The Horror of Dolores Roach: Oh Dolores Show Only

July 19, 2023 8:16 AM - Season 1 (Full Season)

Dolores Roach (Justine Machado) just got out of prison after her drug dealer boyfriend let her take the fall. Now she has to figure out what to do next. It's not going to go well. Let's just say Sweeney Todd figures into it.

"The series gets darker and more grotesque as the season progresses, and our uncomfortable laughter eventually fades into a grimace of repugnance." -- Kristen Baldwin, Entertainment Weekly

"Think of her story not as a lavish five-course meal to be savored, but a sizzling fast-food snack: a treat best inhaled by the fistful, over the course of some lazy afternoon." -- Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter

"Rather than tell us Dolores isn’t a villain, you wish the show would lean into her vengeful side and serve up some ham. After all, long pig’s already on the menu." -- Alison Herman, Variety

The Horror of Dolores Roach is streaming in the US on Amazon Prime.

posted by Etrigan (4 comments total)

This ended up being just about the perfect combination of gore and humor. The script didn't quite give us the "Dolores is an innocent victim of circumstance! (and also of Luis's damage)" that it seemed to want to, but it's Justina Machado, so we can't be too mad at her no matter what she gets away with.

4.5 stars out of 5, and I would definitely be ready for a second season.
posted by Etrigan at 8:38 AM on July 19, 2023 [2 favorites]

I remember the Gimlet podcast being pretty well done but didn't realize they were adapting it to a show, so I'm looking forward to giving it a try.
posted by Pryde at 3:55 PM on July 19, 2023

This was good, there was some surprisingly good acting in it, especially from the actors playing Dolores and Luis. I liked it way better than the podcast, which I remember thinking was fine but basically forgettable.
posted by whir at 8:17 PM on July 20, 2023

When the OP says Sweeney Todd figures into it, that’s a major understatement; if you’ve seen Sweeney you already know basically every story beat. On the one hand, the idea of a Sondheim-less Sweeney Todd doesn’t sound appealing to me but on the other hand I enjoyed Dolores more than I thought I would.
posted by Parasite Unseen at 11:01 PM on July 20, 2023