#scam spring

[safflowerseason]

This is me.

[safflowerseason]

the dropout episode six

*The Dropout spoilers and also actual real-life spoilers about Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos*

I thought this episode of The Dropout was one of the best so far, and interestingly enough maybe the funniest, even as the storyline got more dramatic with Erika and Tyler’s discoveries at Theranos. I think it was a smart move on the part of the show to move away from centralizing Elizabeth’s interiority as Theranos has grown and the fraud had gotten bigger and bigger, focusing less on her decision-making and more on the actions of other characters within her orbit. At some point, Elizabeth bought into her own lies and the show can no longer be solely about what drove her to keep lying (as it was primarily in the first three episodes). It’s a subtle acknowledgment of the fact that at some point, Elizabeth’s personal insecurities and the pressures around her are longer so compelling to the audience, when the scale of her con has grown so much. Sure, she is still the central character, but now that she’s made her deal with the devil, the show smartly pays more attention to the perspectives of the Walgreens execs, Tyler and Erika, and other employees/regulators. The writers have chosen other ways to highlight what’s going on with Elizabeth internally, like the filming bit where she can’t get through the words or share something personal about herself. And just in general the show’s portrayal of the mid-2010′s obsession with girlbosses and the gross aggro culture of Silicon Valley, and how it contributed to Elizabeth’s rise, remains so specific and on-point. (Also, Sunny and Elizabeth’s relationship remains so fascinating in this psychologically twisted way...I sincerely hope they  show Elizabeth dumping him later on when things start blowing up.) 

I’m not sure how purposeful it was on the part of the show, but I thought the difference between Elizabeth and Erika felt especially...emphasized. Two women who sacrificed a lot and took risks, were sexually assaulted, striving to succeed as professional women in science. But Erika, who unlike Elizabeth doesn’t have the privilege of being white and wealthy, risks and ultimately loses her dream opportunity in the way Elizabeth refused to. And I liked how explicit the show was (compared to Bad Blood and some of the other original reporting about the downfall of the Theranos) about the difference in Tyler and Erika’s positions, as a young white man whose very famous grandfather is on the company’s board versus a young woman of color without any sort of financial or professional safety net, and how it shaped their choices in standing up to Theranos. 

Nitpicky note: having read Bad Blood by John Carreyrou, the writers have fudged slightly how the story came to his attention - it wasn’t due to some all-consuming crusade by Fuisz, Rochelle Gibbons, and that lady professor who Laurie Metcalf plays, which the show has made a bit unrealistic in my opinion (the actual story is more confusing and random and involves characters the show did not have time to introduce.) He also did many interviews with physicians and patients who had received incorrect test results. However, since this isn’t a television show about his reporting, it makes sense to me they decided to more creatively adapt this part of the story. Plus, when you have actors like William H. Macy, Laurie Metcalf, and Kate Burton, why not make up an excuse to put them in the same scene 😎 The way Metcalf’s character dresses down Fuisz was exquisitely hilarious. (Also, Anne Archer as George’s Schulz’s second wife is a fun little bit of casting...I can’t help but still see her Dennis and Dee’s mom in It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, but her familiar attitude of cultivated disdain works so well in this small role.) 

[safflowerseason]

The Best & Worst of the Scammer Series: 'The Dropout,' 'WeCrashed,' and 'Super Pumped'

If you're into scammers, the prestige networks and streamers have been keeping you busy. Netflix has Inventing Anna, Showtime has Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber, Hulu has Elizabeth Holmes' The Dropout, and Apple TV+ premieres the first three episodes...

The Dropout is, indeed, quite good. Amanda Seyfried is great and I appreciate the show highlighting how these characters are all functioning within broader oppressive cultural and social systems (like white supremacy and patriarchy) that impact their pressure responses, but also doesn’t let them off the hook for lying and scamming everyone around them (in the way that Inventing Anna tried to justify Delvey’s behavior). 

I watched the first episode of WeCrashed and the main characters were so instantly hateable--but not in a fun, watchable way--that I honestly don’t think I’m going to be able to keep watching, even for Anne Hathaway. (Related note: I’ve long felt that Anne Hathaway’s “project picker” is a bit off...what’s the last thing she did that was actually unequivocally good? Don’t say Ocean’s 8, although she was one of the better things about it.)