‘Santa Clarita Diet’ Season 2 Contains Same Flavor of Humor and Undead Problems

In the cluttered undead subgenre “Santa Clarita Diet” manages to avoid the clichéd and formulaic stature in favor of serving up a fresh take. Season two of the Netflix original series picks up with the undead suburban housewife Sheila (Drew Barrymore) and her husband Joel (Timothy Olyphant) balancing life as a happy family alongside a career and a flesh-eating habit.

“I had such a good day at the asylum” a stressed Timothy Olyphant expresses as he tries to figure out how to handle his murderous and ravenous human-eating wife – all while balancing his nosey neighbors knocking at the front door. The tone of the series has hit an even stride – unique in its manner. Creator Victor Fresco has managed to balance the strange scenario with an equal share of quirk and humor reminiscent to the Jenji Kohn vehicles “Orange is the New Black” and “Weeds.”

In season two, Sheila and Joel attempt to turn their homicidal tendencies into a morally sound action. However, with proper intent comes failed expectations. Whereas in the first season, they attempt to find people who they believe should be murdered – this season sees the couple bringing down those who present themselves as an obstacle. If someone blindsides the family their solution is simple: kill them and serve them for dinner, perhaps alongside a nice glass of red wine.

However, that also doesn’t stop them from taking down a deserving Nazi… or ten. The humor of the situation isn’t lost upon the show’s creator, who notes with a clever closing title that no Nazi’s were harmed in the making of this show. It’s a level of self-wit that allows the show’s comedic moments to land in the beautiful absurdity of it all.

With the latest batch of bingable episodes, the supporting characters get thrown deeper into the mix with intriguing arch’s that appropriately fit into the lead’s own driving issue. Eric (Skyler Gisondo of Netflix’s satirical “Wet Hot American Summer: 10 Years Later”) receives a bit of an upgrade this time around. His romance with the humorously dry but potentially threatening local grocery girl Ramona (Ramona Young) opens up the door revealing a zombie-like obstacle. Sheila isn’t the only carnivore in town, and precious Eric is important enough for the viewer to care what happens in his bloody budding romance – which in turn creates undeniable tension between a somewhat naive Eric and the Hammond’s intelligent and level-headed daughter, Abby (Liv Hewson).

The revelation that Romana and Sheila have more in common presents to a humorous conversation between the two members, comparing their unfortunate experiences in the afterlife. Concurrently, the commonality allows Sheila and Joel to discover the source of her undead desires. Her proximity to her quirky neighbor’s cop girlfriend enables her to keep a tight cover on her murdering habits – keeping the situation believably manageable.

New to the misadventures are the Hammond’s rival realtors Christa and Chris played deliciously by Maggie Lawson and Joel McHale respectively. Their opposing team quickly becomes only the slightest problem at the office once they discover that the new housing development they are breaking ground on is getting planted in their previous burial ground. Their murderous graveyard is at risk of becoming unearthed. But in typical “Santa Clarita Diet” fashion, the couple handles the stressful situation with immediate action and amusing banter. By the end of the quickly paced 10-episode outing, viewers will feel full – but the next meal remains all the more appetizing.

Santa Clarita Diet” season 2 premieres March 23 on Netflix.