Netflix’s Painkiller tells the story of the inception of the opioid crisis in the United States by focusing on the rise of Purdue Pharma, the pharmaceutical company responsible for the creation of the drug OxyContin. Created by Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster, this miniseries delves into the origins and consequences of OxyContin’s widespread use in the country, eventually leading to a drug epidemic and ruining unsuspecting patients’ lives.
The True story behind Painkiller
Starring Matthew Broderick as Richard Sackler, the actual man responsible for the success of Purdue Pharma, the show follows the company’s rise by marketing the addictive OxyContin. This drug is widely held accountable for the current opioid addiction crisis across North America. According to Netflix, the series offers a partially accurate account of the events, drawing from the book Pain Killer: An Empire of Deceit and the Origin of America’s Opioid Epidemic by Barry Meier, as well as the New Yorker article about the Sackler family titled The Family That Built An Empire of Pain.
The extensive usage of OxyContin resulted in numerous Americans developing an addiction to the drug. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, drug overdose deaths linked to prescription drugs surged from around 3,000 in 1999 to surpass 17,000 in 2017. This crisis saw many people working in the pharmaceutical sector profiting from it. The executive producer of Netflix show, Alex Gibney, stated in the show’s press release, as reported by Time Magazine, “It was something that was manufactured; manufactured by companies looking to make an egregious profit. I realized that this opioid crisis I’ve been hearing so much about was not just a crisis, it was really a crime.”
ALSO READ: Star Trek Strange New Worlds Season 2 ending explained: Shocking finale sets up Season 3
The Ending of Painkiller
The series finale starts with Shannon, the saleswoman at the company discovering her colleagues’ use of OxyContin as a party drug. After a life-threatening incident, she meets Edie, apologizing for prioritizing money over morals. Returning with evidence, the saleswoman offers to assist Edie with her investigation. Shannon is interviewed by her, revealing the company’s horrifying culture. US Attorney John Brownlee and Edie present findings to their team, moving closer to a trial against Purdue Pharma and Richard Sackler.
Soon though all the optimism our heroes had is crushed, as Prude Pharma decides to settle the case outside of court. After the verdict, the show leaps to 2019, with Purdue Pharma filing bankruptcy due to lawsuits. In the final shot of the show, Sackler returns home to his uncle Arthur’s ghost, symbolizing the family’s downfall. Text cards at the end noted that the company still didn’t get its bankruptcy approved in 2023 and that the family behind the drug was never brought to justice. The show’s very last shot is of Sackler crumbling away.
