What I’m Watching: Dead to Me

Dead to Me: Season 1, Episode 5 “I’ve Gotta Get Away” (B+)

This show’s two main characters have become strong enough that this entire episode was focused just on them without any of the other regular players. Jen’s attitude at the grief retreat was expectedly sour, indulging far too much in alcohol and treating those around her in typically crash fashion. Judy is far more open to the idea of a different experience, and the two of them did a decent job of balancing each other out. I was excited to immediately recognize Steve Howey from “Shameless” as Jason, the widower that Jen was extremely attracted to, and he turned out not to be quite as dumb as Kev but definitely also wasn’t the right match for Jen, who didn’t want crying or moping but just some disconnected sex. Judy, on the other hand, ended up with a much more intimate night than she had planned for, resulting in her awkward refusal to let Jen in to the room. Jen sitting outside and smoking with Pastor Wayne was a nice moment, especially because we got to see a less polished side of the group leader and also a chance for him to respond to Jen rudely bashing him earlier in the episode. It’s hard to know why Judy would introduce Jen to the cop she just slept with since he’s likely to get wind of her involvement. I guess him being a prostitute, which is what it initially seemed, wouldn’t have been all that much worse, though her secret is most vulnerable now.