"Radicalism always begins with something small."
Dead Ringers is a series for Prime Video, remaking the 1988 film of the same name by David Cronenberg. It premiered on April 21, 2023, and stars Rachel Weisz in the title role(s).
Not related to the BBC satirical sketch comedy Dead Ringers.
Dead Ringers contains the following tropes:
- Adaptational Location Change: The original film was set in Toronto (with one scene near the beginning set in Massachusetts), while the series is set in New York City.
- Cigarette of Anxiety: Beverly is seen smoking when she's stressed out.
- Expy: The Parkers, "the family responsible for the opioid crisis" is one for the Sackler family.
- Functional Addict: Elliot. She's seen snorting cocaine on multiple occasions but it doesn't stop her from being an excellent physician. As the show continues, she slides into Addled Addict territory as her mind erodes.
- Gender Flip: The twins in the series are female, as opposed to male in the original film, though their names haven't been changed.
- Identical Twin ID Tag: Usually, Beverly has her hair tied up while Elliot leaves hers open; unless they do a Twin Switch. Moreover, their demeanor is so different that it's somewhat hard for either of them to impersonate the other. Later, Beverly's pregnancy makes it even easier to distinguish the two.
- Lipstick Lesbian: Genevive, who's an elegant and feminine actress. Beverly is a downplayed example.
- Living Emotional Crutch: Beverly is this to Elliot. A brief three-day separation when Beverly goes on a trip with Genevieve causes Elliot not only to throw a tantrum but causes her to go on a binge with Hookers and Blow.
- Morally Ambiguous Doctorate:
- Elliot is involved in some ethically questionable and very illegal research.
- Marion James (of the Parker family) used to "practice" on some of his patients.
- Marion Sims
, the "father of modern gynecology" is also shown as this (the topic is controversial in real life, to say the least), having operated without anesthesia, despite it being available, on enslaved black women.
- Really Gets Around: Elliot is a nympho who has sex with random men frequently in the six episodes she hooks up with two different men she meets at clubs, a man she meets at a church, a lawyer she bangs in a restaurant bathroom, and even a Korean investor in front of his translator who watches and gets a large erection.
- Sanity Slippage: Elliot. Elliot gradually goes more and more insane as her separation from her sister and Genevive becomes more involved in Beverly's life.
- Sibling Yin-Yang: To Polar Opposite Twins levels. Beverly is uptight, reserved, idealistic and a lesbian. By contrast, Elliot is uninhibited, outgoing, pragmatic and heterosexual.
- Sir Swears-a-Lot: Elliot has a very dirty mouth. Beverly to a lesser degree, especially when she's stressed.
- Tomboyish Name: Elliot has a traditionally male name and is the more assertive, caustic and foul-mouthed of the twins.
- Twin Switch: The sisters do that occasionally.
- What Measure Is a Non-Cute?: Discussed at dinner with the Parkers. Eating chicken is fine, but Rebecca's race horse is taboo?
