Life, or the afterlife for that matter,
isn’t what George Lass thought it would be. A sarcastic, antisocial
teenager, she dropped out of college and balks at getting a real job.
Boredom is her friend, and it is one that she apparently adores.
Then, when she is killed in a freak
accident, or, more appropriately, a cosmic joke, she finds that the
afterlife is as dreadful as her former life.
Upon her death, she is recruited by the
higher ups to remain on earth, in human form, and collect the souls of
those about to die in horrible accidents.
Joining a ragtag group of Grim Reapers stuck
on earth to bide their time and fill quotas, she quickly realises that
the afterlife isn’t all clouds and harps, but a drab extension of her
former life.
While reaping, she moonlights at a temp
agency, squats in apartments of the recently deceased, and endures the
trials and tribulations that every slightly awkward teenager
experiences. Along with a group of misfit Reapers, headed by Rube, a
middle management type of guy (brilliantly played by Mandy Patinkin),
George and her Reaper cohorts slip in and out of trouble and
controversy as they collect souls and try to make their time on this
planet, in such a dreaded position, palatable.
A darkly comic series, “Dead Like Me” is
what would have emerged had “Touched By An Angel” been written by John
Cleese and Kevin Smith. A funny, often irreverent show, it's conscious
of its premise—Reaping, the afterlife—yet it doesn’t rely on it. It is
as much a human dramedy, think a Post-Mortem “Freaks & Geeks”,
as it is a visceral comedy about those dying and already dead.
The performances are top-notch. Ellen Muth
as George embodies the quintessential troubled youth. She is awkward,
extremely intelligent and sarcastic, and pretty without realising it.
Mandy Patinkin’s Rube is one of the better characters on cable TV,
balancing his bizarre management gig with pathos, sage-like advice, and
an extremely short temper. The rest of the cast, Laura Harris, Callum
Blue, and Jasmine Guy, are all at the top of their game (Callum Blue as
Mason, a hedonistic Reaper, is one of the most entertaining parts of
the show. Mason, a drug addicted alcoholic, is a lovable conman whose
cons never seem to go as planned).
“Dead Like Me” is one of the best original
series produced by Showtime. It is funny, engaging, and always sincere
in its approach to such an offbeat subject matter.
As for the DVD, the video transfer is
amongst the best TV releases. The video is crisp and the colors are
sharp. The audio also exceeded my expectations. Presented in Dolby
Digital 5.1, the sound design often exploits surrounding channels. All
in all, this is a good set for a great show.
DVD Extras
The goodies are hit and miss. The Pilot
contains commentary and there are a few brief EPK’s, but the deleted
scenes section proves the sets strongest supplement. Although the video
quality isn’t up to snuff, the deleted scenes are plentiful, in excess
of thirty.
