Dope Thief

Lost momentum aside, those three performances [Brian Tyree Henry, Wagner Moura and Marin Ireland] make “Dope Thief” worth a look, but my true hope is that the show is successful enough that future seasons could leave the source material and thereby correct the pacing issues that hamper a show that often feels too loyal to the elements of the first half of a novel (most of the plotting here is reportedly wrapped up in the first half of Westlake’s book) instead of telling its own story.

There’s a half of Dope Thief that I thought was pulpy, entertaining and unpredictable and a half of Dope Thief that I thought was unfocused, glum and familiar. But Henry is a star throughout.

As the plot becomes too far-fetched for its gritty presentation, the series also becomes less fun, despite the best efforts of its cast.