Anatomy of Lies, as much as it can, follows the complicated web of lies TV writer Elisabeth Finch has told throughout her career, among them: that she has cancer, that her brother died of suicide, and that she witnessed her friend being blown to bits in a mass shooting. Her transgressions range from icky to downright immoral, and this three-part documentary smartly and sensitively tackles them all, even if key figures from the narrative are missing, including Finch herself. Instead, most of the story is told by Finch’s ex-wife Jennifer Beyer, who bravely represents how much harm these lies can create. My only issue with the doc is how much it expects audiences to know about Finch already, so it takes way too long to drop the ball and expose what she’s done in clear terms. Otherwise, the show is as juicy as it is horrifying, while also posing that age-old question: is it excusable for a writer to use other people’s trauma for their own storytelling purposes?
Synopsis
Reveals the rise and fall of Grey's Anatomy star writer Elisabeth Finch, whose jaw-dropping lies fooled Hollywood for years, and became fodder for many high-profile episodes of Grey's. The story is told by some of her closest contacts, many speaking for the first time.
Storyline
This three-part docuseries dissects the many lies peddled by Elisabeth Finch, a TV writer who pretended to have cancer in order to secure a writing gig in Grey’s Anatomy.
TLDR
Stranger than fiction, for real.
What stands out
I don’t think I can watch Grey’s Anatomy (or at least some episodes) the same way ever again.
