Paranoia and panic fuel the series finale ofThe DropoutonHulu. Throughout the miniseries, lies were washed away with pretty words and promises of grandeur but in “Lizzy”, words only make the situation more dire. In the previous episode,TheWall Street Journalgoes live with their story on the corruption behind closed doors at Theranos. At the start of the series finale, Elizabeth (Amanda Seyfried) desperately tries to retain her board members and investors by claiming everything printed was a lie and result of sexism. She blames everyone but herself, relying on corporate sweet talk to make her investors feel like they can still support her.It’s almost like she is running a marathon, and for a second, it feels like she’s going to reach the finishing line.
Frustrated by the lack of inaction, whistleblower Erika Cheung (Camryn Mi-young Kim) reports the company to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Theranos scheme comes to a screeching halt. After inspecting one of its labs, CMS ordered Theranos to shut it down, triggering a domino effect that would lead all the way to the courtroom and bankruptcy for Holmes. At the same time, Tyler Shultz (Dylan Minnette) decides to go on the record and become an identifiable source forThe Wall Street Journal. This fractures his relationship with his grandfather, George Schultz (Sam Waterston), a Theranos board member and former Secretary of State. Feeling betrayed after Tyler swore he did not speak with a journalist, George orders him to leave his home.
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In the last episode, the relationship between Sunny Balwani (Naveen Andrews) and Elizabeth Holmes grows increasingly tense. The pair constantly snap at each other’s necks, knowing exactly what buttons to push to make the other angry. Elizabeth claims that Sunny was supposed to protect her and Sunny says the house they live in is actually in his name. Eventually, they both attempt to backstab each other, and try to push any fallout onto the other’s hands. Elizabeth overhears Sunny speaking with a lawyer in secret so she decides to announce to the board that Sunny is stepping away as an executive for the company without his knowledge. At home, the pair have one last explosive fight, before Elizabeth says she is leaving him for good.
Throughout the series, Elizabeth’s trademark unnerving stare and manufactured deep voice give the impression of someone who is always hiding beneath a mask. Intercut throughout the episode show a different side to Elizabeth, one that is softer and romantic towards hotel heir Billy Evans (Garrett Coffey). Under bed sheets, she seems obsessed with him, in awe of the easy energy he seems to exude. Ironically, her company, her employees, and her reputation have never been in a worse position. As she stands in the empty Theranos building, all that she can seem to focus on is her new German Shepard. When Linda Tanner (Michaela Watkins) tries to confront her on her nonchalant attitude, Elizabeth slides her remarks off. She’s like teflon – emotions do not matter to her.
Finally, in one of the last scenes of the episode, Elizabeth walks out of the Theranos building, towards the edge of the road and lets out a primal scream – all of the hurt, frustration, and loss of power bubbling out of her all at once. She allows herself to feel for a few seconds before placing a cool, collected smile when her Uber driver arrives. Yet the audience can tell something has shifted in her spirit, her eyes already sparking with ideas on what her next move will be. As the Uber driver pulls up and asks if she is Lizzy, Elizabeth smiles, already slipping into the next character in her life.
In the last minutes of the episode, an end credit scene reveals what has become of Elizabeth, Sunny, and Theranos in the years past the last scene. We learn that Elizabeth Holmes has a child, born in 2021, with hotel heir Billy Evans. She was found guilty on four counts of fraud in January 2022 and is awaiting sentencing. Theranos shuttered for good in 2018 after years of lawsuits. Meanwhile Sunny Balwani began his trial in March 2022 and is still awaiting his verdict.
