Brenda Khan
In the Netflix horror-comedy series Santa Clarita Diet, Joel Hammond, played by Timothy Olyphant, starts acting weird in the third season. The show follows Joel and his wife Sheila Hammond, a realtor couple living in Santa Clarita, California, whose lives take a turn when Sheila becomes a zombie and starts craving human flesh. While Joel initially struggles to cope with the bizarre situation, he eventually decides he wants to be undead like Sheila so they can be together forever. However, just as he makes this decision, a giant, spider-like creature called Mr. Ball Legs, which is connected to Sheila's transformation, crawls into Joel's ear and enters his brain. This results in Joel exhibiting strange behaviour, such as uttering the word mama in an odd tone, leading to speculation about whether he is dead, undead, or possessed by Mr. Ball Legs.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Reason for acting weird | Possessed by Mr. Ball Legs |
| Mr. Ball Legs | A giant, fleshy spider-like zombie creature |
| Mr. Ball Legs' entry point | Crawled into Joel's ear |
| Mr. Ball Legs' entry destination | Joel's brain |
| Mr. Ball Legs' first action | Said "Mama" through Joel's body |
| Sheila's reaction | Bit Joel to zombify him |
| Joel's fate | Dead, undead, or possessed |
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What You'll Learn
Joel's internal struggle to accept Sheila's transformation
Joel Hammond is an average realtor living in the middle-class suburb of Santa Clarita. He is the deuteragonist of the Netflix series Santa Clarita Diet. His life takes an unexpected turn when his wife, Sheila Hammond, undergoes a mysterious transformation, becoming undead and developing a craving for human flesh. As Sheila embraces her new identity, Joel struggles to accept her transformation and the implications it has on their lives.
Initially, Joel tries to maintain a sense of normalcy in their increasingly abnormal situation. He insists that they are both necrophiliacs and bashful people, showcasing his discomfort with the situation. Joel's struggle to cope with the new reality provides some of the funniest moments in the show, as he frantically tries to find solutions to their unusual problems. Despite his best efforts, he often feels overwhelmed by the madness surrounding him.
One of Joel's internal struggles is his concern about the impact of immortality on their marriage. He questions whether love is only possible because life is fleeting and worries that eternity might put their relationship at stake. This dilemma causes him to panic and spend several episodes grappling with this existential crisis. It is a significant turning point in the series, adding depth to Joel's character and highlighting the complexities of their situation.
Another challenge for Joel is the shift in dynamics within their relationship. The once timid Sheila becomes a take-charge, fearless zombie, leaving Joel in a more supportive role. He struggles to maintain his masculinity while his wife takes on a more dominant role in their zombie hunting adventures. Despite these challenges, Joel is determined to keep his family together and navigate their new reality as best he can.
As the series progresses, Joel eventually comes to terms with Sheila's transformation and decides he wants to join her in zombieland. However, just as he makes this decision, Sheila's pet ball, Mr. Ball Legs, crawls into his ear, leading to speculation about whether Joel is possessed or dead. This cliffhanger ending leaves fans eagerly awaiting the next season to uncover Joel's fate and understand the full extent of his internal struggle to accept Sheila's transformation.
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The impact of Mr. Ball Legs on Joel's behaviour
In the third season of Santa Clarita Diet, Joel Hammond's behaviour takes a turn as he becomes possessed by Mr. Ball Legs.
Mr. Ball Legs is a spider-like zombie creature that crawls into Joel's ear and directly into his brain. This happens immediately after Joel decides he would like to become a zombie so that he can spend eternity with his wife, Sheila, who has recently become undead.
After Mr. Ball Legs enters Joel's brain, he says the word "mama" through Joel's body. This is significant because it is the same word that Sheila has been trying to teach Mr. Ball Legs to say. It is speculated that Mr. Ball Legs is now controlling Joel's body and making him do his bidding.
It is suggested that Mr. Ball Legs may have killed Joel out of spite or in an attempt to communicate with Sheila. The show's creator, Victor Fresco, confirmed that Joel is indeed possessed by Mr. Ball Legs, and that the two of them will hunt bad people together.
The possession of Joel by Mr. Ball Legs sets up an interesting dynamic for the potential fourth season of the show, as fans are left wondering how Joel's personality will change now that he is undead and under the influence of Mr. Ball Legs.
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Joel's fear of immortality
Joel Hammond's fear of immortality is a central theme in the third season of *Santa Clarita Diet*. The character, played by Timothy Olyphant, grapples with the idea of becoming a zombie and living for eternity with his wife, Sheila, who has already undergone her undead transformation.
In the show, Sheila becomes more driven by her id, no longer worrying about what others think or much else besides her newfound appetite for human flesh. This shift in their relationship dynamic leaves Joel as more of a supporting player in the action, struggling to maintain his masculinity as his wife takes charge.
Despite these fears, Joel eventually overcomes them and decides he wants to join Sheila in zombieland, stating, "I never want to live or die without you." However, just as he makes this decision, Sheila's pet zombie spider, Mr. Ball Legs, crawls into his brain, leaving his fate uncertain.
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Sheila biting Joel
In the third season of Netflix's horror-comedy series *Santa Clarita Diet*, Sheila bites her husband Joel in an attempt to save his life.
Sheila Hammond (played by Drew Barrymore) is an undead zombie who craves human flesh. Her husband Joel Hammond (played by Timothy Olyphant) is a realtor who initially tries to cure his wife's "illness". However, he eventually decides he would rather be undead so that he can spend eternity with her.
In the season 3 finale, "The Cult of Sheila", Joel overcomes his fears and tells Sheila: "I never want to live or die without you". At this moment, Sheila's pet spider creature, Mr. Ball Legs, crawls into Joel's brain through his ear. Mr. Ball Legs says "Mama" through Joel's body—a word that Sheila had been teaching it. Sheila assumes that Joel is dead and bites him, turning him into a zombie.
There is fan speculation about what happened to Joel at the end of the season. Some fans believe that Joel is possessed by Mr. Ball Legs, while others think he has become a regular zombie. The show's creator, Victor Fresco, confirmed that Joel is initially possessed by Mr. Ball Legs but eventually becomes a zombie and hunts bad people with Sheila.
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Joel's desire to stay with Sheila forever
In the third season of Santa Clarita Diet, Joel Hammond grapples with the decision of whether he wants to become a zombie and spend eternity with his undead wife, Sheila. The couple, who are real estate agents in Santa Clarita, California, face a series of challenges after Sheila undergoes a mysterious transformation, becoming undead and craving human flesh.
Initially, Joel spends several episodes in a state of panic, facing an existential crisis about immortality. He worries about the impact of immortality on his identity and the couple's marriage. He also grapples with the idea of having to eat human flesh and the potential loss of the things he enjoyed eating before.
However, after a brush with death, Joel decides he wants to be with Sheila forever, even if it means becoming a zombie himself. In the final episode of the season, titled "Cult of Sheila," Joel expresses his desire to stay with Sheila, saying, "I never want to live or die without you." This decision is a significant turning point for the character, as he overcomes his fears and accepts the possibility of a drastic change in his life.
Immediately after Joel's declaration, a giant, fleshy, spider-like creature named Mr. Ball Legs, which is associated with Sheila's undead state, crawls into Joel's ear and directly into his brain. This creature then seemingly takes control of Joel's body, causing him to say "Mama" in a strange tone of voice, mirroring Sheila's efforts to teach Mr. Ball Legs to speak. Sheila, believing that Joel is dead, bites him, potentially turning him into a zombie as well.
The ending of the season leaves fans with a cliffhanger, speculating about Joel's fate. Some interpret it as Joel being possessed by Mr. Ball Legs, while others wonder if he has become a zombie or is simply dead. The show's creator, Victor Fresco, confirmed that Joel is indeed possessed by Mr. Ball Legs, and he teases a romantic notion of the couple living as zombies together for eternity, with their love remaining strong despite the challenges they face.
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Frequently asked questions
Joel starts acting weird because he is struggling to cope with his new reality of his wife, Sheila, becoming undead and craving human flesh.
Joel's behaviour can be attributed to his attempt to maintain a sense of normalcy in increasingly abnormal situations. He is determined to keep his family together despite the challenges they face.
Yes, the moment when Joel decides he wants to be undead like his wife, Sheila, and spend eternity with her. However, this decision leads to Sheila's pet, Mr. Ball Legs, crawling into Joel's head, potentially possessing him.
