Dietland

Network: AMC.
Episodes: 10 (hour).
Seasons: One.

TV show dates: June 4, 2018 — July 30, 2018.
Series status: Cancelled.

Performers include: Joy Nash, Julianna Margulies, Robin Weigert, Adam Rothenberg, Tamara Tunie, Erin Darke, Rowena King, Will Seefried, Ricardo Davila, Tramel Tillman, Campbell Scott, Alanna Ubach, Kelly Hu, Marc Blucas, Ami Sheth, and Jen Ponton.

TV show description:
A dark dramedy from creator Marti Noxon, the Dietland TV show centers on Plum Kettle (Nash), a ghostwriter at a top New York fashion magazine. The satirical series follows Plum on her twisted road to self-discovery. While she is on this journey, men who have been accused of sexual abuse and assault have been disappearing, only to turn up dead — by means of violent foul play.

Plum’s lonely, little life in Brooklyn and job at Daisy Chain seem to have been fairly unremarkable — at least until now. After a lifelong battle with her weight, Plum has been saving the money she earns ghost writing the “Dear Kitty” advice column, for weight loss surgery. Once her existence is turned on its head, she finds herself torn between two worlds.

Glamorous Kitty Montgomery (Margulies) is a senior executive at Daisy Chain‘s publisher, Austen Media. As shallow as she is ambitious, Kitty believes she has a special connection with her “girls,” ie. her readers, and is certain she’s helping them improve their lives. When an unidentified group starts targeting people in her circle, Kitty has to find a new way to play the game, rules be damned.

Kitty hires Dominic (Rothenberg), an NYPD detective, to investigate a hack at Daisy Chain. He seems to take an interest in Plum, but she is not sure of his motives.

On the other hand, there’s Brooklyn bakery owner Steven (Tillman), who is Plum’s best friend. When things spiral out of control, he’s the one person from the “other side” she still keeps in touch with. Sweet, slightly servile Ben (Seefried) works at the bakery, and he has never met anyone like Plum, before.

Author of the anti-dieting book, Dietland, body-positive therapist Verena Baptist (Weigert) outed her own family for running a weight-loss program pyramid scheme. A feminist activist, Verena is on a mission: “to be assertive and bold in fighting all forms of misogyny and gender inequality.”

Calliope House is the collective Verena runs for marginalized women. She spots something in Plum and reaches out to her, in order to help her expand her worldview. Verena has always been a principled advocate of peaceful protest, but that history is called into question, when covert vigilantes start a campaign against the patriarchy.

Then there’s fast-talking Julia (Tunie), who manages an underground beauty product warehouse called, “the closet.” Although at first season seems warm and welcoming, she has controlling tendencies. She keenly wants to change women’s understanding of beauty. She tries to recruit Plum to her cause, in order to get contact information on “Kitty’s Girls.”

A Julia-loyalist, Leeta (Darke) marches to the beat of her own drummer. She quickly grows to like Plum and wants to help her learn to be more positive about herself.

TV news journalist Cheryl Crane-Murphy (King) is covering the string of murders. As someone who delves deep into her work, Cheryl has a hard time dealing with these strange events.

Finally there’s Eladio (Dávila), Kitty’s close confidant and personal assistant. While he is rather over the top, he has a good sense of humor. It’s just not clear whose side he is on — other than his own, that is.

Amidst all these people, Plum is soon torn between two sides. One side could be responsible for the attacks, while the other is fighting to empower women. Meanwhile, Plum is just trying to make sense in this world and figure out where she belongs.

Series Finale:
Episode #10 — Bedwomb
Plum delves deeper into the fractured, perilous world of Jennifer; her new mission is threatened by a sudden change of circumstance.
First aired: July 30, 2018.

What do you think? Do you like the Dietland TV series? Should this AMC TV show have been cancelled or renewed for a second season?