Round Two: The Dropout

The Dropout: Season 1, Episode 2 “Satori” (B+)

It’s difficult to know what of this show’s events actually happened as portrayed here and what might be doctored slightly for dramatic effect, not unlike the very catalytic decision made by Elizabeth to fake the test results since she knew they couldn’t get the prototype working. That’s a major turning point, one that doesn’t negate Elizabeth’s continued insistence that this is a product that could ultimately be developed but which does show that she wasn’t willing to perfect it first before moving ahead with the investors she needed to keep the lights on. Channing was understandably concerned about the ants in Elizabeth’s office and the lack of any openable windows, not to mention her eating inside, and the number of finger pricks that they had to do while they were working all night to get it right contradict the supposed ease of the machine, which should be able to do so much with just one drop of blood. This episode introduced a few notable guest stars in the form of Stephen Fry as Ian Gibbons and Kate Burton, who just appeared in another true-story adaptation, “Inventing Anna,” as his wife Rochelle. We are seeing a lot of Elizabeth in social settings and dancing to some intense music, and I’m not sure that’s the picture I got of her from the documentary, which paints her as someone who was generally antisocial and solely business-minded, not trying to fit in because she would never have, for instance, thought that having a family was a worthwhile choice over career success.