Christian Slater Stars with Hollywood’s Most Controversial Actor in True Crime Drama Series

I was staying at my sister’s house, up late talking one night, when she asked me if I’d seen the Dr. Death series.

Knowing I was a die-hard Christian Slater fan as a kid, she was surprised when I told her that no, I hadn’t. As a now adult die-hard fan of Edgar Ramirez, who stars in the second season, I knew I had to check it out.

Watching this well-made series over a few days left me wondering why more people weren’t talking about it.

How had it flown under the radar? It has an 86% on Rotten Tomatoes, and the fascinating material has been covered in documentaries.

Maybe because it’s on Peacock? And the network remains largely unnoticed among giants like Netflix and Amazon Prime?  

In any event, it was a mind-blowing experience to follow this story about a man, Christopher Duntsch, with an ego the size of Texas, who continues to perform surgery after surgery despite killing and horribly maiming his patients in large, well-funded hospitals across, yes, Texas.

Joshua Jackson stars as Duntsch, and I have to say it is quite fun watching the man who once played sweetheart Pacey in Dawson’s Creek play a sociopath with a scalpel. Jackson is absolutely believable in each episode.

His character is convinced he is misunderstood, that he makes no mistakes, and that anything bad that happens is everyone else’s fault. As patient after patient meets their demise, Duntsch truly owns the moniker Dr. Death.

How is he allowed to get away with all of these atrocities? 

Well, he isn’t without his detractors. 

Christian Slater plays the brash, outspoken, witty, sarcastic Dr. Randall Kirby in a very Christian Slater-like manner. He’s the first to call out Duntsch for his botched surgeries, having been in the operating room with him and witnessed his ineptitude firsthand. 

Kirby then turns to Dr. Robert Henderson for help, as Henderson has a more honorable reputation as he has a cooler head and a calmer demeanor. Henderson is played by Alec Baldwin, who forever seems to be in and out of controversy.

First, he was drunkenly cussing out his daughter on a voicemail a decade ago. Now, he’s accidentally shooting people on film sets. Somehow, Baldwin manages to continue acting, and he does so quite brilliantly in the Dr. Death series. 

Kirby and Henderson try multiple approaches to have Duntsch’s license revoked, reporting him to the medical board, and speaking to hospital directors. Yet, despite everyone acknowledging his clear failures and the destruction he’s leaving in his wake, Duntsch continues to be employed. 

REVIEW SCORE

Dr. Death covers the issues with the medical system in the U.S. as well as the doors that continue to open for mediocre white males who persist in their dogged pursuit of greatness, and it does so beautifully. Stream it on Peacock now.

This show deserves 5/5 stars for grit and horror combined with great writing, directing, and acting. 

Now, I’m off to binge season 2.