Milly Gaines
The 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, married realtors living in Santa Clarita, California, with their teenage daughter. The plot centres around Sheila's transformation into a zombie, which leads to a series of darkly comedic events as she craves human flesh and her personality becomes more primal and impulsive. The show received positive reviews for its cast, humour, and engaging premise, although the level of gore was not to everyone's taste.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Genre | Horror Sitcom |
| Creator | Victor Fresco |
| Stars | Drew Barrymore, Timothy Olyphant, Goran Visnjic, Portia de Rossi, Markie Post, Patton Oswalt, Ryan Hansen, Derek Waters, Ravi Patel, Gerald McRaney, Leo Howard, Malcolm Barrett, Kerri Kenney-Silver |
| Plot | A married couple, Sheila and Joel Hammond, who are realtors living in Santa Clarita, California, see their lives take a dark turn when Sheila dies and becomes a zombie |
| Theme | A critique of modern consumer culture and narcissism |
| Number of Seasons | 3 |
| Reception | Generally positive reviews from critics, with an average rating of 7.20/10 on Rotten Tomatoes for the first season and 7.85/10 for the second season |
| Viewership | Insanely high for the first season but trailed off by the second and third seasons |
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What You'll Learn
Sheila Hammond becomes a zombie
Sheila Hammond, a realtor and the wife of Joel Hammond, becomes a zombie in the Netflix horror-comedy series Santa Clarita Diet. Drew Barrymore portrays Sheila, a suburban California mom who undergoes a metamorphosis that leaves her undead and craving human flesh.
The transformation occurs when Sheila consumes a Serbian-imported clam special, resulting in severe food poisoning. Her symptoms become apparent when she vomits profusely and realizes she can no longer eat regular food, except for raw meat. Despite her new appetite for human flesh, Sheila continues her work and daily life, presenting as a high-functioning zombie.
As Sheila's condition progresses, she and her family seek a cure while navigating the challenges of their new reality. They must keep her condition a secret, deal with her impulsive behavior, and find a supply of human flesh to satisfy her cravings. They decide to kill "bad people" for her to eat, but this leads to a series of darkly comedic situations and close calls.
The Hammonds also encounter other zombies, including Loki Hayes, who Sheila attempts to kill but fails, turning him into a zombie as well. They also meet Dr. Cora Wolf, a scientist focused on the undead, who helps them create a remedy to suspend Sheila's symptoms and prevent her from becoming feral.
Sheila's zombie condition serves as a metaphor for the demands of working life, as both states are depicted as disempowering and dictating her actions and desires.
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Sheila craves human flesh
In the Netflix horror-comedy Santa Clarita Diet, Sheila Hammond, played by Drew Barrymore, craves human flesh after she becomes a zombie. In the show, Sheila and her husband, Joel Hammond (played by Timothy Olyphant), are real estate agents living in Santa Clarita, California, with their teenage daughter, Abby.
At the beginning of the series, Sheila undergoes a mysterious transformation, dying and becoming a zombie. She has no heartbeat, but she looks and feels healthy. However, she develops a craving for human flesh and must eat people to survive. Sheila and Joel try to find the worst kind of people to kill for Sheila to eat, leading to a lot of funny and sometimes dark moments.
The show explores the challenges the family faces as they adjust to Sheila's new condition, including her changed personality, which becomes more primal and impulsive. They also seek a cure for her condition while dealing with the consequences, such as how to source human flesh for Sheila without raising suspicion.
The show received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised the cast, humour, and engaging premise, although the level of gore and blood was noted as not being to everyone's taste. The special effects team used various items to create the human remains that Barrymore's character eats, including gummy bears, dehydrated apples, beet paste, pasta, and moistened cake, ensuring they were all vegetarian as Barrymore does not eat meat.
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The Hammonds try to find a cure
The Hammonds, a husband-and-wife realtor team, find their quiet lives dramatically upended when Sheila Hammond becomes a zombie. As they grapple with this new reality, the family, including their teenage daughter, Abby, seeks a cure for Sheila's condition.
Sheila's transformation brings about a host of challenges for the family. She develops a craving for human flesh and undergoes a personality shift, becoming more primal and impulsive. The Hammonds must navigate these changes while maintaining their everyday lives and dealing with their neighbours and cultural norms.
In their quest for a cure, the Hammonds encounter various characters, including scientists, a virologist, and conspiracy theorists. They also face obstacles related to Serbian labs, Serbian Knights, and zombie experiments. One emotional subplot revolves around Joel Hammond's internal struggle over whether to join Sheila in undead life and become a zombie himself.
Throughout the series, the family's situation becomes increasingly complex as they try to find a solution to Sheila's condition, all while dealing with the consequences of her new zombie state and its impact on their lives and relationships.
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The show explores narcissism
Santa Clarita Diet is an American horror-comedy series created by Victor Fresco for Netflix. The show revolves around a husband and wife real estate team, Joel and Sheila Hammond, whose lives take a dark turn when Sheila dies and becomes a zombie. As the family navigates Sheila's new undead state, they must deal with her craving for human flesh and her altered personality, which becomes more primal and impulsive.
The show explores the concept of narcissism by drawing parallels between the undead and narcissism. Victor Fresco, the creator of the show, has stated that he wanted to make "a family show with an interesting approach that we haven't seen before". The zombie angle allowed him to explore the idea of narcissism, as he believes that "the undead are the ultimate narcissists".
In an interview, Fresco elaborated on this idea, saying that empowerment can be a positive force, but it can also lead to narcissism if taken too far. He observed that our culture, particularly in reality shows, often admires and glorifies narcissistic behaviour. The show comments on how people, in their pursuit of empowerment, can become narcissistic, consuming and destroying without considering the consequences, much like zombies.
The character of Sheila Hammond, played by Drew Barrymore, embodies this exploration of narcissism. As a zombie, Sheila becomes empowered, gaining new strength and confidence. However, her unchecked power leads to pure narcissism, as described by one reviewer, where her actions become "crazy and destructive". This metaphor of zombies as the ultimate narcissists reflects the show's critique of a culture that consumes without thinking about the consequences.
Through its exploration of narcissism, Santa Clarita Diet offers a unique twist on the family sitcom, combining humour, gore, and social commentary to create a show that resonates with its audience.
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The show's promotion sparked controversy
The promotion of the Netflix horror-comedy series Santa Clarita Diet sparked controversy in Germany in February 2017. The show's advertising campaign featured posters depicting a human finger sliced up like currywurst, a popular German fast food dish. The German Advertising Council received over 50 complaints that the promotional material was glorifying violence and inducing fear in children. As a result, Netflix ended the campaign and removed all posters.
Santa Clarita Diet starred Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant as Sheila and Joel Hammond, a married couple and real estate team living in the California town of Santa Clarita. The show centred on Sheila's transformation into a zombie and her subsequent craving for human flesh, leading to a range of darkly comedic situations. While the first season received generally positive reviews, with an approval rating of 78% on Rotten Tomatoes, the show's promotion caused upset among some members of the German public.
The controversial poster campaign for Santa Clarita Diet highlighted the show's gory themes and pushed the boundaries of acceptable advertising content in Germany. The German Advertising Council, a self-regulatory institution, took issue with the graphic nature of the posters, which depicted a severed finger in a manner that resembled a popular food item. As a result of the complaints, Netflix took swift action to address the concerns and withdrew the promotional material.
While the German Advertising Council's decision was met with approval by those who found the posters disturbing, others may have had a different perspective. It is worth considering that the show's dark humour and exploration of zombies and cannibalism were central to its appeal for many viewers. The controversy surrounding the promotional campaign underscores the challenges of marketing content that pushes the boundaries of taste and acceptability, particularly in a cultural context where sensitivities may vary.
The controversy over the show's promotion in Germany stands in contrast to the overall positive reception of Santa Clarita Diet by critics and fans. Despite its cancellation after three seasons, the series developed a dedicated fan base that was disappointed by its premature ending. The show's blend of horror and comedy, along with the performances of its lead actors, garnered praise and contributed to its popularity during its original run.
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Frequently asked questions
The Santa Clarita Diet is an American horror-comedy sitcom created by Victor Fresco for Netflix.
The show follows married realtors, Joel and Sheila Hammond, who live in Santa Clarita, California, with their teenage daughter. When Sheila dies and becomes a zombie, their lives take a dark turn as she starts craving human flesh.
Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant star as Joel and Sheila Hammond, alongside a supporting cast including Portia de Rossi, Markie Post, Patton Oswalt, and Ryan Hansen.
The show received generally positive reviews from critics, with praise for its cast, humour, and engaging premise. However, some noted that the level of gore might not be to everyone's taste. The show was cancelled after three seasons due to declining viewership.
