Diksha Sundriyal
Netflix’s ‘Dead to Me’ follows the complicated lives of Jen and Judy, who have to navigate a web of secrets, one they spun for themselves. It started with one lie, but over the course of three seasons, one thing led to another, and as more people started to get involved in it, the more complicated things got. For Jen, things are tough because she falls in love with Ben, the brother of the man she killed. Judy, however, catches a break when she meets Michelle, who has nothing to do with anything that Jen and Judy are caught up in. This makes Michelle the perfect respite for her. Considering that the truth is sure to catch up with them, what does it mean for Judy’s future with Michelle? Do they end up together? Here’s what you should know about them. SPOILERS AHEAD
Judy Embraces Life, Michelle Pursues Dreams
Judy first meets Michelle in the second season of ‘Dead to Me.’ Judy works at the care home where Michelle’s mother lives. They meet each other in the hallway and then share a smoke together in the parking lot. They talk about their lives and how things have been for them and strike a chord. It becomes pretty clear that there is something between them, and just to clear things up, Michelle confirms that nothing of a romantic nature is going on between Judy and Jen. In reply, Judy says no, not with her.
Judy’s answer affirms that while she might not be romantically entangled with Jen, it doesn’t mean that she is not interested in women. Soon enough, it becomes clear that Judy is interested in Michelle, and they both end up sleeping together. For Judy, who’s going through a particularly difficult time in her life, Michelle is a breath of fresh air. Despite her love for Jen, Judy can’t ignore the fact that most of the problems in her life at that point are because of her connection with Jen. With Michelle, nothing of that kind exists, and Judy can enjoy this relationship in peace. Though, not for long.
Much like everything in her life, Judy’s relationship with Michelle meets an untimely and complicated end when she finds out that Michelle is living with her ex, Detective Perez, who hates Judy. Perez tells Michelle that Judy is being investigated for murder, and that’s enough to drive Michelle away. However, that’s not the last they see of each other. They reunite in the third season, and for just a while, they get to revisit the good times they had together.
Before Judy can think about getting things back on track with Michelle, she discovers that Michelle is going to Sonoma to start her own restaurant. This had been her dream, and now, it is finally coming true. She expresses concern about leaving her mother behind to follow her passion, but Judy convinces her otherwise. Michelle also finds out about Judy’s cancer, but there is nothing that any of them can do about it.
The fact that Judy is going to die soon already puts a stop to their relationship. Had she been fine, she would have probably followed Michelle to Sonoma. She uses this as an excuse to hide her chemo sessions from Jen. While she does it to keep Jen from the pain of going through the same thing that she experienced with her mother, it also shows that somewhere in her mind, Judy entertained the thought of going with Michelle. But her cancer changes the course of her life and she ends up living her last days in Mexico. As for Michelle, she leaves for Sonoma to run her new restaurant and live her dream. She gets a happy ending, but not with Judy.
