Binge-worthy: ‘Santa Clarita Diet’

MANILA, Philippines (2nd UPDATE) – These days, zombie shows come a dime a dozen, and with so many stories on the walking dead out there, it’s easy to see why one might skip the genre altogether in favor of livelier subject matter. But if there’s any material in the zombie genre that you shouldn’t miss, it’s Santa Clarita Diet – the Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant starrer that’ll charm you in the most twisted way, all the way to the season finale.

The show’s second season was released on Netflix on March 23, and picks up right where the first season left off.

What it’s about: Shiela (Drew Barrymore) and Joel Hammond (Timothy Olyphant) were living a quiet, generic life in the suburbs of Santa Clarita when Shiela briefly dies and returns in full, flesh-eating zombie form. The first season follows the couple as they deal with the massive transformation, along with their teenage daughter Abby (Liv Hewson) and young neighbor, Eric (Skyler Gisondo). In the second season, they manage to put a stop to Shiela’s zombie transformation – but of course, not without a bloodbath, and a majestic one at that. As the blood thickens, so does the story’s plot: a character thought dead in season 1 returns, a policewoman finds the town’s rising body count suspicious (took her long enough), and apparently, more people are involved in Shiela’s zombification than is convenient for them.

Episodes: There are two seasons out so far, with 10 episodes for each season. An episode lasts around 30 minutes, so it’s an easy binge, particularly for that Sunday afternoon slump.

Why you should watch it: For all the blood and cannibalism that happens on the show, it never strays from its focus on the Hammond family and the love between them – which gives it pathos even as you’re watching Shiela literally tear into another human being. Drew Barrymore’s on-screen charm has always been the stuff that great entertainment is made of, and the actress proves with this series that she’s still got it. Her performance keeps the series anchored to its humanity – even as her character is slowly losing hers. Throw Timothy Olyphant into the mix and every scene is pure comedy gold.

If season 1 was a bit of a slow burner in terms of story and humor, season 2 throws the audience right into the fire from the get go. Perhaps having grown into their roles and the show’s absurd, slightly deadpan brand of comedy now, the cast is pretty much unstoppable. They deliver every punchline perfectly, in both timing and tone, and the chemistry between each of the characters makes all the blood and guts much more palatable. And that’s another thing about this new season: the production design obviously had fun with delivering the gore, making it more disgusting than ever – in the most delicious way.

Where to watch: The first and second season are available on Netflix. – Rappler.com