Doctors comprise that section of society on whom we blindly place our trust. But what happens when they turn evil?When the hands that should heal begin causing us harm? Oxygen, the platform that gives us premium-quality crime programming, tackles this scenario. In its true-crime investigative series, ‘License to Kill’, it delves into the actual cases of medical professionals with an intent to murder. Sounds scary, doesn’t it? Produced by Shed Media, ‘License to Kill’ is executive produced by Pam Healey, Dan Peirson, Adam Kassen, Haylee Vance, Dave Kuba, and Terry Dubrow.
License to Kill Cast: Who is in it?
Famous plastic surgeon, Terry Dubrow of ‘Botched ‘ and ‘The Real Housewives of Orange County’ fame, hosts and frontlines this thrilling Oxygen series. A popular TV personality, Dubrow has worked on ‘The Swan’ and co-hosted the plastic-surgery-themed show, ‘Good Work’, alongside RuPaul and Sandra Vergara. He has performed plastic surgery procedures on the reality TV series, ‘Bridalplasty’, which revolves around a group of women who tries to win a wedding competition after undergoing surgical transformations.
License to Kill Plot: What is it about?
‘License to Kill’ follows the distressing experiences of patients whose lives were put at extreme risk by medical experts, such as doctors, nurses, and practitioners. The stories are narrated from the POV of victims, families, colleagues, and law enforcement officials, related to the cases. As the incidents unravel, we get an inside look into the minds of these killers who are pros at premeditated crimes. The show also explores the bodily harm done to the featured individuals and uses recreations of scenes such as forensic analysis and investigative methods to tell the story.
The trigger for such heinous crimes can be anything. When patients approach doctors during their most vulnerable times, the former uses this weakness for their own benefits. Whether motivated by money and power or jealousy, their determination to reach the final goal makes them lose sight of their actual vision. These medical practitioners have no regrets about breaking the Hippocratic Oath and using their skills to leave patients sick, injured, paralyzed, and sometimes, even dead. Each episode also chronicles how the authorities finally succeed in putting an end to such malpractices and madness that might soon end up harming another victim.
One of the episodes recounts the real story of Dr. Christopher Duntsch, a Dallas-based spine surgeon, who is also known as Dr. Death. Although reported as professionally inefficient by several of his colleagues, he held a God-like superiority complex and put many of his patients’ lives at risk. In spite of having impeccable credentials and holding positions in some of the most prestigious hospitals, his pathetic and horrendous surgical skills caused him to botch multiple operations, leading to long-term disabilities and at times, death. When his medical staff exposed his failures, he was finally apprehended by the authorities before he could victimize more innocents.
As per Dubrow—who is himself a doctor and certified expert for the California Medical Board—most of the medical professionals go to absolutely any length to help their patients. However, though uncommon, this is not usually the case. He further added, “And trust me, there’s nothing more terrifying than a deranged mind with a license to kill.”
