The Act

I have watched both the original HBO documentary about this case and this show and the greatest impression is without a doubt the way Joey King portrayed Gypsy Rose! Amazing and so convincing, well done!

I was familiar with the Blanchard case prior to watching the show. (My familiarity with it is what lead me to watch it). I really like how it's done so far. Patricia Arquette is outstanding, she really creeps me out more so than the real "Dee Dee" Blanchard in some instances. Same for the actor that's playing Gypsy's online boyfriend. The show reminds you at the end that while it's based on real events, some things have been added for dramatic purposes. There are some crazy moments in the show that I thought were part of the dramatic embellishments, but after watching several videos on the case, these crazy moments turned out to have actually happened. For example one of those moments is how Gyspy met that "Wolverine" fellow at the cosplay convention and managed to start a mini relationship with him, this turned out to be true and it truly was her first attempt at running away from home in real life. The way the show played this part, among others out made it seem so outrageous and fake to me but, to my surprise, it's an actual true event from this story. While the acting is great and some of the camera shots, it can be campy and overdone in some instances. I know this is an insane tale that happened in real life but that doesn't mean you have to make it all exaggerated, especially in moments when it doesn't have to be. Think that takes away from the "dark" true story we're watching. As for the actresses high baby voice in her portrayal of Gypsy, did you people not see the videos of the real life Gypsy ?! The actress is on point, that exactly how Gyspy sounded during this whole ordeal and after the murder took place. Watching videos of the real life case between the episode releases of the show helps you see it in a whole new way. This is what helped me appreciate it more and get less upset with how over the top they can be with some of the scenes - still think they can tone it down a notch though.

A pretty good show repainting a beautiful, twisted new perspective on a story I'm fairly familiar with and have followed. The acting is all great, but if you've seen much of the real gypsy rose, it's clear how astonishing Joey King is in this role. Amazing to watch.

I went into the series not knowing anything about the story and was completely blown away with how intensely everything was done. After watching a few episodes, I tracked down the documentary and read up on what really happened. Seeing the truth and then going back to the series made me realize how wonderfully this series is done. The acting is near flawless and the story seems to be done as true to the events as possible. Obviously, with historical shows, there will be some creative license; but it does seem like the writers took great care to keep it as realistic as possible. I encourage you to familiarize yourself with the story and make up your own mind about the case. I have some very strong opinions, but I want you to go in with a clear head. Whatever your conclusion, I guarantee this series will make you think and leave you with some strong emotions. It's hard to watch, but the story definitely needed to be told.

I watched this a couple years back and am revisiting it in light of Gypsy's prison release. The story of DeeDee Blanchard's Münchausen syndrome by proxy is heart breaking- and while this miniseries is somewhat dramatized, it delivers strong performances and convincing locations.

The first five or six episodes are nearly immaculate. Arquette and King effortlessly absorb themselves into the mother and daughter roles. And we can understand how the system failed Gypsy.

Things took a turn when the 1990s flashback scenes and the scenes of Nick's family were introduced- I didn't feel those were pertinent for telling the story.

Overall it's a miniseries worthy of its Emmy award nominations.