Bad Vegan: Fame. Fraud. Fugitives.
{{Short description|2022 Netflix docuseries}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2022}}
{{Infobox television
| image =
| caption =
| genre = Docu-series
| developer =
| director =
| presenter =
| starring =
| music = Dan Romer
| country = United States
| language = English
| num_seasons = 1
| num_episodes = 4
| list_episodes =
| executive_producer = {{Plainlist|
- Ryann Fraser
- Chris Smith
- Mark Emms
}}
| producer =
| cinematography = {{Plainlist|
- Britton Foster
- Antonio Rossi
}}
| editor = {{Plainlist|
- Amanda Griffin
- Michael Mahaffie
}}
| runtime = 44–61 minutes
| company = {{Plainlist|
- Library Films
- Eastern Road Films
}}
| network = Netflix
| released = {{Start date|2022|03|16}}
| opentheme =
}}
Bad Vegan: Fame. Fraud. Fugitives. is a 2022 Netflix docuseries{{cite web |title=Bad Vegan: Fame. Fraud. Fugitives.|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/bad-vegan-fame-fraud-fugitives-tv-review-2022|website=RogerEbert.com|first=Brian|last=Tallerico|date=March 16, 2022|access-date=March 16, 2022}}{{cite web |title=Bad Vegan: Fame, Fraud, Fugitives Season 1 Review – A gripping and poignant docu-series|url=https://www.thereviewgeek.com/badvegan-s1review/|website=The Review Geek|first=Greg|last=Wheeler|date=March 16, 2022|access-date=March 21, 2022}} by director Chris Smith. It documents how restaurateur Sarma Melngailis illegally transferred money to her husband so he could pay a deity to bestow immortality upon them.
Synopsis
The series tells the story of Sarma Melngailis, former owner of the New York City vegan restaurant Pure Food and Wine. Melngailis met and married conman Anthony Strangis (who called himself Shane Fox), and she alleged that he coerced her into stealing money from her own restaurant and later going on the run from authorities. The pair were ultimately charged with transferring over $1.6 million from the restaurant into their personal accounts.{{Cite web |title=Netflix Docuseries 'Bad Vegan: Fame. Fraud. Fugitives' Ending Explained: Shane Fox's Supernatural Con |url=https://trinikid.com/netflix-docuseries-bad-vegan-fame-fraud-fugitives-ending-explained |access-date=March 21, 2022 |website=trinikid.com|date=March 18, 2022 }}
Episodes
{{Episode table |total_width= |background=#000000 |overall= |title= |director= |airdate= |airdateR= |episodes=
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 1
|Title = Mr. & Mrs. Fox
|DirectedBy = Chris Smith
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2022|3|16}}
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor = 000000
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 2
|Title = Happily Ever After
|DirectedBy = Chris Smith
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2022|3|16}}
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor = 000000
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 3
|Title = No Angels in Hell
|DirectedBy = Chris Smith
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2022|3|16}}
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor = 000000
}}
{{Episode list
|EpisodeNumber = 4
|Title = Everything Will Be Fine
|DirectedBy = Chris Smith
|OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2022|3|16}}
|ShortSummary =
|LineColor = 000000
}}
}}
Reception
On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the limited series holds a 94% approval rating based on 17 critic reviews, with an average rating of 7.4/10.{{Cite Rotten Tomatoes|id=bad_vegan_fame_fraud_fugitives|title=Bad Vegan: Fame. Fraud. Fugitives.|type=tv|season=1|access-date=March 25, 2022}}{{cbignore}} On Metacritic, the series has a score of 72 out of 100, based on 10 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".{{Cite Metacritic|id=bad-vegan-fame-fraud-fugitives|title=Bad Vegan: Fame. Fraud. Fugitives.|type=tv|season=1|access-date=March 21, 2022}}{{cbignore}}
Lucy Mangan of The Guardian gave the show a rating of 3/5 and described it as "[An] unhurried but fascinating four-part documentary..."{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2022/mar/16/bad-vegan-fame-fugitives-review-fascinating-tale-of-a-2m-and-an-immortal-dog|title=Bad Vegan: Fame. Fraud. Fugitives review – fascinating tale of a $2m fraud and an immortal dog|last=Mangan|first=Lucy|author-link=Lucy Mangan|date=March 16, 2022|website=TheGuardian.com|access-date=March 17, 2022}}
Melngailis herself disputes the veracity of the series and its conclusions, citing numerous misrepresentations of her story in an attempt to heighten drama in ways that impugn her character, particularly in the editing of the show's final minutes.{{Cite web|last=Melngailis|first=Sarma|title= BAD VEGAN IS NOT A DOCUMENTARY|url= https://www.sarmaraw.com/writing/2022/4/5/bad-vegan-is-not-a-documentary|access-date=April 17, 2022|website=Sarma RAW|date=April 5, 2022 |language=en}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Netflix title}}
- {{IMDb title|18260538}}
{{Chris Smith}}
Category:2020s American documentary television series
Category:2022 American television series debuts
Category:2022 American television series endings
Category:Documentary television series about crime in the United States
Category:American English-language television shows