Not Dead Yet Season 1 Episode 10 Review: Not Well Yet

Not Dead Yet Season 1 Episode 10, “Not Well Yet” shows us that the whole “in sickness and in health” thing can apply to any relationship– whether between friends, roommates, or the random ghost musician couple that shows up in your home.

Honestly, Nell should just be happy that the Franken-drink she orders at a bar only results in her picking up someone’s cold and not inadvertently being poisoned. She still doesn’t account for either Edward or what working on obits from home will entail.

Trapped with an also-sick roommate who is behaving like a manchild and a new pair of visitors who really are an adorable couple she’d love under different circumstances, we can hardly blame her for eventually lashing out, even if pointing out Edward’s lack of friends goes too far.

Elsewhere, Lexi drags the other work friends out in a rented party bus for a night of fun. By “night” I mean Tuesday afternoon, and by “fun”, I mean something that should probably be reported as a kidnapping.

Suffice it to say we don’t see any of the characters at their best in this episode. Even the dead couple reveals a secret that briefly interrupts their seeming bliss. Honestly, some of these people have never been more relatable.

Given past events, we may think Lexi’s forced day off is about jealously over Nell’s friendship with Sam. When we learn it’s because she’s spending a night a first night without her daughter at home, things start to come together.

The notion of trying to maintain positive relationships by being positive all the time is a deeply relatable one.  All relationships are easier when we’re happy, healthy, and able to truly enjoy good times with the people we care about. But we can’t be that way all the time.

The lesson for all involved is that they need to be able to handle the worst parts of each other along with the best—and that being honest about struggles is an important first step. The fact everyone sticks around is a sign they truly care for each other.

The message is both a little heavy-handed and a bit strained at times. We’ve already seen open flaws in all these characters, and some of them act overtly selfishly in ways their friends should be free to judge, even if they are sad or sick.

Thankfully, it sticks more often than it doesn’t. This show thrives on the dynamics between every member of the cast, and we should accept anything that will help make those dynamics flow more freely for the sake of both comedy and drama.

The half hour does also feel like a bit of a “bottle episode”. Apart from Lexi’s divorce, very few outside issues mentioned in recent episodes come into play. It’ll be interesting to see if they’re handled any differently after this.

For one thing, while romance is barely mentioned by anyone who isn’t dead here, it’s very likely that past or current romances may be coming back to the surface soon, especially with the season finale on the horizon. Let’s just hope they remember some of these lessons when that happens.

 

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!

15 Supernatural Teen TV Shows to Sink Your Teeth Into if You’re Excited About ‘Wolf Pack’