The Dropout

I watched a documentary few years back about Elizabeth Holmes Fiasco!! Basically Diary of a Selfish, Greedy and Dangerous Sociopath!

This series, helps fill in a few blanks, but yeah, gotta agree with another reviewer who mentioned that the timing of this coming out before the Real Elizabeth is to be sentenced in the supposed near future, doesn't really sit right.

I hope she goes to jail for at least 20 years, but, alas, people with money get a slap on the hands and walk away, doesn't matter who they killed, endangered or defrauded. But God help the poor average American who gets caught with a bit of pot, in one of the few states where it's still illegal, you will have your home and car and bank account taken away and go to jail for a good 10 years, even if it was strictly for medical purposes like cancer or PTSD.

Where are all these Creepy Millennials coming from??? Like this Holmes gal and Zuckerberg, with their intelligence, lack of humanity or consequences and their truly creepy, dead shark eyes. ICK, gives me the Willies!

And people, PLEASE!!! Stop being a YES MAN to your Creepy, Evil, Greedy Bosses. When you see they are doing harm to society. Leave and Blow the bloody whistle!!! Don't wait for innocent people to suffer or die.

Series is worth a watch if you are following or interested in this Bizarre Real life Case. But the Documentary was better.

This is my fourth foray into "Elizabeth Holmes" territory. I listened to the audio book of "Bad Blood," by the WSJ reporter who broke open the story of Theronos' fraud. I watched the documentary. I skimmed the "Bad Blood" book version and now I am watching this version.

All are worthy of consumption. "The Dropout" is by far the most fictionalized version, maybe even the only fictionalized one, but it still draws heavily from RL characters, situations, and conversations. I think it plays a vital role, in that it is the only one that gives Holmes something of a character arc. Yes, her deeds were heinous, but this company was not the brainchild of a 30- or 40-something Silicon Valley type.

It's important to remember that Holmes was a teenager when this company took root in her mind. And yes, her relationship with Sonny Balwani was established by then. But he is not the only one who seems unable to listen to what she is communicating. Her parents and brother all tiptoe around it, as do the middle-aged and elderly men who rally to her side. And that is not a condemnation of them, but rather a commentary on how family and relationship dynamics play an outsize role on personal decisions made in a business context. Especially when so much is at stake.

By the time the series hits its peak a Jenga Tower has been born. Everyone, Elizabeth included, is afraid to pull out a piece. The powerful men (and it is telling that one of the episodes is titled "Old White Men') who sit on her board are all-in, die-hard, a more than a little intense. She is really running with the big d0gs.

With the exception of the bad chinese (maybe that's also intentional, who knows), Amanda Seyfried is great at portraying Elizabeth Holmes. She looked like her, she got the weird and awkward manner, the deepen of the voice. You look at her and think that she is Elizabeth Holmes.

Story itself is good. It moved in quick pace and everyone they got are amazing. The one that played Edmund Ko, Stephen Fry as Ian Gibbson, are standouts for me. Sunny was also great.

It does give sympathetic look on Elizabeth but also don't completely erase her fault and crime. There are indeed bad bloods on her hands.

We all know the story of Elizabeth Holmes, but this series details with great interest the ambitious drive that drove her to be a self-made billionaire, and stay on top at all costs. It is this passion that Holmes oozes that enticed me to watch in wonderment on how she pulled it off.

This all works thanks to the writers in succeeding by making Holmes a fascinating character with all her quirks and downfalls. Most importantly is Seyfried's performance as Holmes, where sometimes I kept thinking that Elizabeth Holmes was playing herself!

Looking forward to seeing how far this series delves into the mindset of someone whose dreams are shattered, and the destructiveness nature in which they will do anything to survive in the high tech corporate jungle.

First 3 episodes in and i think she is a credible Elizabeth Holmes, mostly, except that she is way too pretty. Otherwise, her acting on this role works for me and largely keeps the grip on the show.

Looking forward to the rest of the season.