Not Dead Yet (Season 1) Episode 8: Recap & Ending, Explained

Not Dead Yet (Season 1) Episode 8: After a hiatus of a few weeks, Nell is back with the beloved job of writing obituaries, and we are thrilled to have the show back with its honest and heartwarming storytelling. As the series progresses, the characters become more relatable and authentic, as we find ourselves invested in their personal growth.

In the latest episode, we learn about the importance of staying true to oneself, no matter how quirky or peculiar one may be. The message is clear: if someone truly loves you, they will accept you for who you are, with quirks and all. Hiding one’s true identity only leads to self-sabotage and misery.

And it is so heartwarming to see that Episode 8 of Not Dead Yet is a celebration of embracing one’s uniqueness and being proud of it.

Not Dead Yet (Season 1) Episode 8 Recap:

At the beginning of episode 8 of Season 1 of Not Dead Yet, Nell is watching an episode of The Tides of Our Days alongside the deceased lead actress whom she has to write an obituary for. Meanwhile, Edward interrupts her and asks for a favor: he needs to store a pile of boxes in her room because his girlfriend is coming to visit for the first time, and if all goes well, she might even move in with him. Nell is taken aback by this sudden news, but before she can even process it, Edward has already ended the conversation by closing the door.

The following scene shows Nell confiding in Sam about Edward’s request. Sam immediately starts envisioning what Edward’s girlfriend would be like. However, Nell expresses her concerns about the possibility of his girlfriend having the same personality as Edward. She cannot fathom the idea of living with two identical personalities under the same roof.

Nell takes out a trivia night flyer that Cricket is having at her bar and posts it on the refrigerator in the office’s dining room. Sam requests that she take it down, fearing that Lexi will become competitive upon seeing it. While Sam is recounting her past experiences of teaming up for trivia games with Lexi, Nell points out that Lexi is standing behind Sam, overhearing the conversation. Unfortunately, Lexi has already spotted the flyer and dibbed on Sam, requesting to be her teammate for the trivia night.

Despite Lexi’s insistence, Sam is hesitant to attend the game night with her as she knows how competitive Lexi can be, causing tension for everyone involved. However, when Dennis learns about the event, he expresses interest in joining. Sam cites the advice of her therapist to set healthy boundaries, causing her to decline Lexi’s invitation. However, Lexi interprets Sam’s response as a “maybe” and leaves.

In the next scene, Nell is seen conversing with the deceased subject she is writing an obituary. As it turns out, the person had been married three times to men and once to a woman and even found time to tour with the Osmonds. Both Nell and the deceased actress express excitement over the upcoming obituary, but their conversation is interrupted by the sight of a suitcase in the living room, leading them to assume that Edward’s girlfriend has arrived.

Charlotte enters the room and greets Nell, who wastes no time in asking about any rules or instructions that she needs to follow, assuming that Charlotte is Edward’s girlfriend. However, Charlotte appears to be an average person who enjoys outdoor activities like hiking and going to the beach with Edward. She also shares her love for baking and presents Nell with a batch of chocolate chip cookies (with some doobies in it) as a welcoming gesture. Nell is pleasantly surprised by the arrival of the new guest and her warm welcome.

While Nell admires the batch of chocolate chip cookies that Charlotte has baked, she also notices the mess that was created in the kitchen. However, before Nell can warn Charlotte, Edward enters the room and is delighted to see the cookies. As he savors the cookies, he seems to relax and talks in a different manner, which surprises Nell as she has always found him to be uptight and particular about things.

As the night wears on, Nell, Edward, and Charlotte are watching a TV show together amidst the mess in the house. Charlotte excuses herself to go to the restroom, and Edward takes the opportunity to quickly tidy up, letting out a big sigh of relief. Nell catches him in the act and asks why he doesn’t just tell Charlotte that the mess is bothering him. However, instead of taking charge of the conversation, which he clearly dreads, Edward asks Nell to pretend that she has OCD and tells Charlotte to follow the same rules that he follows himself so that he doesn’t hurt her.

Noticing the opportunity, Nell strikes a deal with Edward. She agrees to police Charlotte about keeping the house clean, but in return, Edward has to let Nell have the freedom to do things in the house the way she wants. Furthermore, if Charlotte moves in with them, the rent would have to be split three ways. After some negotiation, Edward and Nell eventually agree to the deal.

The following day, Lexi visits Sam in her room to discuss her decision to attend the trivia night. Lexi is wearing a t-shirt with her, Sam, and Dennis’s faces on it and even tosses a spare shirt to Sam to wear later at the event. Despite Lexi’s persistent efforts, Sam still declines the offer to go with her. However, before Sam could say anything, Lexi revealed that she understands Sam’s competitiveness and shared how her parents used games to determine their children’s milestones, which made her naturally competitive. Eventually, Lexi manages to convince Sam to go with her to the trivia night.

Later that day, upon returning home from work, Nell notices that Edward is extremely uncomfortable in a prickly fabric poncho. He keeps scratching himself and seems off from his usual demeanor. When Nell inquires about his well-being, he shares that Charlotte made him wear the poncho because she thinks he looks like Keanu Reeves from the movie “Point Break.” Edward tells Nell that he is taking Charlotte on a picnic and bids her farewell before leaving. Nell finds Edward’s behavior odd and asks the deceased actress, Marlena if she has also noticed anything unusual.

Marlena is dissatisfied with the opening paragraph of her obituary and asks Nell to revise it. As the two women talk, they are interrupted by the buzzing sound from one of Edward’s Star Wars figurines, which he had hidden in her room. Upon opening the box, Nell discovers that Edward has stashed away his true passions and interests as if hiding them from his girlfriend. Later, Edward returns to the apartment to retrieve a water bottle for Charlotte, and Nell confronts him about why he feels the need to hide his true self from her. Edward dismisses her concerns, reminding her that she is just his roommate and should mind her own business before storming off.

Later on, during game night, Nell confides in Sam about the incident with Edward. Sam advises Nell to be cautious about criticizing other people’s relationships and reminds her of her own situation with Philip. However, Nell argues that her situation is different, but Sam tells Nell to let Edward handle his relationship in his own way. Meanwhile, Charlotte calls Nell over to her table to join the game. On the other side, Lexi struggles to contain her competitive spirit as she is being teased by the other players. Sam acknowledges Lexi’s efforts to keep her cool.

Not Dead Yet (Season 1) Episode 8 Ending, Explained:

Does Nell help Edward embrace his true self in front of Charlotte?

The game night starts, and Crickets poses her first question to the players. Nell answers confidently, but Edward interjects with his own answer and a logical explanation. Charlotte is impressed and asks how he knows so much about magic, but he brushes it off by saying he picked it up from his nephew. Nell notices Edward’s behavior and subtly calls him out before taking a break from the game. In the bathroom, Marlena urges Nell to be direct with Edward about her concerns.

Nell doesn’t appreciate Marlena’s attempt to pressure her into doing something she’s uncomfortable with, and she tells her that real life is not a soap opera. This upsets Marlena, who reminds Nell that her own life was not a soap opera either. She explains that Nell’s obituary made it sound like her coming out as gay was some kind of juicy gossip when in reality, it was one of the most difficult moments of her life. Marlena is hurt by the way Nell wrote about it and wants her to understand the impact of her words.

Marlena urges Nell to talk to Edward about being honest with his girlfriend because she herself had struggled to accept her true self as a gay person for a long time. Marlena regrets not coming out earlier, as it would have allowed her to spend more time with her wife. She wishes that someone had encouraged her to embrace her authentic self earlier in life so that she wouldn’t have faced so many challenges before her death.

Marlena emphasizes that pretending to be someone you’re not in your personal life is much more damaging than doing so on screen. She urges Nell to help Edward by encouraging him to be honest with his girlfriend and not hide his true self. Marlena believes that if Edward continues to hide his true self, he will eventually regret his decision and miss out on the opportunity to be with someone he truly loves.

Nell hears Marlena’s advice and approaches Edward, requesting a private conversation with him. She expresses her concern as a friend and tells him that hiding his true self is not healthy. Nell acknowledges Edward’s intelligence, humor, and honesty and tells him that he shouldn’t conceal his true self from his girlfriend. Edward shares his fear of losing Charlotte if he reveals his true self. However, Nell reassures him that being with someone who is genuinely honest and refreshing is worth taking a chance. She advises Edward that if he wants to give their relationship a chance, he needs to show Charlotte his authentic self. Nell reminds him that they both deserve it. Eventually, Edward agrees to take Nell’s advice.

In the next scene, we see Lexi struggling to maintain her composure while playing the game. She is being bullied by the other players and is on the verge of losing her patience. She contemplates leaving before she reveals her true competitive self and scares everyone away. However, Sam steps in and advises Lexi to remain calm and appreciates all the effort she has put in. Sam tells Lexi that she is proud of her friend and doesn’t want her to completely change her true self because they could use her cutthroat attitude to win the game.

Later, both Lexi and Edward, who were initially hesitant to reveal their true nerdy selves, bring their A-game to the table and start beating everyone with their answers. As the game concludes and the final scores are announced, it is revealed that the Roomies (Edward, Nell, and Charlotte) have won the game night with the highest score, while the Fun Bunch (Lexi, Sam, and Denis) come in second place.

Charlotte is completely taken aback by her boyfriend’s performance during the game night. Edward comes clean and tells her that if they want their relationship to work, she must know that he is a video game-playing, Rubik’s cube-solving, action figure-collecting nerd who also has OCD. And then he takes off the poncho he had been wearing all night. After learning Edward’s true identity, Charlotte also shares her true self and reveals things about herself that make Edward rethink his decision to be with her. Later, after dropping off Charlotte, Edward returns to Nell and tells her that they both decided to take a break. He thanks Nell for being the friend who helped him understand what he truly wants. The episode ends on that note.