‘Dopesick’ Season 1 Episode 8: Creator Danny Strong Teases a ‘Powerful’ Finale
Ahead of the Dopesick Season 1 finale, creator Danny Strong gave fans a small taste of what’s to come when the Hulu series wraps up in episode 8. Throughout the past seven episodes, Strong detailed the origin story of the opioid epidemic in America. Many parts of the series came from Beth Macy’s nonfiction book, which detailed Purdue Pharma’s push at marketing OxyContin in rural coal mining communities.
The Dopesick dramatization also follows the Purdue Pharma lawsuit from Rick Mountcastle (Peter Sarsgaard), Randy Ramseyer (John Hoogenakker), and John Brownlee (Jake McDorman). Although the facts are already available with a quick Google search, the series wraps up several different storylines with the Dopesick finale.
When does the ‘Dopesick’ Series finale drop to Hulu?
The Dopesick Season 1 finale is available for streaming on Hulu at 12:01 a.m. EST on Nov. 17, 2021. Hulu dropped the first three series’ episodes on Oct. 13 and then a subsequent episode every Wednesday.
Creator Danny Strong teased what’s to come in the ‘Dopesick’ finale
Showbiz Cheat Sheet spoke to Danny Strong via a phone conversation on Nov. 15, 2021, about the upcoming Dopesick Finale Episode.
“Yeah, I think the finale does tie up a lot of things,” Strong teased. “It ties up a lot of the characters’ journeys. I think it has something bigger to say about this story and what happened. I do think that at times it is a bit exciting with how we watch the case unfold and quite powerful as we see a touch of a reckoning.”
What to expect from ‘Dopesick’ Season 1 Episode 8 ‘The People vs. Purdue Pharma’
The episode synopsis from the Hulu press site also hints at what’s to come in the Dopesick finale.
“Rick and Randy’s criminal investigation now threatens Richard Sackler’s empire,” the Hulu press release teased. “Activists take action against Purdue, and Finnix tries to heal his beloved community that’s been ravaged by addiction.”
From Strong’s tease and the episode synopsis, it sounds like each storyline is wrapped up even if it isn’t the most favorable outcome.
Will there be a ‘Dopesick’ Season 2?
The showrunner, creator, and executive producer also gave insight into a possible Dopesick Season 2 following the finale.
“I’m not sure yet,” Strong told Showbiz Cheat Sheet when asked if there might be a season 2. “I’m not closed-minded to it. I don’t know. There haven’t been any discussions about it yet, but there’s certainly a lot of events that occurred post-2007 that could potentially be a season 2. I haven’t deep-dived into it enough to know if I can even pull it off. But we’re just still kind of waiting to see how this goes.”
Viewers hope to get more information about a possible Dopesick Season 2 after the finale episode airs.
Dopesick drops to Hulu weekly on Wednesdays at 12:01 EST with the finale airing on Nov. 17.
How to get help: In the U.S., contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration helpline at 1-800-662-4357.
