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What do we want in a show about a scam?
Most of them are about recent, high-profile news stories, so theres the real-life reenactment factor.
Then theres the corporate-America aspect of it and the Robin Hoodesque rob-from-the-rich potential.
All of them seem like such easy targets to hit.
Too often, it feels like were being insufficiently scammed.
Her Holmes has elements of impersonation, but its much more an interpretation of the person and her motivations.
But agreatscam show needs an element of portraiture to illuminate that principal scammer.
She wants to be a huge, famous business-world star.
At the same time,The Dropoutrefuses to oversimplify her ego.
The Dropouts Holmes is a careful collage of so many traits.
All of it helps color Holmes and her world; none of it comes off as an excuse.
That delicate portraiture is where most scam shows falter and whereThe Dropoutreally pulls ahead of the competition.
The Dropouthandles that transition from quixotic hopefulness into nightmarish denial so, so well.
This is another area in whichThe Dropoutexcels where so many scam shows fall short.
But its not a bleak march to destruction, either.
(This list could honestly have ten more names on it.)
The appeal of a great scam show extends beyond the scam or the show.
In almost every instance, they are invitations to examine Americanism more broadly.
But the desire to make that connection explicit often turns into something blunt, inept, or reductive.
Corporations are bad is hardly news.
Weird people are weird!
is even less so.
Without that gesture at something bigger, these shows can feel so hollow.
No scam show to date has negotiated this better thanThe Dropout.
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