Summary
In an almost filler chapter, Dead to Me Episode 5, “I’ve Gotta Get Away”, demonstrates Jen as a character that fails to go through the grieving process.
This recap of Dead to Me Episode 5, “I’ve Gotta Get Away” contains spoilers. You can read the recap of the previous episode by clicking these words.
Dead to Me Episode 5, “I’ve Gotta Get Away”, is a literal title if anything, as both Jen (Christina Applegate) and Judy (Linda Cardellini), decided to go away on vacation via the Friends of Heaven Grief Retreat. Jen is drinking next to the pool in the morning, ready to take in the rays and drink her day away, while Judy is adamant she wants to take the Grief Retreat seriously and attend the seminars. Jen is distracted quickly by a man named Jason.
Jason is also a widow, but he appears quite dim. Jen flirts with him at one of the sessions, not taking Wayne’s seminar seriously at all, sipping her alcohol in a disguised water flask. “I’ve Gotta Get Away” is a good demonstration of a character doing all they can to distract themselves from the grief.
Later on, Jen and Judy go to a bar to watch the Carry On-Oke, which is like a Karaoke but where you grieve at the same time (I cannot think of anything worse). Jen flirts with Jason and tries to slyly ask him, “do you wanna fuck?” repeatedly, and he doesn’t hear, which was the funniest moment of Dead to Me so far. Eventually, they decide to stop dancing and go to their hotel room.
Judy is still battling with that fatal night but starts admiring Nick, who is giving it his all on the karaoke. She finally hits on him, and despite not wanting that type of holiday, they end up going back to her room.
“I’ve Gotta Get Away” confirms that Jason is kind of a dud for Jen, as when things get heated, he starts describing how he couldn’t save his wife despite his muscular build. Jen is immediately turned off by this and instead ends up outside with Wayne, the group counselor. In a moment of clarity, she admits to hating her cheating husband but also really loving him. On the way back to her room, she nearly gets run over.
In an emotional realization, Jen admits to Judy that she needs to get her life back together for her children, but once she learns Nick is a detective, she asks him if he has ever figured out a hit and run. Is time running out for Judy?
You can read the recap of the sixth episode by clicking these words.
