The Dropout Review: Old White Men (Season 1 Episode 4)
On The Dropout Season 1 Episode 4, “Old White Men,” the plot doesn’t move very much, but that doesn’t make the episode any less entertaining.
Elizabeth continues her game of grifting and conning her way through investors, and even though Theranos is bleeding money and has no working tech to show, people keep investing.
Now that Elizabeth has honed her lying skills and received enough money to build her confidence as a salesperson, she seems unstoppable.
I don’t think I’ll ever get over how good Amanda Seyfried is in this role. Though she appears less in this episode than in any of the three previous, she commands every scene in which she does appear.
Maybe this is due to the “new Elizabeth,” one who dresses in all black with bright red lipstick and dons a ridiculously low voice. But I think more than anything, this is Seyfried standing out in a role that might be her best yet.
The moment that best sets the tone for this episode is the way it opens. Dr. Jay Rosen, played by Alan Ruck, introduces us to the Walgreens storyline by blasting Katy Perry in his car and singing it on his way into work.
Alan Ruck is already one of my favorite TV faces, but this scene, though maybe not intended for comfort, nevertheless evokes a sort of calm and absurdity that would, strangely perhaps, carry throughout the rest of the episode.
Even though we see Elizabeth growing more ruthless, firing an old friend, and lying to people’s faces with no remorse, appearances by Alan Ruck and Stephen Fry throughout the episode lift the spirits.
Maybe that’s the thing this show does best. In the mundanity of corporate crimes and gaslighting girl bosses, we get glimpses of true happiness or positivity or straight-up comic relief. In a show like this, it would be easy to get bored with the core plot if it weren’t for those moments.
This is best exemplified in the scene after Walgreens’ initial pitch meeting with Elizabeth. The four men leave that meeting to talk about their respective issues with Theranos over a meal in a hotel lobby. They discuss the glaring ethical failings and the conflicts in Elizabeth’s excuses while arguing over the definition of a micro salad.
It’s the size of the leaves. Elizabeth is not to be trusted. It’s the kinds of greens they use. No one is being allowed into the Theranos lab.
Interwoven, these two separate discussions become comical the way they are performed. And for a moment, we forgets that they’re talking about actual human experiments.
The banter between side characters on this show really lifts the plot to another level. Of course, that’s credit to the writing. But even more, that’s credit to a cast of spectacular actors, even in these minor, seemingly insignificant roles.
There is one thing I worry about going forward, however. In the several episodes we have yet to see, how much further can they take the story?
Will it simply be more scenes of Elizabeth lying and Sunny controlling and her friends all getting pushed out? If so, can these side stories and characters really keep it interesting until the eventual end?
I also wonder if Elizabeth can do anything surprising at this point. Even in the most emotional scene this week, we could all see it coming. She fires Ian with what may have been tears in her eyes, though there were no other signs of emotion as she betrayed her oldest friend in the company.
And we all sort of see it coming, don’t we?
This is my favorite episode so far, and though I could praise Amanda Seyfried’s performance all day (and I will!), she isn’t the best part of this one. In fact, I think I like this episode best because of how well it is carried without her.
We’re seeing more of the other stories, the stories of the people affected by Elizabeth’s crimes. And as long as this is where the focus stays, I think this could easily be one of my favorite miniseries in a long while.
And who knew Katy Perry had such influence over corporate negotiations?
What did you think of this episode of The Dropout? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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The Dropout airs Thursdays on Hulu.
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