with suburban life. The residents of Santa Clarita are portrayed as overly cheerful and obsessed with maintaining a perfect image. As the story unfolds, it becomes clear that the idyllic neighbourhood hides dark secrets and a seedy underbelly. The Hammonds themselves must go to great lengths to maintain the illusion of normalcy while dealing with Sheila's unique condition. This includes disposing of bodies, covering up crimes, and keeping their zombie state a secret from all but their closest allies. The show thus comments on the pressure to conform and the lengths to which people will go to maintain a facade of perfection, often at the expense of their true selves.
The Santa Clarita Diet also explores the idea of consumerism through its portrayal of the characters' relationships with material possessions. As the story progresses, the Hammonds' house becomes a repository for various items they acquire through their unconventional means. From expensive jewellery to rare collectibles, the couple's newfound diet leads them to acquire a plethora of material goods, often taken from their victims. This accumulation of possessions reflects a critique of consumer culture's focus on materialism and the acquisition of wealth. The show suggests that consumerism can lead to a disconnect from humanity, as the characters' attachment to these objects becomes more important than their connections with other people.
Additionally, the show uses dark humour to highlight the absurdity of consumer culture. The juxtaposition of the mundane and the macabre serves as a satirical device, drawing attention to the ridiculousness of some consumerist tendencies. For example, the Hammonds' attempts to adapt to Sheila's new diet include scenes of them shopping for human flesh at a local grocery store or preparing meals with body parts, highlighting the absurdity of their situation. Through its blend of horror and comedy, the show invites viewers to question their own consumption habits and the role that consumer culture plays in their lives.
Chic-Fila's Diet Frosted Lemonade: Calories and Nutrition Facts
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
Santa Clarita Diet is an American horror-comedy series created by Victor Fresco for Netflix.
Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant star as Sheila and Joel Hammond, a married couple who are real estate agents.
Their lives take a dark turn when Sheila dies and becomes a zombie.
She starts craving human flesh and her personality becomes more primal and impulsive.
Fresco has said that the show is a comment on how people and humanity are the ultimate zombies, destroying and consuming without consequence.
