Created by Peter Craig (The Town, The Batman, Top Gun: Maverick) based on Dennis Tafoya’s 2009 novel of the same name, Dope Thief follows two Philadelphia friends—Ray Driscoll (Brian Tyree Henry) and Manny Carvalho (Wagner Moura)—who pose as DEA agents and rob drug dealers to support themselves. Their scam becomes decidedly dangerous when they rob a cook lab that turns out to be part of a major East Coast narcotics operation that’s under surveillance by the real DEA. Soon both law enforcement and a deadly drug cartel are after them.
Gripping and gritty, the series follows these two low-level criminals, humanizing them as we discover their challenging backgrounds, the people they care about, and their ongoing struggles. Yes, they break the law, but the more we look up the drug underworld food chain, the more it ironically feels like they’re the good guys.
The focus shifts between Ray and Manny’s world and the law enforcement world, especially undercover agent Mina (Marin Ireland) and her supervisor, Mark Nader (Amir Arison). Ving Rhames co-stars as Bart Driscoll, Ray’s incarcerated father, and Kate Mulgrew co-stars as Theresa Bowers, Ray’s de facto stepmother. The performances are all compelling. A great miniseries! (eight approximately 43- to 53-min. episodes)
—Glen Starkey
This article appears in Apr 24 – May 4, 2025.