People Are Absolutely Obsessed With Linda Cardellini Thanks To ‘Dead To Me’
Velma, Chutney, Lindsay Weir AND Judy Hale? She has the range.
Netflix recently released the second season of the dark comedy Dead To Me, to the delight of Linda Cardellini stans across the world.
For those who have seen the show, you’ll know that the story focuses on the ups and downs between main characters, Jen Harding (Christina Applegate) and Judy Hale (Linda Cardellini). Throughout the series, the polar opposites become unlikely best friends, who navigate therapy, grief, love, and far too many instances of murder together.
But it wasn’t until the latest season that people really started to pay attention to Judy, or rather Linda Cardellini playing Judy.
linda cardellini I am in love with you pic.twitter.com/eYCHRzCLH8
— liv (@bluntskirby) May 9, 2020
*mild spoilers ahead*
First and foremost, Dead To Me is a great series. The characters, relationships and emotions portrayed by Applegate and Cardellini have always come off as authentic and relatable.
But Season 2 of Dead To Me? It was just a really solid season of television. We were already invested in the characters, and the storyline was super captivating, jumping right off from the Season 1 cliffhanger of Jen killing Judy’s on-and-off boyfriend, Steve.
From there, watching Jen and Judy try to reconcile as they worked together to protect each other from the consequences of their actions — aka them killing each other’s partners — was actually kind of beautiful to see.
While their plans didn’t always go as smoothly as they hoped for them to, the big twist of the season led to some very powerful scenes. Namely, the moment Jen admitted to Judy that she didn’t kill Steve out of self-defence, but rather out of anger.
give christina applegate and linda cardellini an emmy for this scene alone in dead to me pic.twitter.com/d64qdDWyPf
— diego (@nightcrcwIer) May 13, 2020
This was the rawest scene of the entire series and was the perfect example of both Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini’s incredible acting skills. The break down in the car together? Absolutely *chef’s kiss* content.
But it wasn’t only Cardellini’s scenes with Christina Applegate that were notable. Each moment Cardellini was on screen, she stole the show. More than just trying to cover up Steve’s murder and the new romances for each character, the second season of Dead To Me really highlighted Judy’s growth as a character.
In just 10 short episodes, Linda Cardellini was able to transform Judy Hale from a fragile pushover to a strong woman, who was no longer afraid to stand up herself and do what she wanted.
From her refreshing same-sex storyline with new character Michelle Gutierrez, to the scene where Judy literally sobbed into a pudding cup in the closet at work, Dead To Me Season 2 quickly became the Linda Cardellini show.
fuck it, michelle x judy fancam because i won’t hate a healthy wlw relationship for no reason at all. ♡ #deadtome pic.twitter.com/LhwIZheHM9
— 𝗆𝗂𝗅𝖾 🌿 (@thegayplxce) May 9, 2020
And as the internet’s latest obsession, people did some digging and realised that Linda Cardellini actually has a very impressive resume of work.
Beyond Dead To Me, some didn’t even know that Cardellini played the iconic Velma in the live-action Scooby Doo, the lying, murderous Chutney in Legally Blonde and Lindsay Weir in Freaks and Geeks as a fresh-faced 24-year-old.
But after finding out, Twitter was, expectedly, flooded with posts (and even fancams) admiring her beauty, talent, and above all, massive range.
I think we can all agree that Linda Cardellini pic.twitter.com/vyd6UCMtAX
— Jon (@prasejeebus) May 12, 2020
love the linda cardellini playing a wlw cinematic universe pic.twitter.com/iNyMWYqqVE
— she-ra spoilers (@letsbians) April 14, 2020
Linda Cardellini…top tier actress, from Freaks & Geeks days. The things she does with her face? Sickening
— Bolu Babalola (@BeeBabs) May 9, 2020
never forget linda cardellini as velma in scooby doo pic.twitter.com/jffEHEGWNX
— . (@januaryiones) April 12, 2020
y’all are sleeping on linda cardellini in freaks and geeks, couldn’t be me pic.twitter.com/HDhohTcmJb
— taylor (@unhingedohara) May 12, 2020
fuck it linda cardellini characters dancing to say so for the tl pic.twitter.com/twE3LnGKU1
— ً (@booksmarters) May 12, 2020
While the producers of Dead To Me didn’t end up giving us the Judy and Jen love story we deserve, they did manage to reintroduce the world to the talents of Miss Linda Cardellini, so we simply must stan.
You can stream both seasons of ‘Dead To Me’ on Netflix now.