Ep 1. So Then a Bat or a Monkey

In the first episode of Santa Clarita Diet, titled "So Then a Bat or a Monkey," viewers are introduced to the Hammonds, a seemingly normal suburban couple living in Santa Clarita, California. Sheila and Joel Hammond are both real estate agents hoping to sell a house to a potential client, Gary, played by Nathan Fillion.

The episode begins with a voiceover from Sheila, expressing her dissatisfaction with her life and her frustrations with her husband. Joel is struggling with the fact that his daughter Abby is growing up and becoming more independent while Sheila is bored with her job and feels trapped in her position as a housewife.

However, their lives take an unexpected turn when Sheila suddenly becomes ill and throws up an excessive amount of what looks to be bile after a dinner party with friends. The next day she wakes up feeling more energetic than ever before, and even begins to crave raw meat. Her newfound energy and hunger for meat seem to be a welcomed change for the Hammonds, but things soon take a sinister turn when Sheila realizes that she has developed an insatiable appetite for human flesh.

Joel and Sheila are horrified, initially believing that Sheila has contracted a virus or some sort of food poisoning. However, as Sheila's condition seems to worsen, they realize that something much more sinister is happening to her. Together with their teenage daughter Abby and their neighbor Eric, the Hammonds embark on a mission to try and find out what is happening to Sheila and how they can possibly fix it.

As the episode progresses, viewers are given glimpses of the darker, more violent side of Sheila's newfound hunger. She begins to act in ways that are completely out of character for her, and it becomes clear that her condition is not something that can be solved with just a simple visit to the doctor.

As Joel becomes more and more desperate to find a cure for his wife, he reaches out to the only person he can think of who may know what is going on - Gary, the client he hoped to sell a house to earlier in the episode. Gary reveals that he has a theory about Sheila's condition, and that they may be dealing with a supernatural entity.

The episode ends with Joel and Sheila coming to terms with the fact that she is no longer human. They both decide to embrace her condition and use it to their advantage, setting out to find a new source of food and hopefully find a way to control her hunger.

Overall, "So Then a Bat or a Monkey" sets the stage for a darkly comedic and often disturbing series. Drew Barrymore's performance as Sheila is equal parts hilarious and terrifying, and Timothy Olyphant's portrayal of Joel provides the perfect counterbalance to her wild antics. The episode leaves viewers with plenty of questions about what is happening to Sheila and how the Hammonds will cope with their newfound reality.