The Netflix series Santa Clarita Diet revolves around the suburban lives of Joel and Sheila Hammond, a real estate agent couple whose world turns upside down when Sheila becomes a zombie. While the show hilariously portrays Sheila's zombie life-her increased sex drive and newfound craving for human flesh-the mystery of how she became undead remained unsolved for a long time. However, the second season finally reveals that Sheila's transformation, and the ensuing zombie outbreak, can be traced back to some bad clams.
The Initial Clue: "Stay Away From The Clams"
In the season 1 finale, Joel is in a psychiatric hospital after being apprehended for accosting an old Serbian woman. While in the mental health facility, Joel talks about his marriage woes, stating that although his life is now chaotic, it's better than the routine they had settled into. Here, Joel drops a crucial piece of information: "Saturday night date night at Japopo’s. The food wasn’t great. Stay away from the clams." He even spells out "Japopo's," emphasizing the importance of this seemingly throwaway comment. This foreshadowing reveals that the clams at Japopo’s are responsible for Sheila's transformation and the subsequent zombie problem in Santa Clarita.
The Japopo's Connection
In "Queen Of England," Sheila and Joel investigate Ramona's abandoned apartment. Joel finds a receipt indicating that Ramona ordered the clams special at Japopo’s on the same night as Sheila. Both women experienced excessive vomiting, expelled a bizarre red ball, died, and were reborn as zombies the day after eating the dish. This discovery leads the Hammonds to investigate others who ate the same meal.
Ed Thune: Another Victim
The Hammonds discover that Colonel Ed Thune also ordered the clams at Japopo's. Initially, Ed almost convinces Joel that he isn't undead, until his skin slides off during a handshake. Ed turns hostile, forcing Joel to kill him and his "Mr. Ball Legs"-the creature that the red ball transforms into if not frozen. With Ed's confirmed zombification, it becomes clear that the Japopo’s clams are the source of the zombie outbreak.
Ruby's Clams: The Source of the Infection
Joel and Eric discover that an amateur seafood distributor named Ruby is responsible for the tainted clams. Ruby's brother provided her with blood-red clams found deep in a cave in Serbia, the same location as the original Santa Clarita zombie outbreak centuries ago.
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The Deadly Clam's Characteristics
These clams kill those who ingest them and likely turn into "Mr. Ball-Legs" after being eaten. This explains how the creature survives stomach bile, as even antifreeze and bleach cannot kill Ruby’s Serbian clams.
The Nutritional Value of Clams
Clams have a Nutrivore Score of 1046, making them a super nutrient-dense food. A serving of clams, roughly equivalent to 8 medium-sized clams, is standardized to 115 grams (4 ounces).
Clams are an excellent source of:
- Vitamin B12 (cobalamin): Essential for energy metabolism, red blood cell production, DNA synthesis, neurotransmitter production, nervous system health, and folate metabolism. It helps maintain brain and nervous system health and may protect against dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and depression.
- Taurine: A non-proteinogenic amino sulfonic acid that supports neurological development, aids in fat digestion, regulates water and mineral balance in the blood, regulates the immune system, acts as an antioxidant, and supports cardiovascular function and skeletal muscle development.
- Iodine: A trace mineral that is a structural component of thyroid hormones, regulating metabolism, reproductive function, fatty acid release, carbohydrate absorption, growth, and development. Adequate iodine intake is crucial during pregnancy and childhood for preventing complications and supporting central nervous system development.
- Biotin: A water-soluble B vitamin (B7) that plays a key role in energy metabolism, neurotransmitter production, cellular function, and organ function. It supports healthy nail and hair growth and is important during pregnancy.
- Selenium: A trace mineral essential for reproduction, thyroid hormone metabolism, antioxidant defense, DNA synthesis, and immunity. It may protect against cancer, heart disease, asthma, and inflammatory bowel disease.
- Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA): Long-chain omega-3 fats essential for neurological health, immune function, eye health, inflammation, pain signaling, gut health, fetal development, and cardiovascular health.
- Proteins: Proteins are major structural components of cells and tissues, they have incredibly diverse roles from driving chemical reactions (e.g., enzymes) to signaling (e.g., some types of hormones) to transporting and storing nutrients.
Clams are excellent for nerve and blood cell health, treating or preventing iron-deficiency anemia, protecting against cellular damage, forming connective tissue and sex hormones, and supporting carbohydrate and fat metabolism.
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