As someone who never read Dennis Tafoya’s 2009 novel “Dope Thief,” which is something I find myself saying a whole heck of a lot when it comes to AppleTV+ series of late, I wasn’t all that sure what to expect when I dove into the eight-episode miniseries. And, you know what? Despite some strange tonal shifts as the story weaves its way throughout its run, I was pretty impressed with what the series offers. It definitely didn’t need to be eight episodes long, but there’s a lot to enjoy when it comes to Dope Thief, with the spectacular performances being the top thing.
For those who, like me, aren’t familiar with the source material, the overall story is pretty simple. A pair of old friends – Ray (a wonderful Brian Tyree Henry) and Manny (a great Wagner Moura) – have concocted a scam where they case and rob low-level drug dealers while posing as DEA agents. They take the drugs and sell them to a well-off middleman (Dustin Nguyen’s Son Pham) and pocket the cash for themselves. And it’s going great until the dynamic duo makes a grave error when selecting a mark. Instead of a low-level dealer, they attempt to shake down a drug house that not only is connected to a mysterious – but very well-connected and violent – enforcer, it also happens to have already been infiltrated by the feds. The ensuing shoot-out destroys the drugs, tips off the kingpin to their identities, and gets the feds on their tail. From there, it’s a cat and mouse game with a whole lot of cats and two – well, three if you include Kate Mulgrew’s Theresa, Ray’s almost-step-mother – mice on the run.
The initial set of episodes which introduce us to their scam and let us see just how poorly it unravels in the wake of the shoot-out at the kingpin’s house are sharp, smart, and fun. Yes, there’s a good amount of violence and blood, but the show also has a delightfully dark sense of humor that helps balance out the body count. But once the series gets into its middle stretch, things start to get uneven, with the balance between comedy and drama wavering to the extremes of each from scene to scene. What saves the series from falling off a cliff when things get weird are the performances.
Anyone who watched Atlanta knows that Henry is a star, and he gets to show just what kind of range he has throughout the series. Carrying the story throughout, he’s finally got a starring role that will hopefully be a jumping off point for something even greater. Moura also gets a chance to show that not only is he a great dramatic actor, he’s got some serious comedy chops. Watch the sequence where he proposes to his girlfriend (Nesta Cooper) – it’s a masterwork in facial expressions and physical comedy. As for Mulgrew, she’s spectacular. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her in a role like this – smart, snarky, self-centered, but still empathetic. And when paired up with Vingh Rhames (who plays Ray’s incarcerated and estranged father), well, the pair show why they are such respected actors. And then there’s Marin Ireland, who plays Mina, one of the feds caught up in the botched raid. In a series that has some pretty fast tonal shifts, her performance is steady throughout. Quiet, contemplative, and introspective, Ireland grounds the series.
Great performances can paper over a lot of ills, and they are what makes Dope Thief worth a watch when things start to drag and go a bit off the rails in the middle of the story. Could this have been a four-episode series or even a film? Absolutely. But Henry is so good, and really, it’s not too hard to slog through things to get to the end. This isn’t an enthusiastic recommendation, but it’s still a “give it a watch if you’re interested.”
Dope Thief premieres on March 14 on AppleTV+. All eight episodes were provided for review.
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