‘The Dropout’ is the best true-crime on Hulu you might have missed
‘The Dropout’ is the best true-crime on Hulu you might have missed
Amanda Seyfried’s Emmy-winning turn makes this Theranos drama unforgettable, even if most people missed it.
With so much to watch on Hulu (in fact, I think it’s one of the best streamers for TV lovers), it’s easy for even the best shows to slip through the cracks. New releases pop up regularly, and unless something instantly catches fire, it can get buried fast. That’s pretty much what happened to “The Dropout.”
The series grabbed rave reviews, won Amanda Seyfried an Emmy, and still managed to fly under the radar for a lot of people. Which is kind of a surprise as it’s got a great true-crime angle based on one of the biggest tech scandals ever, sharp writing, and some of the best performances I’ve seen on TV. It’s not flashy, but it’s unforgettable. And if you missed it when it first dropped, now’s the time to go back and hit play.
Best under-the-radar drama TV show on Hulu
Why ‘The Dropout’ is the most underrated drama series on Hulu
I actually didn’t know much about the real Elizabeth Holmes story when I hit play on “The Dropout.” I’d seen the headlines but never followed the details, so I figured the show would just be another Silicon Valley scam story. Instead, it pulled me in like a slow-burn thriller.
The setup is pretty simple: Holmes, a college dropout with huge dreams, convinces investors and the medical world that her blood-testing machine can work miracles with just a finger prick. Except, of course, it doesn’t. What starts out looking like a Silicon Valley success story quickly unravels into one of the biggest frauds in tech history. It’s corporate greed, blind ambition, and willful ignorance all wrapped into eight episodes that I could not stop watching.
What still blows me away is Seyfried’s performance. She nails Holmes’ calculated awkwardness — the wide-eyed stare, the baritone voice, even the strange charisma that kept powerful people hooked. It’s one of those performances that makes you forget you’re watching an actor. For me, she’s the reason the show works as well as it does.
So why didn’t this thing blow up like it should have? Timing is a big part of it. When “The Dropout” came out, there was already a flood of similar content — “Inventing Anna” and “The Tinder Swindler to name a few. Honestly, I think people were just burnt out on fraudsters. Netflix’s “Inventing Anna” had the flashy Shonda Rhimes push, while Hulu’s weekly release schedule meant “The Dropout” never got that one huge “binge weekend” moment. It quietly rolled out, and by the finale, most folks had already moved on to the next shiny thing.
That’s what makes it underrated. Critically, it was a smash: glowing reviews, top ten lists, award wins. But in terms of audience buzz? Barely a ripple. I’ve brought it up to friends, and more often than not, they say, “Wait, what’s that one again?” It’s a limited series too, so that doesn’t help, especially when compared with other multi-season juggernauts on Hulu like “The Handmaid’s Tale” or “Only Murders in the Building.”
For me, that’s exactly why it’s worth highlighting now. “The Dropout” is smart, gripping, and self-contained — one season, no filler, just a complete story told at the highest level. If you love prestige dramas but missed this when it aired, it’s time to go back. It’s not just one of my favorite shows of 2022, it’s one of the best dramas on Hulu, period. And the fact that it never got the audience it deserved only makes it feel more like a hidden gem.
Watch a trailer for ‘The Dropout’
What is ‘The Dropout’ about?
“The Dropout” starts with Elizabeth Holmes, a college dropout who decides she’s going to change the world with a single idea: a tiny machine that can run hundreds of medical tests from just one drop of blood. It sounds revolutionary, and Holmes has the pitch-perfect mix of confidence and eccentricity to get people to believe her. Investors throw billions her way, powerful names line up to be on her board, and for a while, Theranos looked like the next Apple. The problem? The tech never actually worked.
That’s where the tension comes in. The show tracks Holmes’ transformation from ambitious young founder into someone willing to lie, manipulate, and bulldoze anyone who questions her. Every episode piles on new layers of pressure, from skeptical scientists inside the company to journalists and government regulators closing in. You watch her double down again and again, even as the cracks get harder to hide. It’s part corporate thriller, part character study of someone chasing success at any cost.
What really makes it work is how personal it feels. This isn’t just about Silicon Valley hype or boardroom deals. Instead, it’s about the human cost of Holmes’ lies. Patients are misled, employees are silenced, and her inner circle gets pulled deeper into the mess. It’s a story about ambition and deception, but it’s also about how badly people want to believe in a visionary, even when the truth is right in front of them.
After you watch the first episode of ‘The Dropout,’ let us know what you think in the comments below.
Other underappreciated drama TV shows on Hulu
If “The Dropout” doesn’t sound like your speed, check out “The Other Black Girl.” It’s a workplace drama with a satirical edge, following Nella, an editorial assistant at a big publishing house who’s used to being the only Black woman in the office. When Hazel joins the team, things seem better… until they don’t. What starts as a story about office politics quickly turns eerie, with secrets and manipulation bubbling under the surface.
Another standout is “Shōgun.” This one’s a sweeping historical drama set in 17th-century Japan, adapted from James Clavell’s classic novel. It follows the collision of cultures when an English sailor washes up in Japan and gets entangled in the political and military power struggles of the samurai era. The series is as much about loyalty, betrayal, and survival as it is about the clash of East and West. It’s beautifully made, with the kind of scope and detail that pulls you straight into another world.
And then there’s “Under the Banner of Heaven.” Based on a true-crime book, the show dives into the chilling murder of a young woman in a devout Mormon community. Andrew Garfield plays the detective investigating the case, and the deeper he goes, the more he uncovers about faith, power, and the dark undercurrents of religious extremism. It’s haunting, character-driven, and carries that same unsettling energy you get from “The Dropout.”
Hulu
Hulu is a video streaming service that gives access to thousands of full seasons of exclusive series, hit movies, kids shows, and Hulu Originals like “Only Murders in the Building,” and “The Handmaid’s Tale.”