The Dropout

The show uses modern diversity in casting. It casts a non-binary, trans actor named Nicky Endres to play real-life product designer Ana Arriola, who is a trans lesbian. Some of the casting changes historical white figures into people of color, such as turning the lead engineer Tony Nugent and editor Mike Siconolfi into black characters. This shows a clear focus on representation priorities rather than pure historical accuracy.

The script has explicit dialogue about gender and power. Characters talk about how exciting it is to have a young female leader instead of a young man. A female professor also warns the main character that if her business fails, it will hurt all other women who want to do science. The main character also uses women's rights arguments to defend herself when people criticize her work.

The plot centers on how the main character uses female empowerment as a tool to gain trust and money. She styles herself as a female version of Steve Jobs. The show looks at the pressure on women in tech but also shows how the main character used corporate feminism to hide her lies. There are also brief themes about being a queer person in the corporate world through the character of Ana.

The show critiques Silicon Valley business culture and the idea of faking success. It portrays older male board members and corporate leaders at Walgreens as foolish, easily fooled, and desperate to support a female leader due to their own greed. It also presents the main relationship between the female lead and her older boyfriend as highly toxic and controlling.

The series makes several identity-driven changes to real-life people. A white male lead engineer, Tony Nugent, is replaced by a black male character named Brendan Morris. Additionally, John Carreyrou's Wall Street Journal editor, Mike Siconolfi, who is a white man, is changed into a black female editor named Judith Baker. These changes were made to introduce more diverse characters into the historical events.

Backlash was very mild because most viewers focused on the true-crime story. However, some independent viewers and conservative commentators criticized the show for including what they saw as woke pandering regarding feminism and LGBTQ+ topics, particularly with the inclusion of the trans character Ana Arriola.

The show is led by creator Elizabeth Meriwether, who is a vocal feminist writer, and star-producer Amanda Seyfried, who is an active liberal activist. Other key writers, such as Hilary Bettis and Sofya Levitsky-Weitz, also have strong portfolios centered on progressive themes, immigration politics, and queer experiences.