Michaela Watkins has hinted there is an unexpected twist in the final episode of The Dropout, which depicts the true story of Elizabeth Holmes and her tech company Theranos.
The entrepreneur raised money from investors after claiming she had invented revolutionary new technology, which could run a variety of health tests from a single blood test.
In reality, Holmes’ company were never able to produce a fully functional prototype, ultimately leading to her conviction on fraud charges at the start of the year.
While those familiar with the true story will know broadly how the story of The Dropout will unfold, Watkins has hinted at an unexpected twist surrounding her fictional character Linda Tanner.
In the show, Linda is depicted as an in-house lawyer at Theranos, with Watkins describing the character as an “amalgamation” of the real legal team the company used while it was still operating.
By virtue of Linda being fictional, there is some room for her to develop in ways that will be surprising even to those familiar with the Theranos saga – and Watkins has hinted that’s exactly what the writers chose to do.
In an interview with RadioTimes.com and other press, she revealed that The Dropout showrunner Elizabeth Meriwether (New Girl) tailored the role of Linda to suit her when she boarded the project.
“I think what happened with the role is, when they found out I was going to do it, they realised what they wanted. It gave them more of an idea of where they wanted to go with it,” she said.
Watkins continued: “You know, just to say that the last episode is pretty exciting. I’m very, very excited for you to see it. I don’t want to give anything away.”
Amanda Seyfried leads The Dropout cast as disgraced CEO Holmes, featuring alongside a large ensemble cast including Naveen Andrews (Sense8), Stephen Fry (It’s A Sin) and Dylan Minnette (Scream).
The Dropout premieres on Disney Plus on Thursday 3rd March 2022. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what’s on tonight.
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