We’ve seen shows set among the living and ones set in the world of the dead, but what about the limbo in between? Usually, this sweet spot is tackled through the medium of ghosts, like in Ghosts or School Spirits, but in 2003, Showtime reminded us of another class of supernatural creatures that could inhabit this liminal space: grim reapers. While TV shows about ghosts find the characters often wafting around purposelessly, trying to uncover unresolved issues that prevent them from passing over, Dead Like Me follows characters who are roped into a bureaucratic afterlife that burdens them with assignments and quotas. Program creator Bryan Fuller‘s two-season supernatural comedy delivers the gloomiest, coziest, and funniest version of the afterlife, making for the perfect comfort watch.
What Is ‘Dead Like Me’ About?
Dead Like Me follows the listless and sardonic George (Ellen Muth), a young adult who argues with her family and despises her new job at a temp agency. But soon enough, she is relieved from the drudgery of Seattle life by way of a flaming toilet seat from outer space that precisely hits her. Unfortunately, it is not nirvana that awaits her on the other side, but another corporate position of a grim reaper. She is unwillingly allocated the role and must collect souls once they reach death while reaching an unspecified quota, all under the reluctant mentorship of Rube (Mandy Patinkin), a senior grim reaper.
The most famous example of the afterlife manifesting as a bureaucratic organization is in The Good Place, where humans tallied points to be assigned to either the Good or Bad place, with angels working the system on desks like clergymen. More recently, The Bondsman delivered a similar structure but with hell, because what could be more hellish than the soul-sucking monotony of a 9-to-5? Dead Like Me is a precursor to this popular format, and it’s easy to see the appeal in the visceral melancholy of conceding to unexplained orders from the upper levels you have no communication with, mixed with the dark comedy that arises from the irony of such an ambiguous state having such rigid structures.
Giving retail hell a new meaning.
In Dead Like Me, Rube leads the group of grim reapers and receives orders from the top via yellow sticky notes with the first initial, last name, time, and address of when a soul needs to be collected. Every morning, he hands out assignments, and the reapers learn to accept his process without question, even as some of the cases are more heartbreaking than others. From collecting children’s souls to questioning whether someone deserves death, the show is filled with moral ambiguities and morbidity. The trick is that no one overtly crosses the line between good and evil; these are normal people who simply face the end of their time, making for some sobering scenes in the series.
Among the show’s exploration of life and death is a comedic, offbeat atmosphere, which shouldn’t come as a surprise, since George dies via flying toilet seat. Unfortunately for George, death doesn’t mean she can shirk off her living responsibilities, because in Dead Like Me, grim reapers also need to pay rent and bills. George hilariously balances her new gut-wrenching job with the mundane routine of her temp agency one, while also dealing with the various personalities of the grim reapers, from the no-nonsense Roxy (Jasmine Guy), whose death was rooted in betrayal, to the unpredictable Mason (Callum Blue), who died by drilling a hole into his head while chasing a high. They’re a mismatched group who guarantee laughs at every corner of this binge.
Ellen Muth and Mandy Patinkin Are the Hearts of ‘Dead Like Me’
Most of the coziness and friction in Dead Like Me stems from George and Rube’s student-mentor relationship, one that forms the beating heart of the show. Muth and Patinkin are incredible scene-partners, as their effortless banter, even when Rube’s eye twitches at George’s indolence, is easy to get lost in. They are constantly butting heads, but their relationship is reliable, especially as it grows into mutual respect and understanding. Their bond often relieves the tension of darker themes, like whenever George confronts the bitter reality of watching her family mourn her death or try to move on by selling her possessions. Despite all the animosity she holds towards him, she finds refuge in his quietude and wisdom, making for an ever-watchable calm-chaos duo.
Dead Like Me is a show where life doesn’t start until after death. It beautifully balances the gravity of tackling mortality with a comical tone, featuring oddball characters and a distinct coziness. With only two seasons, this criminally forgotten show makes for a comforting weekend binge, one that somehow renders death both grim and feel-good, even if the corporate grind doesn’t quit in limbo.
