Started July 15, 2021 · Ended · Based on 2 seasons, 16 episodes through December 21, 2023 · TV-MA
Dr. Death is a true-crime drama show that tells the scary stories of real-life doctors who hurt and killed their patients. The series shows how the medical system failed to stop these dangerous doctors because of greed and bad rules. In Season 2, several real white male doctors are changed into a single biracial, homosexual female doctor named Ana Lasbrey. The show also features a gay couple in Season 2 and critiques the medical system for protecting powerful men.
Community feedback
Was our 66% Woke rating accurate?
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for Dr. Death.
Woke representation / casting
Dr. Ana Lasbrey (Ashley Madekwe) is a composite of real-life white male Swedish doctors Karl-Henrik Grinnemo and Oscar Simonson, representing a visible race and gender-swap for diversity. Additionally, she is depicted as homosexual, and Season 2 features Benita's gay designer friend and his husband. This explicit inclusion of queer characters adds significant weight under the scoring rules.
60%
Woke political dialogue
There is essentially no noticeable activist or political dialogue in the series. The characters talk about medical procedures, the legal cases, and personal relationships, keeping the dialogue focused on true-crime details.
0%
Production
Identity-driven story themes
While the central narrative is a true-crime medical thriller, there are light identity-driven elements, such as the inclusion of a homosexual female lead (Ana) and a gay designer couple in Season 2. However, these identities do not drive the main plot, which remains focused on exposing the medical fraud.
20%
Western institutional / cultural critique
The show features a strong critique of the Western medical establishment, highlighting corporate greed, profit-seeking hospitals, and institutional self-preservation. It also portrays both male leads as highly narcissistic, entitled figures whose abuses are enabled by system-wide complicity, aligning with modern critiques of institutional power and unchecked male authority.
30%
Woke character or canon changes
In Season 2, the real-life white male Swedish doctors who blew the whistle on Paolo Macchiarini (such as Karl-Henrik Grinnemo and Oscar Simonson) were adapted into a composite character, Dr. Ana Lasbrey. By turning these real figures into a biracial, homosexual female character, the creators made a clear, identity-driven change to the historical reality for modern representation purposes.
55%
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
No notable anti-woke complaints or right-leaning backlash exist for this series.
0%
Creator track record context
Showrunners Patrick Macmanus and Ashley Michel Hoban both carry high progressive profiles, with histories of partnering with GLAAD and prioritizing diverse behind-the-camera hiring. Executive producers like Alec Baldwin and writer Linda Gase further reinforce a production environment heavily aligned with industry diversity and inclusion goals.
72%
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