Dead to Me: What we want to see if there’s a second season

Catherine Palmer

Photo Credit: Netflix

Dead to Me has become one of Netflix’s most popular shows in just a few weeks. Here’s what we want to see happen if the “traumedy” gets a season 2. Warning: Major spoilers ahead

Part comedy, part drama, part psychological thriller, Dead to Me ended its 10-episode run with quite a few massive revelations and cliffhangers, so there will be plenty to unpack if the show gets renewed. Here are the storylines we want to see explored in season two.

UPDATE: Netflix has renewed Dead to Me for a second season, consisting of ten episodes, set to premiere in 2020.

The evolution of Jen & Judy’s relationship

Obviously, the biggest question mark going into season two is the status of Jen and Judy’s relationship. After becoming best friends and roommates, sisters even, their relationship takes an inevitable nosedive when Judy finally comes clean about everything.

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The final episode finds Jen making every effort to cut her Judy out of her and her sons’ lives, until she realizes that Judy, albeit rather misguidedly, has been doing everything in her power to make things right, and even wanted to stop the night of the accident and help Ted.

It was Judy’s emotionally and psychologically abusive ex-fiancé Steve, in the passenger seat, who compelled her to drive off. Of course, Steve doesn’t admit that to Jen, but knowing Judy as well as she does, Jen is able to read between the lines.

Speaking of Steve, after Judy outs him to the police as a money launderer, prompting an investigation and ruining his professional life, Steve is hellbent on revenge, but he’s stopped dead in his tracks, literally.

The last thing we see prior before his dead body floating in Jen’s pool is Jen pointing a gun at him when he refuses to leave her property. Then, Jen asks Judy, who’s just survived a suicide attempt, to come home, presumably so Judy can help her dispose of the body.

Will Judy help? Will she be angry? Will she be relieved? Was Jen even the shooter?

And, most importantly, can Jen and Judy repair their friendship? Based on what Dead to Me creator Liz Feldman recently told The Hollywood Reporter, the answer seems to be yes.

"“There’s an evening of the score and there’s a rebalancing that will take place and almost, in some ways, a role reversal,” she said."

Well, that definitely points to Jen being the killer or at least partially responsible for his death. Will Jen now be the one trying to make amends, just as Judy tried to do after killing Jen’s husband?

The answer once again seems to be yes, based on what Feldman said in a recent interview with Uproxx.

"They’re forced together to keep this secret, if you will, and in doing so, will be confronted with having to forgive each other."

Photo Credit: Netflix

Legal Troubles

Jen and Judy are in quite the clusterfork now. Steve’s murder (or disappearance, if they’re able to dispose of the body) will receive extra attention and be even more suspicious coming on the heels of the investigation into his money laundering.

Even if they try to cover up their actual involvement, they will both be persons of interest, anyway, as his ex-fiancé and ex-realtor. Will the star-crossed BFFs be able to frame someone else, one of Steve’s business associates, perhaps?

And what about the investigation into Ted’s murder? Will Jen now try to walk back what she said about Judy’s guilt and impede the investigation to prevent her friend from going to prison? Will Jen’s sons, Charlie and Henry, learn the truth about Judy’s involvement?

With so many unanswered questions and avenues to explore, it seems fair to say this season has all the makings of another emotional roller coaster ride.

Charlie and Henry interacting

Speaking of Jen’s sons, it would great to see moments between just the two of them in season two. Season one focuses on how their father’s death impacts their emotional and psychological well-being, their relationship with their mom and their relationship with Judy. So, we have yet to really see what their relationship like and how their grief and the chaos all around them might them closer together or farther apart.

Photo Credit: Netflix

Other questions we need answered:

Where’s Nick? If he comes back, will he forgive Judy for cheating on him and lying to him? Will he try to help Jen and Judy with their legal troubles? Will he become a cop again? Will he and Judy get back together?
Jen and Lorna seemed to reach a turning point in the relationship near the end of season one. Will they continue to grow closer in season two? Will Jen keep working for Lorna, reconcile with Christopher or strike out on her own? Will Lorna’s drug problem be explored?
What will happen to that check Judy gave Jen? It would be awfully suspicious if Jen cashed it now, right? But, on the other hand, she could really use the money.
Will we see flashbacks to Judy and Steve’s relationship, prior to the accident?

What did you think of Dead to Me? What would you like to see if there’s a second season? Let us know in the comments below.

Catherine Palmer

Catherine Palmer is a Southside Serpent and former editor and columnist for The Johns Hopkins News-Letter. She wishes she could have majored in TV Studies but settled for a creative writing degree.