Dead Like Me: Life After Death

Back in 2004, Showtime's "Dead Like Me" joined an infamous list of great shows cut down in their prime, snuffed out way too soon for no discernible reason. I suppose the show's death was bitterly ironic, given its portrayal of sudden death, of life cut short for no discernible reason. But we fans still grieved. Given the deepening storylines surrounding head reaper Rube Sofer's mysterious past and George Lass's ongoing struggle to keep her life and her afterlife separate, it was unfathomable why "DLM" got the axe at the end of its second season amid critical and popular acclaim. Such is life, I suppose.

Then, in 2006, rumors started stirring about a possible DLM movie. As these things usually go, things were mulled over for awhile. Interest in the project, both internal and external, was gauged. Funds, schedules, and shooting locations were procured. And in 2008, the dream became a reality. Principle filming for Dead Like Me: Life After Death (2009) began. But there were already many disappointing hurdles. Mandy Patinkin declined to reprise his role as Rube Sofer, the lead reaper considered by many to be the heart of the show. Sofer was written out of DLM:LAD and replaced by Henry Ian Cusick as the slick and business-savy Cameron Kane (more on him later). Additionally, Laura Harris declined to return as Daisy Adair, the shallow-yet-deep reaper counterpart to Callum Blue's just plain shallow Mason. Instead of write Daisy's character out of the movie, producers chose another actress, the much less attractive and much less talented Sarah Wynter. On top of all this, it was announced that DLM:LAD would not have a theatrical run, but go straight to DVD. Not uncommon for a TV show movie spin-off, but many fans were disappointed just the same.

LAD picks up 5 years after events in season 2 of the series. Comics-style story boards and George Lass's (Ellen Muth) typically deadpan voice-over quickly catch us up on events. Little has changed in the intervening 5 years. Much like in life, death for undead reapers is filled with the quotidian trappings of a routine existence. The day's reaps are coordinated with earthly careers. After all, their physical bodies still require nutritional maintanence, and that requires money. But the team's routine is about to be shattered when they learn that Rube has received "his lights" and moved on to the next plane of existence. Cameron, Rube's replacement, is a fast-talking businessman looking to streamline the reaping team and working towards his own mysterious goals. Without Rube's stern influence, the team struggles to behave under the guidelines of the undead, which are admittedly fairly ambiguous. While attempting to fix a reap gone horribly wrong, George finds herself caught up in the lives of her mother and sister (Cynthia Stevenson & a grown-up and disturbingly hot Britt McKillip), whom she's been expressly forbidden to see.

This film suffers tremendously from a really terrible script. One of the great things about the series was the dynamic ensemble cast. George was always our narrator, but it would be untrue to call her the main character. For LAD, this convention is left by the wayside. The rest of the cast fades into the background, and Muth and McKillip are left to carry much of the film. Not that they are unworthy. Both are great actresses. But the film feels a little lifeless without the team dynamic. 

Moving on. The character of Cameron Kane is a mess. He is vastly underdeveloped, his motives are unfathomable, and at the end of the film, you've really gotta ask yourself if his character was completely superfluous. I'm thinking yes. The film's running time is pretty short (86 minutes), and you've gotta wonder if it should have been fleshed out to make some of the glaring plot holes a little less glaring. Once again, I'm thinking yes. And you know what, I think there's maybe 2 or 3 reaps in the movie. What the hell? The creative and elaborate deaths were yet another hallmark of the show that got lost along the way. Thank goodness that Muth can still deftly work with the existential poignancy of a wasted life, because that's one of the few things this film has going for it.

Aside from the writing disaster, this film is sorely missing the tremendous acting talents of Patinkin and Harris. Their replacements are boring, shallow, and quite obviously disadvantaged in the arena of acting talent. The music and effects are roughly comparable to the show, which is to say, good but not great.

The end of the film, of course, leaves the door wide open for a sequel. And yes, I would still welcome another film, because the show was that good and its legacy is strong, and also because there are still a lot of storylines to play out. But I would suggest that the next film's creators really sit down and think about where they want the next film to go. Oh, and getting down on your knees and begging Mandy Patinkin and Laura Harris to come back probably wouldn't hurt.

Storyline & plot: 4/10

Cinematography & effects: 6/10

Music & mood: 7/10

Performances: 5/10

The Reverend says: 5/10