Painkiller Ending Explained: Directed by Peter Berg, the Netflix series has been created by Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster. The cast of the show includes Matthew Broderick, Uzo Aduba, Taylor Kitsch, Dina Shihabi and West Duchovny in lead roles. The limited series is spread across six episodes with a runtime of an hour each. The producers of the show are Eric Newman, Peter Berg, and Alex Gibney.
Painkiller Plot
The show is based on Patrick Radden Keefe’s New Yorker article “The Family That Built an Empire of Pain” and Pain Killer: An Empire of Deceit and the Origin of America’s Opioid Epidemic by Barry Meier. The limited series focuses on the birth of the opioid crisis in the US. It revolves around the pharmaceutical company, Purdue Pharma, the manufacturer of OxyContin.
The story is narrated by Edie Flowers (Uzo Aduba), who recounts her findings to the lawyers while trying to build a case against the Sackler family of Purdue Pharma. It also sheds light on the role of young pharma reps who were recruited by the company to push doctors to prescribe the new drug that eventually got its users addicted to it.
Painkiller Ending Explained
The series begins with Uzo Aduba’s Eddie Flowers speaking to lawyers about working on an investigative case in the past related to Purdue Pharma’s role in starting the opioid crisis. In the final episode, we learn about the outcome of the case and what happened to the company’s owner, Richard Sackler (Matthew Broderick) and the company’s drug that caused the crisis. The show up to its penultimate episode also builds tension around the character of Glen played by Taylor Kitsch who becomes one of the victims of OxyContin after he gets addicted to it.
A lot goes on in the six episodes as it moves from having tense moments to the characters facing moral dilemmas. All the developments eventually come down to a finale that ties up all the loose ends for the characters of Edie Flowers (Uzo Aduba), Glen Kryger (Taylor Kitsch), Shannon Schaeffer (West Duchovny), the pharmaceutical rep and of course, the Sackler family.
One of the most important moments in the show is when Shannon decides to right her wrongs and shares the inner workings of Purdue with the U.S. Attorney’s Office after facing a near-death experience following her own consumption of the drug. As for the company, when the case goes to trial, all the work done by Edie to get justice for the victims fails as with the involvement of Congress and the White House as well as DOJ, a deal is struck.
Also Read: Painkiller Review: Inconsistent Storytelling Leaves Out True Impact of the Opioid Crisis
Do Richard Sackler and Purdue Pharma Get Criminally Charged?
Matthew Broderick’s Richard Sackler does not get charged with a criminal offence on the show, despite being the mind behind the birth of OxyCotin. In the final episode, we see the character swimming in his pool whilst the hallucination of his Uncle Arthur shouts at him and punches him about settling out of court. As for the company, it is allowed to continue making and selling OxyContin following the trial.
It is also later revealed with a time jump to 2019 in the credits that Purdue Pharma filed for bankruptcy after several lawsuits and as part of a settlement the Sackler family agreed to pay a settlement of 6 billion.
What Happens to Edie Flowers and Glen Kryger?
After all her work against Purdue Pharma goes in vain following the trial’s disappointing verdict, Edie gets emotional about the same in the present day and explains how it led her to walk away from her job. After being shown how her relationship with her brother, who has been imprisoned for dealing drugs in the episodes, the finale also gives us an update on their current relationship. We learn that Edie has reconciled with her brother and put away their differences.
As for Glen Kryger, it’s a sad ending. While we see him taking steps for recovery after getting addicted to OxyContin, it doesn’t last long as the final episode shows him taking the pills again after he finds two occupants at the motel he is staying at having overdosed. He is later seen snorting lines of the drug and in the end, is found in a convenience store car park where he seemingly overdoses.
Painkiller is streaming on Netflix.
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