Peacock’s Dr Death Does Right By The Wildly Popular Podcast

A trifecta of talent. Photo courtesy of The Fan Carpet.

Adapted out of the hit Wondery podcast Dr. Death, Peacock’s limited-run series of the same name dives head-long into the world of stem cell enthusiast and rising star neurosurgeon Dr Christopher D Duntsch to learn why and how he became the monster of Dallas that he did and what finally brought Christopher to justice. While Duntsch was eventually convicted and sentenced to life in prison, the painfully slow process laid bare the politics of hospital policies that are geared more towards profit and protection of reputation rather than safeguard the reason they’re in business, the patient.

Joshua Jackson can certainly pull off narcissistic/sociopathic Dr, with flare. Photo courtesy of Observatorio-de-Series

The series stays pretty much in step with the events laid out in the podcast albeit with some fictional scenes and excess drama thrown in to spice things up a bit. The cast all handle their roles very well, with Alec Baldwin (as the even-keeled Dr. Robert Henderson) and Christian Slater’s (as the less-than-even-keeled but well-intentioned Dr. Randall Kirby) performances being especially interesting to watch along with Joshua Jackson’s progression from hot-headed egomaniac to cold-blooded killer. Grace Gummer and Molly Griggs are fantastic as Kim Morgan and Wendy Young with Grace as Kim Morgan, (Duntsch’s dynamic Physician’s Assistant) and Griggs as Young (Duntsch’s girlfriend and baby momma) who both get caught up in Chris’ lies and surgical fantasies to an obscene amount. AnnaSophia Robb knocks it out of the park as Assistant District Attorney Michelle Shughart who teams up with odd-couple-in-training Dr’s Henderson and Kirby to take down Dr Death once and for all.

Molly Griggs and Grace Gummer

There’s a lot of flashbacks and flash-forwards between significant moments in Duntsch’s career and personal life but they transition pretty smoothly so even if someone hasn’t listened to the podcast or watched any news coverage of the good Dr. they won’t get lost watching the series. However, a lot of Duntsch’s backstory is missing from most of the series right up until someone emotionally vomits it out upon reading the news of Chris’ surgical exploits, chipping away at the end of show build-up that was so carefully crafted throughout the previous episodes. Obviously there are time constraints to work within but still, you can’t just slide that kind of character-defining information in at the 11th hour like it’s an oh-by-the-way. It’s just weird. And awkward.

All episodes will be available for streaming July 15th on Peacock. For more information, including where to stream, official trailer, and additional show art, click here.

I’d like to add a bit of a disclaimer here though. Although Dr Duntsch is real, and what he was enabled to do is real as well, the probability of your Dr or one you may need to see being the next Christopher D Duntsch is next to nothing. Please do not let what you see in entertainment, read on social media, or watch on YouTube keep you from seeking the care you need.