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Following the runaway success of Stranger Things, Netflix slays with another original horror hit, The Santa Clarita Diet

My, oh my, oh my! The Santa Clarita Diet has arrived, and we are in for a real treat. Like a breath of fresh air, this show is a new, refreshing, and groundbreaking take on the timeless, withered old Zombie genre. While Zombies are more prevalent at the moment with shows like The Walking Dead, Z-Nation, and iZombie, The Santa Clarita Diet has to take the top spot with its distinctly original concepts and ideas. This is the Zombie show I’ve been waiting for…for a very long time.

Starring the ever popular Drew Barrymore alongside the talented and utterly brilliant Timothy Olyphant (a personal favorite), The Santa Clarita Diet is like nothing you’ve ever seen before.

Just when you thought you knew all there was to know about Zombies, this show comes along, fast pitching a new spin on the tireless worn out category. Innovative by all accounts, this show will leave hardcore Zombie fans cheering for more.

Santa Clarita Diet

I found myself collecting a keen appreciation for Drew Barrymore ever since the release of the legendary Wes Craven film, ‘Scream’. Not always a fan of her selected roles, I found Drew’s house mom character in ‘The Santa Clarita Diet’ to be gripping and exceedingly fascinating. Timothy Olyphant doesn’t disappoint either, yielding one of his more bizarre, unconventional performances in this series that’s unlike any zombie celluloid that’s ever graced a screen.

Joel (Olyphant) and Shelia (Barrymore) Hammond are Real Estate agents raising their teenage daughter in Santa Clarita, California. One day, without warning, Shelia inexplicably dies and comes back to life, whisking away the life she once knew. Along the way, they unearth her secret — she’s actually undead. As her habits and personality begin to change, she loses all self-control, becoming impulsive and, even worse, hungry.

Santa Clarita Diet

What would you do if you found out your parent or significant other had died and came back to life? Would you still feel the same way about them even if they changed entirely? Would you still love them regardless, or would you sprint for the door? Would you try to help them, or would you bury a bullet in their head? Those are just a few of the issues that arise and attack the Hammond household.

I feel compelled to say that the acting in this show is some of the best I’ve had the pleasure of watching in recent memories. Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant are outstanding, which is a bit of a surprise being that they’re not exactly horror genre actors. They’ve both been in a few horror films, however they’re more action, dramatic and comedic based actors.

Santa Clarita Diet

Also, I feel inclined to mention the accentuated appeal of side characters overflowing this show — especially that of the breathtaking redhead Liv Hewson as their daughter Abby, and the eccentric and quirky next door neighbor Eric Bemis played by the amazing Skyler Gisondo. This pair gives the show an exciting, entertaining value that keeps you submerged in essence while anticipating their next adventure. There are some real veterans attached to the show as well, such as Patton Oswalt (Freaks of Nature, Blade: Trinity), Richard T. Jones (American Horror Story, Godzilla 2014), Matt O’Leary (Frailty, Stung) and Thomas Lennon (The Dark Knight Rises, Monster Trucks).

While there have been shows before about zombies who can walk and talk and appear to be basically normal, this show adds a new twist, making it completely original. The bar has been raised and a new standard has been set. I believe it will be quite some time before we are privileged with another new outlook on our beloved monster race. So gobble it up while you can, because there’s no telling how long it will last.

The sets were visually appeasing and the set dressing was brilliantly executed, giving the show a devastating modern allure. The costumes were illuminating and proper, something that I’m sure fans paid no mind too, yet they were very sharp and relevant. The makeup was great as well. And even though the gore is pretty much substandard, you’re so engrossed in the story line that you hardly even notice.

Something I found to be rather humorous and amusing is that no matter the body count, whether it be in their neighborhood or somewhere else, Joel and Shelia seem to be untouchable by the local police force. Shelia’s sloppy, mistake ridden outbursts seem to go unwarranted by the law, leaving blood and body parts strewn about like some perverse game of connect the dots…something I’m positive Dexter Morgan would be absolutely appalled by.

It’s been quite a while since I’ve found myself so pumped up at the release of a newly envisioned horror television show.

The comedic value in this show is gut-wrenchingly unique and extraordinarily first-rate. It will have you falling out of your chair laughing at the weirdly wild predicaments the couple tends to continually find themselves woven in.

Seriously fun and ruggedly intense, this show receives high praise for its tricky character development and genre-broadening spectrum, expanding on the undead universe. I for one am salivating over the potentially imposing series and hope it garners a long run. I feel an applause is in order for the out of the box thinking and completely different view on the never ending, repetitive flesh craving zombie cycle. Hats off to the creators of this suspenseful, perky adventure for reimagining the subgenre we all cherish so dearly.

In conclusion, this show has a little special something for every die hard zombie fan out there.

So if you’re a late night monster freak like myself and love seeing the horror subgenre reinvented, make it a point to put The Santa Clarita Diet on your watch list. Its new spin on one of the genre’s oldest monsters will leave you gasping for air. If you’re not already dead that is.

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