Dominic Burgess in ‘Dr. Death’
Welcome to the weekend frenzy. Each week, we’ll bring you a compelling title designed to keep you from going too crazy. Check back throughout the weekend for even more gloriously queer entertainment.
The Horror Show: Dr Death
A reader has brought us up to date with this new Peacock limited series thanks to the excellent work of openly gay actor Dominic Burgess, so far best known for his remarkable work as Victor Buono in Feud. The recommendation piqued our interest enough to check out Burgess’ latest outing in Dr. Death. In short, we were not prepared.
Dr. Death tells the true story of Christoper Duntsch (Joshua Jackson, yes, of Dawson’s Creek), a Texas-based neurosurgeon whose patients had a bad history of surgical complications. Another pair of surgeons, the dark Robert Henderson (Alec Baldwin) and the eccentric Randall Kirby (Christian Slater) notice that Duntsch’s patients end up paralyzed, in chronic pain or die, and come to question his credentials. The more the couple find out about malpractice, the more they begin to wonder: Is Duntsch really hurting his patients on purpose?
Dr. Death plays with this question over the course of its eight episodes to the point that it becomes a tense suspense thriller. We never know if Duntsch is a psychopath, drug freak, con artist, or all of the above. The show also accuses the Texas medical system of stripping patients of their rights and capping medical malpractice lawsuits. Former Governor Rick Perry’s name comes up more than once, which is ironic given his own history of spinal injury.
Of course, it also helps that Dr. Death introduces the best actors, starting with Joshua Jackson. Jackson, in short, has never been so good. He plays Duntsch as a man inundated with self-delusion and unable to grasp the concept of accountability … at least when it comes to his own responsibilities (parallels to a certain former president are also rife, though the show doesn’t comment on them. ). Slater also excels here, delivering an energetic performance as a character that is both noble and maddeningly arrogant.
Yet the most crucial performance goes to Burgess, as Duntsch’s longtime best friend Jerry. Burgess has arguably the most difficult role on the show, in that Jerry has to believe in Duntsch as some sort of medical superhero, despite being close enough to see all of his nasty behavior. If Burgess had been less emphatic or convincing, Dr. Death’s twists would be almost impossible to swallow. Jackson makes Duntsch a monster; Jerry de Burgess makes it real, especially in the series finale. It is absolutely heartbreaking.
Both a true crime chronicle and a horror movie, Dr. Death has left us horrified, furious and mesmerized. We attribute this to a fascinating subject matter and the outstanding performance of its cast. This is not a story for the faint of heart.
Streams on Peacock.
