'Santa Clarita Diet': Is Drew Barrymore Actually a Zombie? Yes and No

(Some spoilers ahead for the new Netflix original series “Santa Clarita Diet.)

Wait, so Netflix’s “Santa Clarita Diet” is a comedy about zombies, right? The answer in Season 1 is: yes and no.

Netflix’s comedy about a suburban mom named Sheila (Drew Barrymore) who suddenly finds herself a reanimated corpse who claims human flesh is supposed to invoke everything we know about the walking dead — including “The Walking Dead.” But dont’ expect a jokey show about a shambling, gray-skinned rotter or her family trying to pretend she’s still alive a la “Weekend at Bernie’s.”

Instead, “Santa Clarita Diet” plays up a lot of the same tropes as other zombie fiction, but it’s taking a lot of liberties with the premise. It’s closer to the CW’s “iZombie” than the popular conception of zombie as made famous by George Romero and “Night of the Living Dead.” It’s more accurate to call Sheila “undead” than a zombie. At least right now.

Also Read: Top 20 Best Netflix Original Series, Ranked From Great to Phenomenal (Photos)

1. Undead vs. Zombie

In the first “Santa Clarita Diet” episode, nerdy neighbor and paranormal stuff expert Eric (Skyler Gisondo) discusses whether the word “zombie” applies to Sheila. At least at first, it doesn’t.

In most zombie fiction, a person infected with whatever it is that makes people zombies (whether it’s transmitted through a bite or just something that everyone has like in “The Walking Dead”) dies, and then their corpse is reanimated as a zombie. Their brain is basically no longer functional, which is why all zombies ever want to do is eat: it’s the only instinct that generally survives. Zombies look like people, but fundamentally aren’t. They’re also still dead, so their corpses slowly rot, which is why they shamble around.

A better descriptor for Sheila is “undead.” She’s definitely dead, but she’s also not an animated corpse. She’s still a person with a personality, despite the living functions of her body having ceased. She’s similar to a zombie in that she wants to consume human flesh, but different in that it’s not the only thing she thinks about or does. Her personality has been changed, robbing her of impulse control and heightening certain elements, but she’s still a person.

Also Read: Does 'Stranger Things' Teaser Image Reveal the Secret of Season 2's Release Date?

2. The Virus

A lot of time is spent trying to figure out what caused Sheila’s condition, and it’s generally agreed upon that it’s a virus and not some other cause. Like other zombification viruses, it’s transmitted through bites — Sheila infects Loki (Deobia Oparei), but we’re not sure how Sheila was infected.

But it seems like the only way to transmit the virus is by biting. So far, there are no other undead. For the time being, at least, we’re not going to see a cannibal monster-infested world like that of “The Walking Dead.”

Most of Season 1 is spent pursuing a possible cure, but as is revealed by Dr. Cora Wolf (Portia de Rossi) in Episode 10, there isn’t one. Sheila did, in fact, die in the first episode. The “cure” Dr. Wolf is creating will stop Sheila’s progression toward whatever she’s becoming. Apparently it’ll also stop her body from “deteriorating.”

Also Read: 20 Best HBO Original Series, From 'Six Feet Under' to 'Game of Thrones' (Photos)

3. The Timeline

Where “Santa Clarita Diet” differs from other zombie stories the most is in the timeline. In most zombie fiction, infection with the zombie disease leads to death, and after death, reanimation. This can take anywhere from minutes to days, but zombie bites in particular are always fatal, and the bitten always reanimate. They usually reanimate as soulless, mindless killing machines.

“Santa Clarita Diet” actually functions on similar rules, it seems, but stretches the timeline way out. We see Sheila die by vomit in the first episode, when she pukes up whatever that weird red ball was. After that, she’s undead, but generally still a person, even if she is a cannibal. She’s also mostly in control of herself.

Halfway through the season, Sheila’s body starts to “deteriorate,” which is another word for rot. Zombies, being dead, generally fall apart like any organic matter would after dying. Without life processes, they’re just like any buried body — except they’re just walking around. That’s not quite the case for Sheila: she’s obviously not rotting, but her body is breaking down.

Also Read: 13 Time Travel TV Shows You Should Be Watching Right Now (Photos)

Dr. Wolf also notes that, eventually, Sheila will succumb to “unprovoked aggression.” It sounds like she’ll basically eventually lose her mind and become something much more akin to the kinds of zombies we see in horror films and TV shows. But that process is only just beginning in Season 1, it seems, which spans at least several days and more likely a few weeks.

This calls to mind the “ghouls” of the “Fallout” video game series. Ghouls are people who were irradiated in a global nuclear war but weren’t killed by the radiation. Their skin falls off and their bodies cosmetically deteriorate over time (radiation sustains their muscles and bones), but they keep their mental faculties — for a while. Eventually, ghouls do go feral, at which point they pretty much just act like your traditional zombies.

Apparently, though, Sheila can be cured of her feral tendencies. She’d still need to eat people and she’d still have her undead intensity, but she wouldn’t be disintegrating or liable to eat her family.

4. The Unanswered Questions

There are definitely a few things that a second season of “Santa Clarita Diet” will probably address. Chief among them will be things about the undead-ening virus: its seemingly Serbian origins and how it wound up in California, for starters. It’d also be nice to find out what that red thing Sheila barfed up was.

Also Read: 18 Big 'Game of Thrones' Fan Theories for Season 7 and Beyond (Photos)

There are also the questions of how Joel (Timothy Olyphant) will deal with his wife’s cannibalism, since he’s already struggling. Same goes for Abby (Liv Hewson) dealing with this new version of her mom.

And then there’s one last question: Will there be a “Santa Clarita Diet” Season 2? We’ll probably know sooner rather than later, but it’s all up in the air right now.

Top 25 Best Netflix Original Series, Ranked From Great to Phenomenal (Photos)

There is a ridiculous number of original series available on Netflix right now — so many it's almost impossible to keep up with them. Even Netflix seems to have a tough time making sure its viewers know about its shows. We dug into the annals of Netflix series and plucked out the very best ones for your enjoyment. Here they are in order of great to phenomenal.
Netflix
25. "Lost in Space"

Netflix's take on the 1960s TV show about a family marooned on a weird alien planet, with only each other, their pilot, a robot, and a self-serving doctor for company is a lot of fun. A (mostly) more realistic take than the original, the show manages to capture an interesting family dynamic while still tapping into over-the-top sci-fi ideas.
Netfli
24. "Dark"

"Dark" concerns a small German town where children have disappeared -- just like 30 years ago. The story starts out as a fascinating, character-driven drama, but quickly starts to pick up speed with some paranormal, science fiction-y elements. There's a lot more to the mystery than first meets the eye in "Dark," and the show does a great job of weaving it over the course of its first season.
Netflix
23. "Peaky Blinders"

Cillian Murphy and Sam Neill facing off from opposite sides of the law in post-World War I Britain is enough to make “Peaky Blinders” worth a watch. But its great casting and rock music-amplified tone make it a period crime drama that’s unpredictable in a completely violent way.
Netflix
22. “The Crown”

It’s not easy being queen. “The Crown” digs into the personal stories of the British royal family as Queen Elizabeth II is crowned. Elizabeth is constantly pulled between family squabbles, politics, personal responsibility and her duties, and there’s plenty of drama to go around.
Netflix
21. “BoJack Horseman”

It takes a bit to hit its stride, but once it does, “BoJack Horseman” joins the top tier of animation geared at adults. The goofy comedy combines solid writing and a cynical look at Hollywood with a darker look at issues like depression.
Netflix
20. “The Fall”

The gritty British thriller starring Gillian Anderson of “The X-Files” fame is split between two perspectives: Anderson’s Detective Gibson and the serial killer she’s hunting. Anderson is consistently great as the no-nonsense Gibson, who hunts the killer while fighting off controversy among the police and the press.
Netflix
19. “Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events”

This adaptation of the children’s book series of the same name manages a hilariously melancholy tone. Neil Patrick Harris slays the role of the ridiculously evil Count Olaf, and the rest of the show is full of great performances from a series of stars.
Netflix
18. "Santa Clarita Diet"

There's a lot to love about "Santa Clarita Diet" and it's fun take on the undead. Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant in particular are hilariously square suburbanites. The way they take to murdering people for the newly zombified Barrymore to eat, in order to preserve their family, is weirdly heartwarming and constantly funny.
Netflix
17. “Travelers”

“Travelers” goes gritty with its time travel, imagining agents from the future who have to take over the bodies of people in the past in order to stop the end of the world. The best stuff here is the personal drama as the characters battle their own guilt at the harm they sometimes have to do for the greater good.
Netflix
16. "Dear White People"

Adapting the movie of the same name into a series, "Dear White People" digs into race and racism in an Ivy League school. The series is poignant and smart, as well as hilarious all the way through as it finds smart, funny ways to tackle tough topics.
Netflix
15. “Marvel’s Daredevil”

The first of Netflix’s original shows featuring Marvel superheroes was a surprisingly dark and intense take. With awesome action and strong stories, “Daredevil” gave Marvel fans a more subdued, believable kind of superhero story in its two seasons.
Netflix
14. "American Vandal"

"American Vandal" turns true crime documentary into a comedy, digging into the mystery of who was responsible for spray painting faculty cars at a high school. The show is simultaneously a send-up of super-serious crime docs, and an enthralling and effective mystery all on its own.
Netflix
13. “Making a Murderer”

The deep-dive documentary into the investigation of the murder of Teresa Halbach stretches on for 10 episodes, but it’s never boring. Instead, it presents a look into the investigation and conviction of Steven Avery that has sent many viewers digging into the case looking for the truth themselves.
Netflix
12. “Marvel’s Luke Cage”

Netflix’s superhero offerings do a stellar job of expanding Marvel stories into perspectives fans might not be used to seeing. “Luke Cage” takes viewers to Harlem, and it’s just as conscious of the implications of following a black man who’s immune to being shot as it is of how cool it would be to have bullet-proof skin.
Netflix
11. “Marvel’s Jessica Jones”

The second partnership of Netflix and Marvel pits the super-strong but flawed Jessica Jones against a mind-controlling man she can’t convince anyone exists. “Jessica Jones” is more drama than action, and watching her try to out-maneuver the manipulative Purple Man is often more exciting than flying superhero fists.
Netflix
10. “Narcos”

The saga of Pablo Escobar's rise to power and the DEA agents tasked with stopping him is a powerhouse of strong acting. There's no shortage of crime story violence and mystery in the lengthy drug war Escobar wages, which now covers two seasons.
Netflix
9. "Mindhunter"

Director David Fincher hits two competing feelings all the way through "Mindhunter." As FBI agents Ford and Tench create a new kind of profiling in the 1970s by interviewing serial killers, the show oscillates between being morbidly fascinating and increasingly dread-inducing. Either way, it's hard to turn away from this crime story.
Netflix
8. “Stranger Things”

Netflix’s “Stranger Things” perfectly channels a 1980s movie aesthetic and tells a compelling monster-slash-government conspiracy story. It’s also that certain sort of kid-driven Steven Spielberg or Stephen King kind of story that there just aren’t enough of in the 21st Century. Season 2 is coming this Halloween.
Netflix
7. "The Punisher"

Netflix's Marvel shows have been hit and miss, but the violent, brooding, semi-noir mystery it spins in "The Punisher" is the best of the bunch so far. A lack of superpowers makes protagonist Frank Castle (Jon Bernthal) easy to relate to, but it's the rest of the extremely strong cast that makes the show so engrossing.
Netflix
6. “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt”

This Tina Fey-co-created comedy starts with a strange premise — Kimmy (Ellie Kemper) has escaped a bunker after being kidnapped by a doomsday evangelist for years. But Kemper’s relentlessly upbeat attitude and the supporting zany cast make “Unbreakable” something of a weirdo answer to “30 Rock.” You’ll need to rewatch it to catch all of the hidden jokes.
Netflix
5. "The Keepers"

A true crime documentary series that looks to explore the decades-old murder of Sister Cathy Cesnik in Baltimore. Netflix's excellent doc spirals into a much deeper and more chilling story that delves into sexual abuse in a Catholic high school, and the murder that might have happened to cover it up.
Netflix
4. "Ozark"

When a money launderer has to convince the drug cartel he works for not to kill him, he has to cart his whole family from Chicago to Missouri in Netflix's crime drama. Imagine "Breaking Bad," but with less chemistry and the entire family involved in trying desperately to keep from getting caught, satisfy the bad guys and stay together.
Netflix
3. “House of Cards”

Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey) is backstabbing his way to greater power in the halls of Washington D.C. It's occasionally ridiculous, but great performances by Spacey, Robin Wright, and many more make Underwood's machinations hard to guess and harder to stop watching.
Netflix
2. “Orange is the New Black”

The longer “OITNB” goes on, the better it gets, as it delves into the diverse perspectives of its women’s prison population. It’s an examination of the justice system, of people trying to make the best of a bad situation, and of friendship and survival. It’s also consistently hilarious and sports a phenomenal cast.
Netflix
1. “Master of None”

Aziz Ansari brings a rare brand of comedy that's instantly relatable. Whether it's about navigating life at 30 or the experience of growing up in America as the child of immigrants, "Master of None" has a unique, extremely funny perspective. The second season is even better with the first, mixing hilarious and very real moments.
Netflix

1 of 26

These are the Netflix Original Series you should prioritize binge-watching immediately

There is a ridiculous number of original series available on Netflix right now — so many it's almost impossible to keep up with them. Even Netflix seems to have a tough time making sure its viewers know about its shows. We dug into the annals of Netflix series and plucked out the very best ones for your enjoyment. Here they are in order of great to phenomenal.

View In Gallery

Top 25 Best Netflix Original Series, Ranked From Great to Phenomenal (Photos)

7DAYFREETRIAL

7
DAY
FREE
TRIAL