Not Dead Yet Season 1 Episode 7 Review: Not Out of the Game Yet
Nell has slowly been coming around to accept the worth of her role as an obituary writer, but the new difficulties in Not Dead Yet Season 1 Episode 7, “Not Out of the Game Yet” throw doubt back into the mix.
It doesn’t help that she’s broke even before the fender bender that leaves her carless, too. To be fair, her distraction while driving is pretty valid, considering it comes in the form of Tony Plana playing a sportscaster she and her father idolized.
Unsurprisingly, her dad features heavily in this episode. Even less surprisingly, her attempts to convince him she’s still a celebrated reporter with a corner office are quickly quashed by Edward—who probably means well.
From here, the story moves to a fear many of us know all too well: letting down the people we care about most, particularly our parents. Her father does take the news poorly, soon offering to let her come home and take over his restaurant.
With how much we’ve seen her grow in just a handful of episodes, it is a little disappointing that she quickly and seriously considers the offer, but we can’t deny the temptation. Some of the potential benefits are ones only Nell knows about or can even see.
The real question is whether she’s where she’s meant to be. The answer to that doesn’t require a fond family baseball memory with an icon from said memory standing right next to her, but it certainly doesn’t hurt.
It’s likely that Nell’s path back to her old success will be a long road. Considering the plot hinges on her being an obituary writer, it’s basically guaranteed. Nell may not quite be totally satisfied, but she finds the worth again in writing an obituary that her dad loves.
The pressure on her shoulders is not helped by the fact performance reviews are happening at the officer at the bidding of Lexi’s father. Lexi herself is as sympathetic as she’s ever been, desperate not to lay anyone of off if only so that people will still like her.
She gets some very cute moments with Sam (even more welcome after she dropped that friendship ball a bit recently) and eventually comes up with a solution that will spare her reputation and everyone’s jobs. At least until her father finds out.
The real owner of this paper hasn’t been mentioned enough yet to feel as though he’s looming over it, but that may be changing. It’s not ominous enough to worry us in this story, but I am interested to see who will portray him during his inevitable arrival to the newsroom.
It does seem likely that a plot device to threaten Nell’s job is in the pipeline, whether or not it comes in a shady corporate form. This half hour assures us that the threat will matter. Nell has to appreciate her job before she can someday fight to keep it.
What did you think of this episode of Not Dead Yet? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Critic Rating:
User Rating:
Not Dead Yet airs Wednesdays at 9:30/8:30C on ABC.
Follow us on Twitter and on 
Instagram!
Want more from Tell-Tale TV? Subscribe to our newsletter here!
Caitlin Wyneken
Caitlin is an elder millennial with an only slightly unhealthy dedication to a random selection of TV shows, from PBS Masterpiece dramas to some of the less popular series on popular networks. Outside of screen time, she's dedicated to the public sector and worthy nonprofits, working to make a difference in the world outside of media.