Villainess Review: Jodi Byron (Dating Hell)

Fans of Lifetime films, such as myself, received a Thursday treat with this movie, Dating Hell, which centered on divorced mother Hannah and her attempts to get back in the dating scene. With the help of her good friend, Charlotte, Hannah's dating app profile has many hits, but her best match is Daniel, who runs a security business. They hit it off instantly, but as their relationship starts to develop, a masked intruder makes their way into the home of Hannah's neighbor, Kara, and murders her in her bedroom.

The neighborhood is rocked by Kara's murder, and the following day sees Hannah and her ex-husband, Josh, interviewed by detective Jodi Byron about Kara, who babysat Hannah and Josh's daughter, Madison. Hannah mentions her new relationship with Daniel, and we later see Hannah working as a swimming instructor at a gym, which serves as a place of danger for Hannah later in the evening. The masked attacker appears and goes after Hannah; attempting to kill her before locking her in the steam room.

Hannah survives and is rescued, and she later vents about her situation to Daniel, as she is left wondering who was after her. The conversation turned to Daniel mentioning a past relationship of his, describing his former girlfriend as being domineering and argumentative, with the last straw being--get this--an argument over the woman planning Halloween costumes for them...in March. This was a month before Daniel and Hannah got together, which worries the latter; meanwhile, Jodi continues to be on the case, and suggests to Hannah that Daniel may not be what she seems. Charlotte voiced her disagreement with Jodi's claim, but later on, she is murdered inside her home by the same assailant.

It takes Charlotte's death for Hannah to realize that Daniel may be behind it all, and she distances herself from Daniel in the process. Later on, however, Hannah is contacted by Jodi, who informed Hannah that she had important video material for Hannah to look at. A meeting was arranged, though Hannah drove with Madison, as she couldn't leave her daughter. Meanwhile, Daniel was at the police station, and when he was told that Jodi would on the case, Daniel recognized that name: Jodi Byron was Daniel's psychotic ex. His attempts to call Hannah and warn her weren't answered, and as Hannah arrived, she ended up face-to-face with Jodi, who showed Hannah a photo of herself and Daniel.

So Jodi was not only Daniel's ex, she was also the villainess behind everything. She had stalked Daniel and murdered Kara believing that she was Daniel's new girlfriend, and later attacked Hannah and killed Charlotte. Jodi lashed out at Hannah for "stealing" Daniel from her, and later attacked Hannah and attempted to kill her. Hannah ended up taking Jodi's gun and pointing it at her, with a gunshot heard from outside. Jodi was shot in her leg by Hannah, and as the villainess was arrested and taken into custody, she faced Daniel and said that "it should have been us," while also saying Hannah wasn't what she seemed.

Dating Hell was filmed in 2021 and aired on Lifetime Movie Network on September 15, 2022. The film featured Diana Lovell as hidden main villainess Jodi Byron, and she was one of my favorite types: a detective turned maniacal villainess. Jodi was a deranged and psychotic madwoman; a persona that she masked quite well until the last moments leading to her ultimate reveal. Other than being evil, Jodi was a bad-ass; donning a full bodysuit and mask as she made her vicious and murderous attacks. The face-to-face with Hannah was spectacular, kicking off with Jodi revealing her true heel persona with an arrogant and sinister smirk before going on the attack. Lovell's performance was stellar; she played the stern detective to perfection, but she shined when her villainous demeanor came to light in her confrontation with Hannah. Overall, Jodi Byron was an absolutely epic Lifetime villainess, and we have Diana Lovell to thank for this.

Diana Lovell's filmography includes appearances in films such as Tooth Fairy 2 and Let's Be Cops, but regarding Lifetime films, this was her debut in the forum. I would love to see Lovell in more Lifetime films, especially as a villainess; this film definitely proves that she can shine in such a forum.

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Check out Jodi Byron's profile on Villainous Beauties Wiki!