What critics have to say about Season 2 of ‘Dr. Death’
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The second season of hit true-crime drama series “Dr. Death” will be released this week, and critics are already applauding the show for its nuanced portrayal of disgraced surgeon Dr. Paolo Macchiarini and those affected by his crimes.
“Dr. Death,” based on the hit Wondery podcast of the same name, is a television series that dramatizes true crime, specifically in the realm of medical malpractice. Season 1 covered the case of Christopher Duntsch, a former neurosurgeon currently serving life in prison for injuring a patient in a “malicious and reckless” surgery, per CBS Texas. The series’ first season has a critics score of 93% on Rotten Tomatoes and 7.6/10 on IMDb.
Season 2 will explore the rise and fall of Macchiarini, a surgeon who claimed his artificial windpipes coated in patients’ own stem cells would revolutionize organ transplants. However, the majority of Macchiarini’s patients died, and later investigations found there was little science to back up his claims. According to the BBC, Macchiarini’s procedures were largely experimental, as he had not tested his methods with animal trials.
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Macchiarini’s case has already been the subject of several documentaries and docuseries, including Netflix’s recent “Bad Surgeon” and ID’s “He Lied About Everything,” but this is the first time the events have been dramatized.
What do reviews say about ‘Dr. Death’ Season 2?
The season has thus far received positive reviews, with critics highlighting performances by Édgar Ramírez and Mandy Moore as Macchiarini and his former partner, news producer Benita Alexander.
Variety’s Aramide Tinubu calls the season “disturbing and well-acted,” and says Moore’s portrayal of Alexander helps audiences understand how even a smart, well-respected woman could fall for the cons of a man as cunning as Macchiarini.
“A whirlwind romance contrasting against horrific malpractice, the eight-episode season is a solid and compelling tale of the lies we tell ourselves when we are desperate for hope,” the review states.
However, Variety’s review notes that the earlier episodes tend to drag a bit, a sentiment that is echoed by Saloni Gajjar of AV Club, who calls the series “disjointed” but says it is still “often genuinely creepy and just poignant enough to be a worthy true-crime binge.”
Both Gajjar and Kristen Baldwin of Entertainment Weekly express their dissatisfaction with the on-screen romance between Macchiarini and Alexander, saying they felt the duo lacked enough chemistry to justify their actions.
“‘Dr. Death’ gives us little more than this broadly sketched, flatly written foundation for Benita and Paolo’s romance, and leaves the central question — how on earth did an accomplished broadcast journalist fall for such a fabulist? — largely unanswered,” Baldwin says.
Nevertheless, Baldwin writes that the series “effectively creates an atmosphere of mounting dread” and it serves as a “sobering reminder” to always get a second opinion, “whether you’re dealing with doctors or dashing men.”
Where can I watch ‘Dr. Death’ Season 2?
Season 2 of “Dr. Death” premieres Dec. 21 on Peacock, NBC’s streaming service.
