Dead to Me returned for a season 2 and followed Jen Harding (Christina Applegate) and Judy Hale (Linda Cardellini) in yet another precarious situation. The dark comedy, created by Liz Feldman, emerged as one of the most critically acclaimed series introduced in 2019. Season 2 hit the ground running and featured just as many twists and turns as the show's debut installment, and though many questions were answered following the season 1 cliffhanger, the plot left behind several loose ends.
Dead to Me season 1 focused on Jen and Judy's emerging friendship after the hit-and-run death of Jen's husband Ted. When Judy revealed that she was involved in the man's death, Jen tried to distance herself. That plan was scrapped when Jen ended up murdering Judy's ex-fiancee, Steve Wood (James Marsden) and Jen couldn't deny the fact that she and Judy were bonded by murder. She let Judy back in her and her sons' lives as the pair forged a pact to cover up Steve's death. The secrets grew deeper when Steve's twin, Ben (Marsden), came to town, but it also caused Jen and Judy to learn more about themselves.
Steve's disappearance and the cover-up of his death served as a key focus for season 2. Jen and Judy experienced more than their fair share of tragedy, but they also managed to evolve their friendship. The series effectively mixed in a few laughs by depending on the stellar cast of main and recurring characters. Season 2 didn't end on another deadly cliffhanger, but the conclusion leaves Jen and Judy's fate hanging in the balance.
Why Jen Confessed To Killing Steve
Whereas Judy carried the secret of being involved with Ted's murder in season 1, the second season focused on Jen hiding the fact that she murdered Steve. It wasn't pure self-defense as she initially insinuated; Jen bludgeoned Steve to death as he walked away after he said horrible things about her relationship with her husband. She allowed Judy to believe that it was a justified killing but the guilt almost got the best of her a few times. The truth eventually came out when pictures of Charlie (Sam McCarthy) driving Steve's car were sent to the police. Judy warned that the police were pinning Steve's disappearance on the innocent teenager. The only way to clear her son's name was for Jen to confess to the murder. Before doing so, she came clean to Judy about attacking Steve, which led to his death.
It seemed as though Jen was heading to some sort of confession after talking to Pastor Wayne (Keong Sim) at Steve's vigil. He told her that "God is always watching," leading her to believe that the truth would come out in time. Charlie's involvement quickened her confession, so she left Judy the emergency binder and a letter proclaiming that she would be the guardian to Jen's children. Jen then arrived at Detective Ana Perez's (Diana-Maria Riva) house to fully confess. Even though she spilled the details regarding Steve's death, Perez was reluctant to believe her. Instead, she thought Jen was covering up for Charlie or Judy. Jen tried to show Perez where they buried Steve's body, but she was unsuccessful, which proved unimportant in Detective Perez's eyes.
Why Detective Perez Let Jen Walk Free
On the way home from trying to locate Steve's body, Jen and Perez got to know each other on a deeper level. The detective realized how much Charlie and Henry (Luke Roessler) meant to Jen and that she would do anything to protect them. Jen then learned that Perez lost her mother just as Jen did. After Jen shared that her mother died from breast cancer, Perez revealed that her stepfather killed her mother while the woman was protecting her. While discussing Jen's fate, Perez gave her hope that she would have a chance in court with the self-defense argument. They both admitted, however, that Steve and the Wood family had too many connections with police and local high-ranking officials.
During their conversation, Perez got a text from Nick Prager (Brandon Scott), another cop, indicating that they finally have evidence on the chief of police, Howard Hastings (Jere Burns). Steve's recording device that Judy delivered to Nick confirmed that Hastings was corrupt. Perez immediately had a change of heart and told Jen that she would be sent home and to never talk about her encounters with Steve ever again. Perez stated that justice will work itself out, but in reality, it became clear that she felt Jen did what she had to do at that moment, just as her mother once encountered. Perez had enough evidence that Steve was emotionally abusive and recognized his violent demeanor. Rather than end up in jail, Jen went back to her kids and got away with murder, at least for the time being.
Why Ben Left The Scene Of The Accident (& Will He Get Caught?)
Jen and Judy thought they were in the clear after the Steve debacle, but they just couldn't distance themselves from the Wood family. In happy spirits, the two women bought Charlie a car and were driving home. They happened upon the new stop sign that Jen petitioned for. After a brief celebration, Jen emerged into the intersection while the brand-new car got T-boned by an SUV. Everyone involved was shaken up, but the person behind the wheel of the other car wasn't a stranger; it was Ben.
Ben was so distraught after learning about Steve's body being discovered that he didn't even tell his mother the tragic news. Instead, he got in his car and drove around drunk. He recently relapsed after being sober, and his brother's disappearance, and confirmed death, made him completely spiral. It seemed Ben was unaware that he crashed into Jen and Judy seeing as he left the scene of the crime. The accident happened in broad daylight, so he would probably be linked to the hit-and-run. Both women were injured, but thankfully they remained conscious.
What Is Next For Jen & Judy
Prior to the accident, Jen and Judy decided that they both needed clean slates. Jen gave Judy the chance to walk away forever, but she put her heart in the idea of a second chance. Their bond grew stronger than ever, and it was clear nothing could break their unique friendship. When the dust settled, Jen went back to the therapy group, but it wasn't to deal with the grief of losing her husband; it was to finally grieve for her mother, something she never did when she was younger. Meanwhile, Judy revisited her mother (Katey Sagal) in jail and told her that she wouldn't help her get parole because it was clear that the woman hadn't changed.
Judy then found the immense amount of money hidden in her paintings and used it to help Jen pay off Lorna (Valerie Mahaffey) for her part of the mortgage. She also told her mother-in-law that they could no longer work together. Jen and Judy thought they were finally away from the drama, but that would soon change. Not only was Steve's body discovered, meaning the reopening of the man's case, but Charlie found the letter left for him when Jen thought she was going to jail. He already knew his mother was involved in something dangerous so he will surely have more questions. Of course, getting involved in a major car accident with the brother of the man they buried certainly won't end well.
What Dead To Me Season 2's Ending Really Means
Through the tragedy and comedy, Dead to Me once again carried deeper messages in the struggles felt by Jen and Judy. Grief was a major element of season 2 as Judy struggled with the loss of Steve despite how terribly he treated her when they were together. In the end, Jen also came to realize that she needed to finally grieve the death of her mother. Motherhood was a major theme of the season through a few different forms. Jen never gave herself enough credit when it came to being a mother herself just as Judy felt like a failure for not being able to have children. On the other hand, their relationships with their mothers came into focus.
Guilt was another key element of Dead to Me season 2. Jen felt an enormous amount of guilt for killing Steve while Judy couldn't let go of the fact that she forced Jen and the Harding family into the whole mess. Even when the guilt forced the truth out, Jen and Judy's bond powered through. Their friendship was stronger than any tragedy thrown at them. The two women accepted one another even in their weakest moments and in order to make it through life, they needed to stick together. They may have lost the prospect of having traditional families, but Jen and Judy promised to stick together for the long haul. Jen and Judy will surely need each other since they're not completely in the clear just yet.