‘Painkiller’ ending explained: what happened to Richard Sackler?
nme.comNetflix’s Painkiller charts the birth of the opioid crisis in the US through the story of pharmaceutical company Purdue Pharma, who created the drug OxyContin.Created by Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster, the miniseries follows the origins and impact of OxyContin across the US, a painkiller drug which was widely marketed without any concerns for its side effects and addictive qualities.A synopsis describes the show as “an examination of crime, accountability, and the systems that have repeatedly failed hundreds of thousands of Americans”.The show stars Uzo Aduba as Edie Flowers, an investigator pursuing Purdue Pharma over its marketing, alongside Matthew Broderick as the company’s president Richard Sackler.
Other cast members include Sam Anderson, Taylor Kitsch and Carolina Bartczak.Just as a trial against Purdue Pharma gets underway, the judge announces the company has settled the matter out of court, with Purdue agreeing to “plead guilty to one count of fraudulently misbranding OxyContin”.
In the terms of the settlement however, the company is still allowed to keep making OxyContin.After the verdict, the show jumps ahead to 2019 with the announcement that Purdue Pharma has filed for bankruptcy as a result of multiple lawsuits.
In a text card on screen, it’s noted that the Sacklers agreed to pay a settlement of $6billion.We’re then shown a scene of Richard Sackler returning home to the ghost of his uncle Arthur, who proceeds to repeatedly punch Richard for “ruining the family business”.
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