Hulu: “The Dropout” starring Amanda Seyfried

The thirst for power is nothing new. We see it in literature (“Macbeth”), in politics (Juan and Eva Peron), and far too often in the corporate offices where we work.

Perhaps one of the most recent and heinous instances of this was the Elizabeth Holmes affair of the 2010s. A young attractive woman with the power to persuade, she enlisted the support of such notables as Henry Kissinger and George Schultz in the creation of Theranos, a Silicon Valley company that claimed its product could perform multiple diagnostic tests using a single drop of a patient’s blood.

Holmes’ mission of “helping people” was a lofty one. She in fact dropped out of Stanford to pursue her dream. But once Theranos was organized, her mission took a sharp detour. To continue attracting capital and avoid failure, Holmes, together with her work- and life-partner Sunny Balwani, conned investors by claiming her machines worked when they didn’t; banned customers like Walgreens from visiting her laboratories; and routinely cut corners when performing patient tests. As a result of her negligence, false diagnoses were given, and patients suffered.

In “The Dropout,” (Hulu), Amanda Seyfried crafts an amazing impersonation of the young bloodless CEO who is clearly in over her head. Looking good is half the battle, however. So with Sunny’s assistance, she strives for and achieves a CEO “look:” her long blond hair tightly pulled back into a bun; a collection of black turtlenecks (her signature wardrobe piece, emulating Steve Jobs), and eye makeup that makes her look like a raccoon—but only succeeds in emphasizing her deer-in-the-headlights persona all the more. Naveen Andres as Sunny is perfect as the evil Svengali figure who helps pave her way to the top but who is really using Holmes to achieve absolute power within the company.

Like “Macbeth,” “The Dropout”’ not only demonstrates how a good person can easily be lured by the promise of power. It also shows how any threats to this power once achieved—e. g., employees who smell a rat, or the Wall Street Journal reporter (Ebon Moss-Bacharach) who broke the story on Theranos—can be met with Mafioso-like vengeance.

The cast of “The Dropout” is first rate. Stephen Frye is wonderful as Theranos’ founding chemist. So are Laurie Metcalf (as a Stanford professor) and William H. Macy (as a cantankerous friend of the family) who both recognized Holmes as a fraud early on.

Handsome young Dylan Minetta shines as Tyler Schultz, the grandson of George Schultz (a weirdly cast Sam Waterston). Tyler leans on his grandfather, a Theranos board member, to get him a job in this “dream company.” He soon however, sees through Holmes and Sunny’s Machiavellian tactics, and threatens to expose them. His grandfather, the former U.S. Secretary of State, is enraged, continuing to believe Holmes can do no wrong.

In June 2018, a federal grand jury indicted Holmes and Sunny on nine counts of wire fraud and two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.  Sunny’s trial just started; Holmes’ trial ended this past January when she was convicted of defrauding investors. She faces up to 20 years in federal prison, plus potentially millions in restitution and fines; sentencing is scheduled for this September.

So justice was served. But will Holmes ultimately serve time? Your guess is as good as mine. But in the meantime, enjoy the show. Spoiler alert: in the end, she gets rid of the black turtlenecks.