Critic Reviews

First-rate, often heroic television. ... When it stays true to its course, the series is urgent, even vital. Flaws of ambition are much preferable to pulling up short, and “Dopesick” never pulls up short.

Given the size of its canvas, Dopesick is a remarkable achievement, which clearly lays out the facts of the slow-burning tragedy, with lots of helpful date reminders, without losing track of the human stories behind it.

Dopesick (premiering October 13) deftly corrals the vast addiction epidemic through intimate, deeply engrossing stories of human devastation. Keaton is phenomenally poignant as Dr. Finnix. ... Dever adds another remarkable performance to her growing résumé as Betsy, whose descent into desperate addiction is almost too painful to watch.

For all its faults and lulls, I wanted to keep watching. Every reveal is damning and essential.

“Dopesick” feels urgent and immediate, and it moves forward with a propulsive energy.

It's a large credit to the show's writing, and its excellent performances, that "Dopesick" breaks away from its initial “and then this happened” type of plotting. These characters may have a part to play in the mechanics of this story, but they have more dimension than simply symbols, especially as the plotting (hour-long episodes) gives space for the story to be about everyone’s psychological pains and problems

Based on early episodes, Dopesick is a (mostly) sober, compelling and clear dramatisation of one of the most shameful examples of big pharma wrongdoing in recent history, which will have you recoiling in fury.

At times Dopesick can feel similarly overwhelming. But it also feels important that these stories be told.

Scattered in places, in its totality it's an engrossing eight-part series, made more so by Purdue's bankruptcy proceedings and the Sackler family's efforts to avoid additional consequences.

The cast is excellent and empathetic, helping ground the series.