Painkiller Episode 5: This episode respects Matthew Stavron, who is also a victim of OxyContin. His mother still loves him. In this episode, we will discuss how the Sackler family starts to unravel.
This episode starts in the 1950s in New York. We can see a young Richard Sackler arriving at his uncle’s house during Christmas. Arthur was always an ambitious man who was always thinking about money and popularity.
Let’s return to the present. Purdue is happy because their executives gave a good response in front of Congress. On the other side, Brownlee brought in two top lawyers, Rick Mountcastle, and Randy Ramseyer, to confirm that Purdue knows about OxyContin and its problems. They even searched the company emails. Later, they went to investigate Udell’s office where Richard is staying.
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They spent the whole day there but couldn’t secure an appointment. Finally, they managed to meet with Howard because Richard didn’t want to meet with them. They suggested to Howard to put a label on the product so that patients only use it for vital pain. On the other side, Richard started playing with his dog, making noise to avoid them.
Howard suggested giving $10 million to Virginia Law Enforcement to settle everything. But Howard stopped accepting money and moved to the second phase. They tried to gather more information, so they targeted the young girl sellers. Edie finally spoke with Brownlee, who is a secretary working at the Purdue office.
In the Purdue office, everyone is discussing how to fight Virginia law enforcement, but Richard doesn’t want to settle or do anything.
Later, Deborah Marlowe called Edie. She revealed that years ago, Mr. Udell asked her to go online and find anything she could about OxyContin abuse and addiction. The Sacklers reported 59 reports about addiction but hid them. However, it’s important to note that Deborah is also an addict, so it’s unclear if people will believe her. Edie and her team make a plan to meet with Deborah.
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Richard had an ex-wife, but what happened to her isn’t disclosed in this series. He’s still hallucinating her and frequently talks with the non-existent Arthur Sackler. The whole team goes to Miami for a celebration. Many people come and thank OxyContin and Richard. This motivates him to organize Purdue’s annual sales celebration there because they are the number 1 opioid sellers. Shannon also encounters Jay P McCloskey at the party, suggesting he’s tied up with them too.
Shannon notices that at the party, everyone is taking OxyContin. She observes Dr. Cooper promoting Shannon’s junior, Jenn because she is very friendly. Shannon becomes fed up with reality and takes OxyContin.
On the other side, Edie and her team try to meet with Deborah. They wait for a long time, but she never shows up. They call the police and doctors, but nothing happens. However, Edie discovers that Deborah is an addict who takes 30 pills a day, and she learns about how OxyContin can be abused. Edie loses her only lead, and now it’s over.
Shannon is flying high because she is enjoying her money, but many pharmacies have protestors nearby. At a pharmacy, she meets Dr. Fitzgibbons, who tells her that the young girl she met earlier has died.
Glen is losing everything—his family, relationships, and more. But he can’t overcome his addiction to OxyContin. He goes to the doctor and asks for more prescriptions, but the doctor denies his request. Things take a wrong turn, and Glen becomes furious, attempting to destroy everything in the pharmacy, but the doctor doesn’t comply. He later sells all his essential belongings from his shop and gets the money.
He even sells his wedding ring, but at the health center, the police guard the place, and they ask for money for a doctor’s appointment. Later, some goons come and take all his money. He also meets Tyler and confesses his guilt. In reality, he wants cash for OxyContin, but Tyler is fed up with him. Later, we see him suffering in pain and becoming homeless.
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Shannon has already lost herself after taking OxyContin for the first time. At the party, she witnesses some unpleasant truths about the employees of Purdue. But her head is spinning, and when she drinks some water, she feels better, so she jumps into a pool. On the other side, Glen is in pain, and when he drinks water, it helps him survive the pain. Both are now in helpless situations and on the other side, Edie is also helpless. Let’s see how she will fight against the Sacklers.