Let’s talk about my most recent binge – “The Act” (2019). If you happen to be looking for a suspenseful drama based on real events, this show is the one for you.
The story follows the life of Gypsy Rose and Dee Dee Blanchard, a mother-daughter duo that swindled doctors and different foundations for sick kids for years. Gypsy was forced to fake illness after illness and her mother went so far as to confine her to a wheelchair and feed her through a feeding tube. “The Act” follows their story – and Dee Dee’s unfortunate and grotesque end.
While I still enjoy the premise and narrative style of the script, it does seem to be rather slow-moving to me. I understand the desire to create tension and sense of fright, along with a good story, but I would have liked to see things move just a bit faster.
Since there are only eight episodes in the first season of the Hulu original series and viewers seem to have been graced with four already, the second half of this series must have to escalate quickly. I will say, though, that this is my only complaint.
In every other aspect, this show is everything one would want in a true crime tableau. I found myself slack-jawed and wide-eyed through every episode.
The show succeeds in its ability to keep viewers interested week to week. While most people remember bits and pieces of the story from when it was in the news, seeing the drama unfold is a totally different thing. I found myself feeling tense and waiting for every new, horrifying detail.
So if you find yourself in the slump of watching the same old shows over and over again (trust me, I’m looking in a mirror as I write this; there is no shame here), I implore you to check out “The Act.” The intensity will keep you guessing every step of the way.
