(CNN) A funny thing happened between "Dead to Me's" very good first season and its second: The dark Netflix comedy became an even better, twistier show, with -- in very "Big Little Lies"-like fashion -- a female friendship frequently tested by one impulsive act, and the escalating consequences that flow from it. The core relationship, between Jen (Christina Applegate) and Judy (Linda Cardellini), went through a number of contortions in season one, given that Judy was driving the car in the hit-and-run death of Jen's husband. The shocking moment that concluded that season, however, has turned into a propulsive force to power the show through season two, with the writing (under showrunner Liz Feldman) rising to the occasion of setting up new wrinkles -- none of which should be spoiled -- and apparent dead ends, only to find some unexpected way out, before introducing a new crisis. Impressively, those surprises incorporate Jen's kids, avoiding the annoying-teenager trope that often finds its way into such exercises. Although each of the characters finds new romantic possibilities, the heart of the series remains the interaction between the tightly wound Jen and the free-spirited, take-life-as-it-comes Judy, with Cardellini doing some of her best work in making what could be an irritating character sympathetic and predictable.

Source: CNN May 06, 2020 19:18 UTC