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This Wild ‘Dead To Me’ Fan Theory Suggests The Series Is A ‘Grace and Frankie’ Prequel

Consider our minds officially blown

By now you’ve probably watched (and rewatched) Netflix’s hit series Dead To MeThe dark-comedy follows Jen (Christina Applegate) as she grieves the loss of her husband, and when she meets Judy (Linda Cardellini) at a grief support group, events take an unlikely turn. 

After just two seasons, the series has developed a loyal cult following who are eager for more from the duo – and it’s easy to see why. But, now a wild new fan theory has us seriously scratching our heads and rethinking everything we thought about the two characters. 

Dead To Me is actually a prequel to Grace and Frankie“, fans began theorising. 

If you’re not across the latter Netflix series, it follows Grace (Jane Fonda) and Frankie (Lily Tomlin), two unlikely friends who are brought together after their husbands announce that they are in love with each other and plan to get married.

While the premises are different, the two sets of characters are surprisingly alike, and as one fan points out both are shot in identical locations. 

Here are just some of the similarities that fans have uncovered: 

Identical Personalities

If you’ve watched both series, you’ll quickly come to the realisation that Jen and Grace share almost identical personality traits, as do Judy and Frankie. The two strong-willed blondes with their signature sharp tongues befriend two spiritual brunettes who both feel connections from the universe and crystals. 

Both Women Are Connected By The Men In Their Lives

It’s the death of Jen’s husband that brought her and Judy together initially, and the death of Judy’s ex-fiancé that ultimately bonded them for life. Grace and Frankie, similarly, were unlikely friends who were brought together by their former husbands’ marriage. 

Judy and Frankie’s Infertility

In its first season, Dead To Me follows Judy’s struggles to conceive. In Grace and Frankie, Frankie has two adopted sons and her own struggles with infertility feature heavily, specifically her inability to conceive with ex-husband Sol (Sam Waterston). 

The Husband’s Affair

Following the death of Jen’s husband, she discovered that he was having an affair for over a year, as did Grace’s ex-husband. The two characters were never truly happy with their respective partners, as they both say in the series, and both admit they wished they’d left earlier. 

The theory doesn’t feel like a stretch, and who knows maybe Jen and Judy leave the shores of Laguna Beach for San Diego. Consider our minds officially blown. 

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