On March 20, 2019, Hulu released an unsettling new series based on the real-life events of the Blanchard family, a story that culminates with the murder of one of their own.

The story follows the lives of Clauddine “Dee Dee” Blanchard and her daughter Gypsy Rose who, truthfully, got the short end of the stick in terms of living a “normal” life.

This young girl suffered from leukemia, muscular dystrophy (causing her to spend her childhood in a wheelchair), epilepsy, respiratory issues, vision/hearing impairment, and a permanent feeding tube, or so everyone thought.

Test after test was administered in an attempt to figure out what was wrong, however, each test came back negative. Dee Dee managed to consistently convince everyone that her precious daughter was sick. Doctors did not pick up on the countless gaps in Dee Dee’s stories that simply did not add up.

Dee Dee Blanchard, portrayed by Patricia Arquette, checks all of the boxes to be diagnosed with the mental illness known as Munchausen syndrome by proxy. This disease causes a person to act as if an individual they are caring for has a physical or mental illness when in reality the person has no legitimate ailments.

Hulu has released three episodes running for around 53 minutes. Joey King, Patricia Arquette, AnnaSophia Robb, Calum Worthy, and Chloë Sevigny create brilliant performances. They really dive into the depths of their characters to show the reality of the darkness in this situation.

The editing and scene placement is very well done. I love the decision to tell the story from the past and then flash forward to the present day murder. It keeps the audience on the edge of their seats, especially as Dee Dee’s lies unfold.

This series is incredibly interesting, and I would recommend watching it. The official rating on the show is TV-MA because some of the scenes are more risque and gruesome. A new episode airs every Wednesday, so tune in on April 2nd for episode four.