Summary
This story shows an overly charming surgeon with an affinity for international travel stomping on any semblance of ethical practice and almost getting away with it. It’s frightening, to say the least.
Based on the Wondery podcast of the same name, Dr. Death is a Peacock original anthology series focused on different medical negligence cases. The show’s first season premiered in 2021 and told the story of Dr. Christopher Duntsch, an American neurosurgeon sentenced to life in prison for gross malpractice. Season 2 takes the story internationally and follows the bewildering tale of an Italian surgeon who, at the height of his fame, was dubbed the “Miracle Man” by the press.
Paolo Macchiarini was hailed as a pioneer in regenerative medicine. He practiced in Germany, Sweden, Spain, Russia, and the U.S., and his claims that 3D-printed windpipes could somehow be turned into viable organs rocked the scientific world. The series isn’t just a dramatization of this stranger-than-fiction story but also a compelling narrative about corruption, systemic failures, and, oddly enough, romance cons.
Dr. Death review and plot summary
The story in Dr. Death Season 2 features two seemingly separate yet completely intertwined sides. In 2013, in New York, producer Benita Alexander (Mandy Moore) started working on a documentary special about Dr. Paolo Macchiarini (Edgar Ramírez) and his revolutionary work on organ transplants. Specifically, Paolo claims he’s found a way to use stem cells to turn plastic tracheas into fully functional airways.
Benita follows him around for her special as he’s about to perform the first U.S. surgery on a two-year-old who was born without a windpipe. Soon enough, Benita falls in love with the charismatic surgeon and risks her professional credibility to start a relationship with him.
After Paolo proposes, Benita starts planning for what’s supposedly the wedding of the century. Officiated by the Pope (yes, the actual Pope in the Vatican) and attended by A-list celebrities and world leaders, Paolo promises Benita she’ll be at the center of a bonafide fairytale. Of course, the Miracle Man proves to be more of a Disney villain than the Prince Charming she’s been hoping for.
RELATED: The true story behind Dr. Death
The show’s second storyline starts in 2012 in Stockholm when Paolo begins working at the prestigious Karolinska Institute. He receives permission to conduct his revolutionary surgeries based on compassionate care, meaning he can operate on terminally ill patients as a last resort. But how far is Paolo willing to go to ensure he becomes his patient’s last resort?
When the Miracle Man’s patients start getting adverse reactions (to put it mildly) after their surgeries, alarm bells start ringing for Dr. Nathan Gamelli (Luke Kirby), Dr. Ana Lasbrey (Ashley Madekwe), and Dr. Anders Svensson (Gustaf Hammarsten). But when they start digging into the science behind Paolo’s claims and learn the truth, they’re faced with a reality more horrific than any of them could have imagined.
Dr. Death is the type of series that will keep you glued to the screen for all eight episodes. The performances are outstanding, with Kirby standing out in his approach to the character of Nate, a surgeon who becomes increasingly more horrified as he realizes his initial suspicions about Paolo are nothing compared to reality.
Ramírez, as Macchiarini, had the difficult job of portraying someone who shows so many different sides of himself based on his audience, and he nailed it. As did Mandy Moore in her take on Benita Alexander.
Dr. Death Season 2 will leave you unsettled
Season 2 of Dr. Death tells a compelling, fascinating, and outright terrifying story. The real version of events is a bizarre tale with many twists, and the series does a good job of drawing attention to it without losing sight of those who received Macchiarini’s miracle surgeries and suffered as a result. Episode 5 is particularly hard to watch as it’s mostly centered on one specific patient and the medical nightmare she was forced to endure.
It’s hard to imagine how someone like Paolo Macchiarini was allowed to conduct these surgeries in the first place. As regular members of the general public, we like to think the medical profession has safeguards in place to protect patients. Yet this series shows how those supposed protections can sometimes fail spectacularly.
What did you think of Dr. Death Season 2? Comment below.
RELATED:
