Hulu's Dopesick airs its 8th and final episode on November 17th. That means that there's no better time than now to look on Reddit and see what viewers have to say both about the episodes that have aired so far as well as anticipation for the finale.
The vast majority of the opinions on this opioid addiction drama are sterling. Particular praise tends to be given to both the performances by the cast as well as the realism within the scripts. However, some Redditors still find a way to complain about the Michael Keaton-led series.
The Wigs Are Shockingly Bad
One Redditor, da_real_targaryen, gave the show praise but pointed out something specific. As they said, "Really gripping show, only thing I found distracting was the shockingly bad wigs."
It's hard to know which character or characters the Redditor is referring to, but for the most part, the costume design, makeup, and hairstyling read as fairly organic. Thusly, overall, citing the wigs as an issue could be seen as unpopular. Thankfully, supposedly poor wigs are not enough to keep Dopesick from being one of Hulu's must-watch shows in November.
It Shouldn't Be A Hulu Exclusive
One Reddit wishes that the show was available on more streamers. As 1live4downvotes said, "My only complaint about the show is that it's a Hulu exclusive." The Redditor then elaborates that they think it should be more widely available because it's an important story.
Few would disagree with their explanation, but wishing for wider availability won't make it so. Like the streamer's stacked-cast Nine Perfect Strangers, it's going to remain exclusively on Hulu; This is the nature of the business.
The Sacklers Are Like Batman Villains
One Redditor had several things to say about Dopesick, while also acknowledging that it's a good show. In geometricshapes' words, "It's a bit lazy that they portray the Sacklers to be basically Bat Man villains in their personal lives."
The issue is that actors like Michael Stuhlbarg put a great deal of time into researching their roles in order to convey true-to-life individuals. Calling the Sacklers "Batman villains" is very reductionist and isn't an accurate representation of the portrayals.
There Should Have Been Fewer Storylines
Dopesick follows several drug-themed plot threads throughout the length of its run. At first overwhelming, the threads quickly become far more manageable by episode 2 or 3. Primarily, there's Will Poulter's pharma rep, Michael Keaton's doctor, Kaitlyn Dever's addict, Peter Sarsgaard's investigator, Michael Stuhlbarg's Purdue chairman Richard Sackler, and Rosario Dawson's police officer.
Geometricshapes disagrees, saying, "I also wish they had focused on just 3 or 4 storylines instead of 7. And when you combine the 7 storylines with the constantly shifting timeline, it is difficult to follow unless you are giving the show undivided attention."
It Was Preachy
Most call Dopesick a startlingly accurate portrayal of the United States Opioid Overdose Crisis. Threecatsdancing doesn't seem to quite agree, saying "I like it but it felt very preachy, and like I was reading a recap of the opioid crisis. So a little too procedural. And then the storyline seemed telegraphed from the first 15 minutes."
First off, Dopesick may follow some similar plot beats of classic movies about drug use but "telegraphed" is a stretch. Secondly, "preachy" is not an adjective that ever really enters into Dopesick's message. It's a realistic look, not a sermon.
Keaton Phones It In
FattDeez7126 makes several not-so-great comments about the show, but offered only one specific criticism. As they said, "I love this show Rosario Dawson needs an Emmy and (Kaitlyn Dever)."
Few would argue with this assessment of Dawson and Dever's performances. However, the Redditor then says "Keaton kind of phones this one in." In no way does Keaton phone in his performance in Dopesick, as many critics have stated that it's some of his best work of the past decade or longer.
Why Do People Assume It's The Truth?
namedunbeentaken hasn't been paying attention because they asked "Why does everyone who watches something like this automatically assume it's the truth? I mean, the producers and writers have a vested interest in making it more dramatic and sensational."
Humorously enough, the Redditor then goes on to say they haven't even watched it. The reply from ClaireHux is icing, as they go into the show's accuracy. "The show is based off the researched book, Dopesick, by Beth Macy...The show doesn't proclaim to be a documentary." Both points are accurate, as Dopesick never claims to be anything but based on the book.
I'm Tired Of Seeing The Same Actors
Sweet-baby-jay32 had a somewhat bizarre complaint with the show. As they said, "I'm tired of seeing the same actors. We need a new face."
Dopesick is an eight-episode series with at least six main characters. Even beyond those six, there is a slew of other interesting, diverse characters. It's compelling getting to know them in their various struggles. Swapping out established protagonists (and antagonists) for new characters wouldn't exactly make sense in a miniseries. Perhaps just put on a different film or show.