“The Artful Dodger” Season 1 Review

There’s a new doctor in town, and his name is Jack Dawkins.

Based on characters from Charles Dickens’s 1838 novel “Oliver Twist,” Hulu’s “The Artful Dodger” follows swindler-turned-surgeon, Jack Dawkins (Thomas Brodie Sangster), as past deeds come back to haunt him in his new life.

“The Artful Dodger” is based in Victorian-era Australia, a setting commonly overlooked in modern media, but an important one when exploring British colonization.

The colony Dawkins works in is overrun by waste, corruption and crime — with a police captain suspicious of Dawkins’s hazy past.

Back in London, Dawkins earned the nickname “Artful Dodger” because of his skillful pickpocketing maneuvers, which eventually landed him in prison where he was abandoned by his mentor, Fagin (David Thewlis).

One day while examining criminals shipped from overseas, Dawkins recognizes Fagin in the mix and pulls him aside. Fagin is the only one who could blow Dawkins’s cover in his new life, but he assures Dawkins he doesn’t want to cause trouble.

Sangster and Thewlis have impressively sharp chemistry, truly selling the dysfunctional father figure and scorned son relationship they share.

Reluctantly, Dawkins accepts Fagin as a servant in his practice, which eventually leads him down the path of crime once more.

Every episode of “The Artful Dodger” revolves around a new surgery Dawkins attempts, in a world where surgeries are performed in front of a live audience and body parts are sawed off with no anesthesia.

The surgeries definitely push the show’s TV-14 rating and don’t shy away from showing blood and gore.

It only immerses the audience in the world more, one where surgery success rates were abysmal and patients died on the table every day.

Now enters the colony governor’s daughter, Lady Belle Fox (Maia Mitchell).

Belle has an extensive knowledge of science and medicine from her sophisticated schooling and finds a sneaky way to score a spot assisting Dawkins with surgeries.

Dawkins can’t stand Belle and doesn’t think women are fit to be surgeons, but she continuously proves herself when surgeries come down to the wire.

Their relationship starts out strained, with heated arguments and disrespect on both ends.

Belle hates Dawkins’s stubborn attitude and affinity for crime, and Dawkins resents Belle for being well-off without having to lift a finger.

Most of the crimes Dawkins and Fagin involve themselves with only happen because they’re incredibly broke and desperate for money, but Belle condemns them anyway.

This perfectly leaves room for growth across the eight episodes — especially in a scene where Belle uses herself as a test subject for a carbonic acid healing treatment.

She burns her leg with the acid, and Dawkins stops her in an alleyway to examine it.

As he gently lifts her skirt, the underlying chemistry between the characters becomes clear.

Sangster and Mitchell are both standouts in this series for giving their characters depth, as people who care for others over themselves.

**Minor spoilers for Episodes 7 and 8 ahead

Unbeknownst to Dawkins, Belle is struggling with a hidden illness that leaves her fatigued and in moments of pain throughout the series.

She hides it well in front of him, but when he suggests they leave the declining colony behind and run away together in the seventh episode, she reveals her secret.

Belle brings a stethoscope to Dawkins’ ear so he can listen to her heart, and Sangster’s facial expressions depict a short moment of realization and a following breakdown.

The two had such a satisfying journey together, and suddenly it was all about to be ripped away.

There was an uphill struggle to realize their feelings, which made Belle’s revelation to Dawkins more painful since they didn’t have time to simply bask in new love.

While the romance was the most enthralling aspect of the series, the action and race against time in the final two episodes were a wild ride.

Captain Gaines sets up an ultimatum for Fagin to lead Dawkins into a trap and betray him, or he’d hang in the gallows.

Belle and Dawkins struggle to find a way to save her life, but Belle’s parents forbid her from seeing him.

It’s an action-packed finale that somehow satisfies each of its many moving parts.

But that doesn’t mean every loose end is tied up neatly, there are still avenues to explore if the series is picked up for a second season.

“The Artful Dodger” proves to be one of the best Charles Dickens adaptations with a refreshing balance of crime, action, medical intrigue and romance.

There is clearly more of the story to be told after the exciting final shot, and the ball is in Hulu’s court to give the viewers what they want.

Rating: 5/5

Kaitlyn Murphy is a second-year majoring in digital and print journalism. To contact her, email kvm6255@psu.edu.