Even if you didn’t know that The Horror of Dolores Roach was one of those series with its roots in the world of podcasting when you sat down to watch it, this history would soon become abundantly apparent. This is not necessarily a criticism — shows wearing their podcast origins on their sleeves can become quite interesting, as was the case with the regrettably canceled Archive 81. The work of such adaptation can be an art form in and of itself; some things may seamlessly transfer while others might require a great deal more massaging. Adding another layer to this particular adaptation is that it was also a one-woman play in addition to being a podcast. The confined nature of the setting in this eight-episode season and the frequent narration that spells things out feel like an extension of this aspect, making for a dark comedy that’s sharp in some moments while more than a bit superficial in others. It all manages to be an enjoyable enough experience that will likely satisfy those who already appreciate the prior versions as well as a few new watchers even as it doesn’t quite cut as deep into its story as it could have.

The series, created by Aaron Mark (who was also behind both the podcast and the play), tells the story of the titular Dolores Roach (Justina Machado) as she tries to make her way in the world after being unjustly imprisoned for 16 years. When she is released, her old neighborhood of Washington Heights has become gentrified, most of those she was close to have abandoned her, and money is more than a little tight. However, she catches a small break when she reconnects with Luis (Alejandro Hernandez) who lets her begin working as a massage therapist underneath his restaurant. She is quite good at this and begins finding some stability for the first time in quite a while. When this is threatened by Luis’ dirtbag landlord Gideon Pearlman (Marc Maron) and he comes down for a massage where he begins to get a bit handsy, the subsequent altercation kicks off the main hook of the series. It isn’t a spoiler to say that Gideon meets his end at her hands, as this is all revealed in the trailer, with Dolores having to deal with the aftermath that begins to spiral rapidly out of control and provides an unexpected new filling for Luis to make his food with. Yes, in case it wasn’t already clear, this is a dark comedy centrally about murder, cannibalism, and empanadas.

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‘The Horror of Dolores Roach’ Lives and Dies in Machado’s Hands
Image via Prime Video

Though the show has been frequently described as being inspired by Sweeney Todd, it is more similar to the original Dexter series in its early days. The repeated narration, the recurring murders, and the darker humor all feel most in debt to that. What distinguishes it is the performance of Machado, who captures the many facets of her character even when the series itself feels a little scattered. As Dolores internally repeats to herself that she is actually a good person, the show often also resembles the early seasons of Barry. This is primarily due to the way it plays with a tone that is silly yet sinister as well as how there still feels like there is a chance that the character could find redemption. That being said, the series isn’t quite as inventive or bold, as it has a sitcom sensibility to the way it plays out.

This ends up tempering some of its more gruesome elements, making it hard to ever feel like it will ever really fully dive into the darkness at its core. Sure, the title has horror in it and the story itself does center around cannibalism, though it is still relatively tame. Once the inciting incident occurs, The Horror of Dolores Roach can feel like it is going in circles searching for something more. An initial framing device surrounding a play that is a retelling of everything that is happening feels more distracting than anything and undercuts any tension as we know that Dolores will make it out mostly okay. In particular, the middle episodes start to drag, and the series stretches out similar scenario after similar scenario that can become a little repetitive as a result.

There is something inherently unsettling in seeing a person consumed by those unaware they are doing so. And yet, as strange as it is to say it, there is much that feels a little tired. What gives The Horror of Dolores Roach its spark is Machado, who is both delightfully funny and grimly terrifying when she needs to be. The world has beaten Dolores down and seeing her doing everything she can to turn the tables on her situation while also dealing with her growing taste for death makes for a complicated underdog story. Even when the series writ large doesn’t deliver on the same level as her performance, Machado can carry it through some of the rough patches. Amidst goofy scenes of people unwittingly consuming human meat and ridiculous escalations that turn the series into a bit of a revenge story, hearing Dolores dream of a better life for herself still manages to strike a chord. It grounds the series in a narrative that felt a bit similar to the recent UnPrisoned while obviously being a great deal more macabre. In many ways, key scenes would have been made better with Machado just acting without unnecessary narration. Still, she makes the moments where we see darkness pass across Dolores’ face before she takes more and more bites out of the story work.

‘The Horror of Dolores Roach’ Is Bloody Good Yet Fleeting Fun
Image via Prime Video

In the age of streaming, there are series that feel like they’re meant to be savored for how rich each episode is and others that seem designed for a binge to smooth over some of their shortcomings. The Horror of Dolores Roach falls into that latter category; there are quite a few episodes that can feel like they are extraneous parts of the whole and characters that are more empty vessels meant to deliver information to get to the next development than memorable participants. Even when there are moments of significant growth, with Luis emerging as one of the more dynamic characters, this can feel more in service of adding the next layer to the plot.

That The Horror of Dolores Roach manages to be just cheeky enough to overcome its many flaws is a testament to Machado’s presence — she helps to turn a television meal that doesn’t always go down as easy as one would hope into one that has a bit more meat on its bones.

Rating: B-

All episodes of The Horror of Dolores Roach are available to stream on Prime Video starting July 7.