I recently finished watching the new Netflix show "Santa Clarita Diet". Drew Barrymore stars alongside Timothy Olyphant as a suburban mom and real estate agent who becomes a neighbor-munching zombie. A fairly breezy thirty minute comedy, I couldn't help but feel dissatisfied after finishing the ten episode first season. Why?
What is bothering me about Santa Clarita Diet?
This is a show that many people assumed based on the name, lead actor, and other marketing materials that spoofed diet book covers, that this show was going to be a rom-com instead of the light horror comedy it actually is. Combined with this information and now having watched it I can say that what bothers me is that Santa Clarita Diet is a show marketed to women, about a female character, that is written by men and solely from the point of view of men.
Over the series we learn everything there is to know about Joel, who plays the husband to Barrymore's Sheila. We learn about Joel's hobbies, his likes and dislikes. We learn his whole family back story- his childhood, how he grew up, how it made him who he currently is. We learn about his dreams and aspirations. He undergoes a character arc about himself and his inner life. We see him hang out with friends in multiple scenes. Joel is given a complete characterization. His actions have motivations. Sheila gets none of these things.
We barely spend any time with Sheila before she turns zombie-ish. We never learn anything about her, and especially anything about her that isn't related to Joel. The few things we do know about her are mostly what she isn't: isn't brave, isn't a take-charge person, doesn't like to go out, doesn't really have any friends (her hanging out with the neighborhood women is posited as a very new and out of character thing for her once she turns), she's not really into sex, she's into her job but we don't know why or even if she's particularly good at it (her boss both compliments and yells at her in the same scene).
This might seem like a list of character traits but the problem is first of all, we have no idea why she was the way she was. Her inner life or back story are given no consideration as to her behavior, unlike how Joel is treated. Also, all the changes to her personality are shown as being positive. Not only do we not care why Sheila was the way she was, it's totally awesome now that she's totally different- she's cool now! She likes to bang! She's outspoken! She's takes control of stuff! Wish my wife would become a zombie, amirightguyz????
I'm also pretty appalled at how Joel is allowed to be upset and disturbed by the changes in his wife but she herself doesn't seem to care. She has no real opinions on the ethics of eating people, on how she is basically dead, or on how her changes effect those around her. Now it would be one thing if they explored this change in thinking for her as a function of her zombie status. But they don't! Sheila's thoughts, feelings, and emotions are not given any consideration in this story even as Joel's are fully examined.
This is all very disappointing. It's yet another story about a how a woman's experience effects a man. It's about how a man's inner journey is still considered more interesting than even the crazy exploits of a woman turning into a goddamn zombie. I expected more from this show, but I guess I'm not sure why. Even stuff marketed towards women isn't guaranteed to actually be about them.
All I can say for sure is Drew, girl, you need to get in touch with Winona 'cause there's a woman who's doin' Netflix right.