Not Dead Yet

I wasn't initially expecting much from this show. I decided to give it a watch out of boredom and was surprised it was actually pretty good.

Not a huge fan of the main characters, but the side characters have all been fantastic. Nell (Gina) can be a tad over the top annoying at times, but is tolerable for the most part. Lexi (Lauren) is almost a carbon copy of her character from Superstore. Sam (Hannah) is probably the only character that seems okay.

The episodes have been well written for the most part, even with some annoying parts sprinkled in. As a whole, I look forward to watching this show now.

The show has a nifty premise, journalist writing obituaries sees ghosts. Lead is well portrayed by Gina Rodriguez and the ensemble after episode 2 is comfortably diverse and work well together. Liked it quite a lot so far. Direct comedy is a bit mid but the situational is great. These are adults navigating life and finding themselves, very fun to watch. Best part is of course Cece from New Girl. In terms of its ghost of the week format i do not see much potential for the story line to change so doubt if it will be a mutli season show. The characters have a broad life and there is room for so much more than the theme to be shown. Gina has a fun delivery in the lead and is so relatable for someone adjusting to a new life like her ghost friends.

Not Dead Yet throws together the typical sitcom trope of a down-on-their-luck protagonist struggling through life with witty exasperation and a sense of humour, with a supernatural element to steer narrative and zany plots.

A newly single journalist moves back to her hometown after her relationship overseas breaks down. Returning to the workplace where all those around her have advanced, she is placed at the bottom of the ladder. Given the new assignment of writing obituaries, she is visited by the ghost of each of the recently deceased, each with their own story to tell and lesson to bestow.

The series is a lot of fun, with Rodriguez a relatable lead reacting to the ridiculous around her in a fun and engaging way. A roster of endearing characters, with one intentionally dislikeable antagonist-turned-ally; however the intention doesn't make her scenes any more enjoyable. Dialogue can be sharp and reacted to well, providing great comedy, but does also stray into the generic sitcom banter.

Sweet and full of heart, Not Dead Yet occasionally touches on heavier plot points but succeeds overall by sticking to the trivial and funny.

Season 1 focussed on the ghosts and the insights they passed on. It was creative and even emotional on occasion.

Unfortunately, someone seems to have decided on a different direction for season 2. It is now all about the office and the over-the-top characters that inhabit it. It is in most ways a clone of "Superstore" and other similar sitcoms with outlandish characters.

This would be fine if this was how they started out, but it is not what I'm looking for. I now consider it to be 2 essentially separate shows comprising season 1 "Not Dead Yet" and season 2+ of "Generic Office Environment Sitcom."

If you're looking for the ghostly connection, stop watching after season 1.

My score is the average of 7 for season 1 and 5 for season 2.

Initially saw some clips of this show on TikTok and I am so glad I watched the full show. I really like it, it's short and sweet episodes and not too serious. Lauren Ash from Superstore is amazing as Lexi and it's nice to see some other familiar faces (Sam is Cece from New Girl). I found it funny, sweet and really touching at times especially with Monty and Cricket. It has its cliches at times but it's light hearted and has some good punchlines so it's all good. Definitely give it a watch!

P.s Gina Rodriguez doesn't deserve the hate, not sure why people are saying she can't act??? C'mon guys!