Painkiller (2023) s01e01 Episode Script

1
This program is based on real events.
However, certain characters,
names, incidents, locations, and dialogue
have been fictionalized
for dramatic purposes.
Sorry.
What wasn't fictionalized is that my son,
at the age of 15,
was prescribed OxyContin.
He lived in years and years of addiction.
And at the age of 32, he died,
all alone in the freezing cold
in a gas station parking lot.
And we miss him.
[ominous music playing]
[smoke detector beeps]
[dog groans]
- [beeps continue]
- [groans]
What the fuck?
[smoke detector beeps]
[smoke detector beeps]
["The Sound of Silence" playing]
Hello, darkness, my old friend ♪
[beeps continue]
I've come to talk with you again ♪
Because a vision softly creeping ♪
Left its seeds while I was sleeping ♪
And the vision
That was planted in my brain ♪
Still remains ♪
Within the sound of silence ♪
In restless dreams, I walked alone ♪
[dog barking]
Narrow streets of cobblestone ♪
'Neath the halo of a street lamp ♪
[guard]
Sir! Sir! Don't do that, sir. Sir
- No, I've got it.
- No, let me do that, sir.
There's 220 smoke alarms on the property.
- You know I can't sleep.
- Oh, sir!
- Very important day.
- Goodness.
- I'm so sorry, sir.
- I need my rest.
I'm sorry about that.
Just please let me do this, sir.
Very big day. Dr. Richard needs his rest.
Why does this keep happening?
I put batteries in once a month.
Well done, well done, well done.
- I'll put a new one up there.
- Very good job. It's all right.
Don't worry about that now.
Just clean up the mess.
Actually, would you mind
checking the rest of them?
Yes, sir.
And whispered in the sound of silence ♪
[pensive music playing]
[tense music playing]
[elevator bell dings]
Thank you for being here, Ms. Flowers.
It means a lot to us.
I'm Brianna Ortiz.
This is my associate, Bill Havens.
- An honor to meet you.
- How do you do?
- May I call you Edie?
- Ms. Flowers will do.
Of course.
Everything all right with your flight?
- It was fine.
- Everything's good?
We can cut the chitchat.
I recognize you're trying to be polite.
I've made a note of it. Thank you.
- Oh. I just see that you brought your
- Yes. I changed my flight to 7:15.
I'm eager to be home.
But we have the next five hours,
so let's make the most of it.
- Where are we doing this? Great.
- Just down the hall.
What do you want to know?
[Brianna] We'll just get right into it.
To the right.
- Welcome.
- [Edie] Great.
Hello. Keep your seat.
[Brianna] All right.
[beeps]
As you probably already know,
every state and dozens of cities
and counties are suing Purdue Pharma
for their role
in starting the opioid epidemic.
It's hundreds of lawsuits
that would take decades to resolve,
so we've consolidated those lawsuits
into a single case
that we believe will bring justice
once and for all.
Justice? Okay.
[Brianna]
We can't bring people back from the dead,
but we can make these people pay.
So not justice, payment.
I don't know why you need me for this.
You could come up with a number.
Pick the biggest number you can think of,
they will pay it, you can call it a win.
Ms. Flowers,
you might find this frustrating,
and I know you've been through
the wringer, but now isn't then.
We have good reason to be optimistic
about the outcome.
Uh-huh.
[Bill] Why are you here?
- You don't look like you want to be.
- I made a promise to someone.
But you have access
to the same files I did.
You've seen everything I've seen.
We have. But I have quite a few questions
I'd like to get through.
Let's just start with one.
How do you think we got here?
What do I think?
I think you're wasting my time.
And yours.
I know how this ends.
I've been here before.
[Brianna on TV] Would you state your name?
Sir.
Richard Sackler.
[Brianna] You are here today
to give testimony in the civil case
pending against Purdue Pharma,
makers of OxyContin.
Dr. Sackler, are you aware of that?
That is my understanding.
You deposed Richard Sackler?
[attorney] I want to make it clear that
the appearance of Dr. Sackler here today
is on a voluntary basis.
How did you manage that?
That's it. Go ahead.
I told you, things are different now.
We're big-game hunting,
no mid-level flunkies.
But we need your help to do it.
Was
Was he sitting right here?
- I'm gonna need a different chair.
- I'm sorry?
Just get me another chair.
Can you take that chair
out of the room please?
Thank you.
- Okay, if you need a moment
- [Edie] No.
Well, what's next?
When did you first hear about OxyContin?
1998, because of an x-ray machine
in Hillsville, Virginia.
[country music playing]
Well, I am sorry to keep you waiting,
Ms. Flowers.
So, what seems to be the problem?
Good morning, doctor.
I need to see your GE 4225 portable x-ray.
- Oh, so you need an x-ray?
- I don't need an x-ray.
You can put the clipboard down.
I'm not a patient.
Okay.
An appointment is the only way
I can get your full attention.
and now that I have that,
I am Edie Flowers.
I am an investigator with
the U.S. attorney's office in Roanoke.
Part of my job is to track down doctors
who bill Medicaid
for procedures they don't perform.
That is fraud, not just to Medicaid,
but the American taxpayer.
Before you look at me like that,
trust me when I say
it really is in your best interest
to show me that x-ray machine.
Please and thank you.
Oh, boy. Yeah. Yeah, okay.
Yeah. There, uh There it is.
But I haven't done anything wrong.
You billed Medicaid for 50 x-rays a day
for 30 days straight.
Not 49, not 51.
And at $107 per x-ray,
this clinic, which you own,
earned $160,500.
Do I need to call my lawyer?
Why would you need a lawyer
if you didn't do anything wrong?
- I'll pay it back.
- You're gonna pay me back?
Well, whoever, I'll pay them back.
Okay, look, I don't want to lose
my practice over this. Please.
- There must be some way out of this.
- Cooperate.
Okay. Okay, I will. Fine.
I need a copy of every invoice
over the last two years
and I'll make copies
of the files on your computers,
and if there is anything else
I should know, anything at all,
it's best you tell me now
because if I find it,
it will make things much worse for you.
Is there anything else I should know?
- Nope.
- You sure?
No. No, there is nothing.
There's nothing, I promise.
Then let's see those files.
["Top Yourself" playing]
[Edie] At first, the only way
you heard about OxyContin
was if Purdue sent one of their reps
to visit your local doctor
Chevy going hot. Get her off the lift.
[Edie] and you were unlucky enough
to get hurt.
Damn, little quicker, huh?
How are you going to top yourself
When there is nobody else? ♪
How are you gonna do it by yourself? ♪
'Cause I'm not gonna be
Here to help you ♪
Yeah!
Hey, good morning.
- Just having lunch.
- [Glen] Little impromptu lunch, huh?
- [James] Absolutely.
- What are you eating?
[Colby] Salami sandwich.
Yeah, so spare needs to be changed here.
That hasn't been done.
Chevy, get off the lift.
- Finish your food and let's go.
- [James] We'll get right on it.
Good job, guys. Really good start today.
How are you gonna top yourself
When there is nobody else? ♪
How are you gonna do it by yourself? ♪
'Cause I'm not gonna be
Here to help you ♪
I mean, what the fuck?
How you gonna do it alone? ♪
When I don't pick up my phone ♪
- Ty! Ty! Ty!
- [shouting]
Hey!
Hey! Pace it up!
You've done nothing in an hour.
All these engines came out of nowhere
and I don't know what to do with them.
This isn't a junkyard we're doing.
Let's get the engines in the bin.
I need you in the shop.
- I will, I will.
- Pull focus.
- Okay! All right!
- Here we go.
- I believe in you, man.
- I believe in me too.
Hey, Mike. Sorry to keep you waiting.
Let's get you closed up.
Thanks for waiting, huh?
Come on in.
- Hey, hon. Mike wants to close up.
- Hi. Hi, Mike.
- Hey!
- [Glen] Hi!
- Okay, that comes to
- [Glen] Oh, who is it?
167 total.
[Glen] Yeah. Hold on.
Things have been slow down at the shop
so I appreciate the discount.
- [Lily] Oh. No problem.
- Discount, hon?
Yeah. You know, that, uh
You know Maggie left me?
Oh, shoot.
- I did not know that.
- Yeah, she took everything but the truck.
- Yeah, she took the house.
- Oh, yeah?
She took the dog. She had it attack me
when I went to get my shoes.
[rock music playing over headphones]
You know Rhonda
who works at the Chevrolet dealership?
- [Glen] I know Rhonda.
- Not at the front desk.
Uh, that's who she left me for.
Okay.
- How we doing?
- That was intense.
- The discount with Mike?
- Oh, come on, he's so sad.
- [phone ringing]
- [Glen] Emotional discounts. I don't know.
Kryger Tires.
Oh, fantastic. Thank you so much. Okay.
- Um
- What?
Your Accu-turn tire thingy from Italy
arrived and is gonna clear Customs
- and get dropped off today at 5:00, yeah.
- Italy. Nice.
How much did that run us?
What was it, like, eight grand?
Eight thousand dollars?
You're the one
who wanted a fancy Italian one.
I don't even know what it does.
Honey, just because
I want something for $8,000,
doesn't mean you're supposed
to pull the trigger on it.
You're joking, right?
You're actually joking.
- I'm gonna kick you in your Oh, my God.
- You're running the books.
- Yeah?
- I'm going to kill you.
So, we don't like college, huh?
No college.
There goes your college fund.
- Okay. Okay.
- Daddy's being mean.
- I love you.
- You just go and do your thing out there.
[rock music playing over headphones]
This was supposed to
be done yesterday, guys.
Get it out, it's ready.
[rock music continues over headphones]
Motherfucker.
- Take them off! Take them off!
- Why?
- Come on.
- Listen to me.
- I'm fucking around.
- Yeah, exactly.
- You're fucking around. No more.
- Glen.
Do you know how a T-Rex says hi?
Stop fucking around. Hey. Stop. Stop.
[Tyler growling]
- Stop.
- Do you know how the T-Rex eats?
- It goes
- Get the fuck out.
Let's go. Turn it off.
- Turn it the f
- Ah!
- Hey, shut it down.
- [Tyler] I can't understand you.
Shut it down! No more.
- Hey, get out.
- Come on, man.
- I'm just fucking around.
- Get out.
- I can do it. Come on.
- Stop fucking around.
- I gave you a warning. Did I not?
- Yes, you did.
Okay, so what happened?
Nothing happened. You're screwing around.
- Turn the machine off, get in the shop.
- I took the music off! Listen
[Glen shouts]
Oh, shit.
- [shouts] Fuck.
- Are you okay? Are you okay?
What is going on?
He fell And then the rotator
- He fell off onto the ground.
- Are you okay?
- [Tyler] Glen, I'm so sorry man, I
- [Glen] Oh, fuck.
[Lily] Do you think you can get up?
Grab my shoulder.
- My back. There's something in my back.
- Okay.
- Let's try and stand up.
- Let's try to get up.
[Tyler] I'm so sorry.
- I was just fucking around.
- Slow.
- [Tyler] I didn't mean to throw you off.
- Ready? One, two, three, come on.
- [screaming] Oh, fuck!
- Put him down, put him down!
[Lily] Okay, go call an ambulance.
- [James] Jesus Christ.
- [Glen] My back. Oh, fuck.
[monitor beeping]
[surgeon] Retractor.
Next, please.
Suction. There's the ligament damage.
All right, it's out.
There's the bone fragment.
I spoke with your surgeon.
He said home run, everything was great.
- So now
- Awesome.
pay attention.
[in German accent] We have to get out
of the bed time unt into the med time.
Right? Pay attention.
We have the muscle relaxer.
That's right.
- We have the steroid for the inflammation.
- Okay.
Unt we have the Vicodin for the pain.
Thank you.
Um
- With food?
- With food. Yeah!
Schnitzel from the pig!
[Lily] Okay.
[in normal voice] So, I will see
you next week for a checkup.
Uh, yeah, the 25th.
Glen, you did good.
Everything's gonna be fine.
- Thanks, Dr. Hartman.
- Bye, gang.
Richard attached himself
to an endless supply of customers,
people in pain,
and people with no option
other than to get better.
Try lifting the feet up,
both at a time. Up.
[Glen groaning]
It's a little more difficult.
A little more advanced. And holding.
Breathing. Again. Inhale, exhale.
- Lower the legs maybe two inches.
- [Glen] This sucks.
Why is that so painful?
[woman] The muscles are stretching
when you do that, okay?
Relax. Excellent.
Let's try something different.
- And 90 degrees, holding.
- [Glen] Easy, please.
[woman]
Gently lowering them down a few inches.
And, breathe, breathe, breathe.
- Keeping the back down, flat.
- God, this fucking sucks.
- [woman] Push on my hands.
- I can't.
[woman] Okay, okay.
I know it's frustrating, but you got it.
You're doing well. Doing really well.
This is a long process.
[Glen] Uh, yeah.
[woman]
I've seen a lot of cases like yours,
and you have to know that this
is something you're living with now, okay?
[Glen] Okay.
This is your new reality.
And draw the knees up.
Let's try five more.
- All the way up. Five more.
- Okay.
This isn't just about a pill
that killed a lot of people.
It's bigger than that.
No, this thing, this plague,
it started when someone in that family
realized that the big money in medicine
was in sales and marketing.
[scoffs]
And lies.
- You're referring to Arthur Sackler?
- [Edie] Yeah.
Arthur Sackler started this whole thing.
He was a psychiatrist at the eve
of the pharmaceutical revolution.
In those days, the go to move
in mental health was a lobotomy.
But lobotomies are a one-shot deal.
No repeat customers.
Arthur realized with the right pill,
he'd have a customer for life.
And he branded the new pill
A lobotomy in a bottle.
[Edie] He found out he was
a better salesman than a doctor,
so he went out
and bought himself two things:
a drug company
and the country's largest
medical advertising agency.
He knew that marketing
was the future of pills
and he hit the jackpot
when they got the contract for Valium,
creating the world's first
blockbuster drug.
[Arthur]
The drug you never knew you needed.
[Edie] And then he was rich
and he wanted everyone to know it.
He bought a bunch of old, fancy art.
He put his name on any museum, school
or hospital that would take his money,
and they all did.
I think it made him feel immortal.
To him, legacy was everything.
[all] Sackler!
[Edie] He lorded that legacy
over his whole family,
and like a lot of families
of really rich people,
they couldn't wait for him to die.
They wouldn't have to wait long.
- Excuse me.
- Yes?
I need to speak to a doctor.
[nurse]
Sir, you need to sign in first over there.
[Edie] On May 26, 1987,
he drove himself to the emergency room
at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital
and announced:
My name is Dr. Arthur Sackler.
I'm having a heart attack.
I have a blockage of my proximal left
anterior descending artery.
I need a balloon angioplasty right now
or I won't survive.
[nurse] Okay, let's start from the top.
Let's start from the top. Sir?
- I'm Dr. Arthur Sackler.
- [nurse] Sir, I need you to come back.
I'm having a heart attack.
I have a blockage of my proximal
left anterior descending artery.
I need a balloon angioplasty now
or I won't survive.
[doctor] I'm gonna need you
to calm down for a minute.
Sir? Where are you? Sir? Nurse!
[nurse] Some help here.
[monitor beeping]
Stop wasting time.
I have a blockage of my proximal left
anterior descending artery.
I need the angio
[doctor] Let's see
what the EKG has to say.
Stop wasting time. Do what I say.
- [doctor] You're doing great.
- [grunts]
[doctor]
Well, it looks like Hey, you were right.
Yeah, I'm always fucking right.
Oh, boy.
[EKG flatlining]
[nurse] Time of death 7:58 p.m.
[Edie] Arthur may have created
the modern pharmaceutical business
and made the family millions,
but it was his nephew, Richard,
who unleashed a monster
Right this way, Dr. Sackler.
[Edie] and made them billions.
- [machines beeping]
- [staff chattering]
It would take 10 years,
but I think the passing of some mantle
from Arthur to Richard
was the beginning of OxyContin.
[dramatic music playing]
And now that Arthur
was out of the picture,
Richard had a plan.
But first he needed one key ingredient,
and the only thing that stood in his way
was a big dysfunctional family.
- What's the point of talking about this?
- How long is this going to take?
- Stanley, we need to know what's going on.
- Let him talk!
We're trying!
Goddamn it, Stanley, what are we getting?
[clears throat]
It seems that Arthur hypothecated a great
deal of art and money over the years.
What the hell does "hypothecated" mean?
It means he owes money.
And not just money, art.
There are some sizable debts to Harvard,
the Met, the Smithsonian, Columbia
And who's going to pay that?
[Stanley]
Well, Arthur had several businesses
and he added your names to many of them.
- All right, which businesses?
- [Stanley] Okay. [clears throat]
Uh, Douglas McAdams,
Medical Tribune International,
Napp Pharmaceuticals, MD publications
- Have you?
- I've never heard of
Medimetriks, Purdue Frederick MRS,
IMS, MSCDC.
I haven't heard of
any of these businesses.
[Stanley] Your names are all over them.
I suggest you liquidate to pay these debts
because, as I said, they are sizable.
- Stanley, was Dad broke?
- No, no, no. Well, maybe.
[all shouting, arguing]
- Take Purdue.
- That's a terrible idea.
They're going to divide it all up
so that we get little pieces? No.
Give them everything
and exchange it for Purdue.
Purdue's got only one drug
that's worth anything, MS Contin.
Right now, it's a niche drug
for people who are dying of cancer.
When the patent runs out, we got fuck all.
You were in there, you got fuck all now.
Purdue is a real company,
bought by you and Arthur.
They actually make something.
Those people in there don't understand.
They've never made anything in their
entire lives except fucking chitchat.
No! No! We're not gonna
[all shouting indistinctly]
We'll let them eat canapés,
we'll make something.
Yeah, but you've never
brought a drug to market, son.
It takes a decade,
and we've got nothing in the pipeline.
- It's a dead end.
- We know pain.
Yeah, that's for damn sure.
We developed MS Contin,
we understand pain.
I understand pain.
All of human behavior
is essentially comprised of two things:
running away from pain
and toward pleasure.
It's a cycle.
Run from pain, run toward pleasure.
Pain, pleasure, pain, pleasure.
Again and again.
Well, this circle is our existence.
It is the very essence
of what it means to be human, to be alive.
But if we place ourselves right there,
between pain and pleasure
If we become the gatekeepers for everyone
who wants to get away from pain,
then we have changed the world.
We finish what Arthur started.
And you will never have to worry
about money ever again.
- Fuck yeah.
- Yeah.
[Bill] Purdue goes on to develop
one of the most powerful painkillers
to ever hit the market,
while telling us it's perfectly safe.
Besides money,
what do you think motivated Sackler?
Napoleon was short,
so he conquered Europe.
Batman's Batman
because his parents got killed.
- Is that what you're asking?
- Yeah.
In college, he tried inventing a pill
that could give you an orgasm.
He loved vacationing in Thailand.
His favorite vegetable is the asparagus,
and I don't give a shit the motivation.
It doesn't matter because he did it.
I'm sure even if you knew the reason,
it wouldn't make you feel any better.
What about you, Ms. Flowers?
What motivated you?
The only thing I had: work.
That's it? Just work?
Just work.
- ["Blow Your Whistle" playing]
- [children laughing, chattering]
Talking to the kids
And the bicycle riders ♪
Talking to the hippies
And the Watergate hiders ♪
[Edie] Yes, yes, yes!
Talking to the people
Getting down at the go-go ♪
Shake your tambourine
Go and get yourself a whistle and blow ♪
Shake your tambourine and blow ♪
Fuck! Come on.
Shit.
Shit.
Shit, shit, shit.
[operator] You have reached
the Tomb Raider helpline.
- The charge is two d
- [keypad beeping]
- Hi, it's Edie.
- [man] Hello, Ms. Edie. How are you?
Yeah, I'm about two minutes into Level 14.
In Atlantis, in the pool room,
and I don't know how to get through it.
I've died 16 times.
Hello?
You need to move across
the space two times.
- First, you spring the traps.
- Hang on. Mm-hm.
- Then you get out of the
- Okay. I got it.
Well done. Now turn to your left,
climb the tallest block and jump to the
Ah.
There's a dragon up ahead
at the third column.
- Thank you.
- My pleasure, Ms. Edie.
- If there's anything else I can do
- No.
I'm good. Good night.
Or good morning, wherever you are.
I am a bureaucrat.
Bureaucracy is what holds us together.
It's what keeps society organized,
functioning, moving.
There's no civilization
without bureaucracy.
Spreadsheets are what keep the world
from collapsing, and
I was good at my job.
Chuck baby don't give a what ♪
I'll need a copy of every invoice
over the last two years.
Green for legitimate charges.
Anything else you think I should know?
Yellow for fraudulent charges
I was already aware of,
and red, red is when I was lied to.
- There is nothing.
- You sure?
I promise.
Chuck baby don't give a ♪
When the red came out,
that tended to turn things fun for me.
By 1998, not a lot of people
had heard of OxyContin.
Even if you had,
you probably had no clue what it could do.
And that was the idea.
It was essential to Richard's plan.
Now that the Sacklers had Purdue,
they needed to find a drug
they could sell.
A blockbuster.
And Richard was making a big bet on pain.
[grunts]
Okay. Okay, good boy.
Here you go, good boy.
Aren't you such a good boy?
Such a good boy. Are you ready?
Are you ready to make the donuts with me?
Are you ready to make some money, Unchie?
I love you so much.
That's it. That's it, boy.
Come on, boy. Come on.
- Good morning.
- Good morning.
Come on, boy.
That's a good boy. You're a good boy.
You're such a good boy.
I'll pick you up for now.
But he wasn't starting from scratch.
For over 15 years,
Purdue had been making and marketing
a morphine-based painkiller
called MS Contin.
So OxyContin just needed
a little recipe tweaking.
[Kaiko] MS Contin has two elements.
Of course, there's the Contin,
our candy coating that dissolves slowly
in the digestive tract
- Mm-hm.
- which gives the system
it's time-release property.
And then there's
the milk chocolatey center,
morphine sulfate, MS
And when we developed MS Contin,
was there any plan
for a second generation?
- No.
- Why not?
Because morphine works well.
It's well-understood
which made it relatively easy
to get approval from the FDA.
Well, morphine is not
the only opiate that works well.
It is the only opiate
that's associated with death.
I
I would like to make a painkiller
that people associate
with improved well-being, with life.
Let's make something new.
Can you do that?
This was the birth of a bad idea.
- [alarm wailing]
- [ominous radio chatter]
- Sure.
- Then do it.
[Edie] They took one type of heroin
wrapped in a time-release coating
and swapped it for a much stronger one.
[Arthur] I like it.
It's a little dangerous.
Be careful.
But I like it.
[woman 1] Okay
I'll say a word
and you say the first thing
that comes into your minds.
Anyone can go first. All right.
Codeine.
[man 1] Dentist.
[man 2] Cough syrup.
[man 3] Wisdom teeth.
[woman 2] Sleep aid.
- [man 4] Fever.
- [woman 1] Ah. Thank you.
Now, what about "morphine"?
[man 1] Death.
[man 3] Cancer.
[man 2] Addicts.
[woman 2] Severe pain.
All right, now tell me what words
you associate with "oxycodone."
[man 3] Is Is that Percocet?
[man 2]
"Oxy", it's like a pulmonary thing.
[man 1] Like, oxygen?
Hey. What the hell?
Something the matter?
You see? You see,
they all have an idea about morphine,
but oxycodone is a clean slate.
Nobody has any associations with it.
We can make it whatever we want.
So you want to take a drug
with twice the kick of morphine
and give it to everybody?
Yes. Yes, I do.
Abuse is gonna be a real issue.
[both] When a patient is under
the supervision of their physician,
these drugs are incredibly safe.
If I may,
I don't think that's entirely accurate.
- Even with MS Contin, we saw abuse of
- [Raymond] Yes, yes, yes. All right.
So we are going to take
a very powerful drug
and put it into the hands
of potentially millions of new people?
Yes. Yes, that's right.
Under the care of their physician.
And with full FDA approval.
Here.
Look at this.
Doctors currently prescribe morphine here
because morphine is death.
But with oxycodone,
our new patients are here.
[Edie] This is the moment
I think this whole thing
could've been stopped.
If Raymond or Mortimer
or anyone else had just said no,
you and I would not be talking
and there would be a lot of people
at dinner with their families right now.
I know you're scared.
I know you're concerned.
This story is a tragedy.
But we're gonna
give a lot of people their lives back.
We're gonna take away a lot of pain.
What do we call it?
OxyContin.
The drug you never knew you needed.
The drug you never knew you needed.
[Edie] Richard had his designer drug.
What do you think?
OxyContin was born.
Richard had his big idea:
a drug that people in need
could not refuse.
And that was only half the plan,
and not even the worst half.
This is where
Uncle Arthur's influence came in.
He was a salesman
and knew your product is only as good
as the message it comes with.
Richard knew exactly
what that message was,
and more importantly, how to send it.
He went about
putting together a sales force
to get the word out about OxyContin.
They recruited
good-looking college graduates
who could speak a doctor's language,
and then they programmed
the shit out of them.
[Britt] Temperature, heart rate,
respiratory rate, and blood pressure.
These are known as the vital signs.
Do you know what is not a vital sign?
Pain.
Pain is the last thing
a medical professional will consider
when they care for you.
Or your grandmother.
Or your boyfriend.
- [Shannon] Hello, Frank.
- Shannon.
Pain has long been understood
to be a symptom of injury or disease,
not something to treat in and of itself.
[woman] Hey! So, you're just gonna
sit there and eat Cap'n Crunch all day?
Finish the car.
- [Frank] When I'm done.
- [woman] When you're done?
Three full bowls of fucking Cap'n Crunch.
- [Frank] Tires ain't going nowhere.
- [woman] You're a degenerate.
You're gonna blow up my toilets
with that Cap'n Crunch.
- It's disgusting! I'm taking it.
- I'm playing.
[woman] I'm taking it and turning it off.
Get out, go on.
[Britt] Doctors don't respect pain.
- Because they don't understand it.
- ["Sabotage" playing]
A medical education is what, seven years?
Do you know how much direct instruction
medical students receive on pain?
Forty-eight minutes.
Patients don't need to adjust their lives
to deal with pain.
Doctors need to adjust
their treatment of it.
Pain is no longer something
that we have to tolerate.
It is something we can overcome.
- Hi.
- Here you go.
My name is Shannon.
- Thank you.
- [man] You got it.
We have a way to overcome it.
We have an answer.
OxyContin.
That's the answer.
If you're a good fit for us,
you will join our crusade to help change
the way Americans deal with their pain.
At Purdue, we've spent years
developing OxyContin.
An effective, long lasting
and safe treatment for pain
with broad application
to a wide range of patients.
But you'll have to do more
than sell this treatment.
You will be convincing doctors
to take pain seriously.
Make no mistake.
You will be part of a beautiful, glorious,
wonderful revolution
of life transformation.
- [man] Whoo!
- [crowd applauding]
[Britt] Say it with me:
- "Beautiful."
- [crowd] Beautiful.
- [Britt] "Wonderful."
- [crowd] Wonderful.
- "Glorious."
- [crowd] Glorious.
- [Britt] "Revolution."
- [crowd] Revolution.
- [Britt] And "life transformation."
- [crowd] Life transformation.
[Britt] One more time!
- "Beautiful."
- [crowd] Beautiful.
- [Britt] "Wonderful."
- [crowd] Wonderful.
- [Britt] "Glorious."
- [crowd] Glorious.
- [Britt] "Revolution."
- [crowd] Revolution.
- [Britt] And "life transformation!"
- [crowd] Life transformation!
[crowd cheering]
Listen, all y'all, it's a sabotage ♪
Listen, all y'all, it's a sabotage ♪
Listen, all y'all, it's a sabotage ♪
Listen, all y'all, it's a sabotage ♪
You made the right decision.
You know that, right?
- For sure.
- Are you excited?
Totally.
You were really good up there.
- Thank you.
- Seriously.
Hey, can I ask you a question?
I was wondering
when my first paycheck will arrive.
What do you need?
Just need to know when I'm gonna get paid.
Because you're broke
and you need a place to live.
[chuckles]
You can stay with me.
A bunch of the other girls did when
they were trying to get on their feet.
We'll get money in your pocket
and then find you a place to live.
Seriously, I have an extra room.
- Really?
- Really.
- Thank you.
- You're welcome.
- Let me ask you a question.
- Yeah?
Do you have MS or scoliosis or something?
- No.
- All right. Then stand up straight.
Don't walk around like this.
You deserve to be here.
[commentators chattering on TV]
[groans]
[commentator] Deon Dyer snapping the tie
and gives the Tar Heels the lead
[Glen groaning]
Oh, fuck.
[urinating]
Oh, fuck. God.
Fuck, shit.
Lil, I need you for a sec.
Can you come here for a second?
I got a treat.
Yep, that's what just happened.
Just a bunch of piss.
- This is just
- What did you do?
I spilled a bottle of piss
all over myself.
Oh, my God. Okay.
- It's a lot.
- It's everywhere. Cute.
- Okay.
- Oh, thanks.
- [Tyler] Can I help? Can I do something?
- Can you grab me?
[Glen] Ty, come here for a sec.
- Come get a good look at this.
- [Lily] No, it's fine.
Can you grab me a couple towels?
Can you lift your butt for me?
I changed Kaylee.
You could've timed it better.
- This is ridiculous.
- You're so gross.
[Tyler] I hear make out sounds and there's
pee involved, so that's, you know
You may want to stay in the bedroom.
Do you want me to give you
a sexy sponge bath?
God, it's just
You're fine.
Okay?
- Look at me.
- I just can't stop laughing.
I know. You're gonna be fine.
That's the best view in Ohio.
Here's your bedroom.
Make yourself at home.
And use all those drawers,
they're all yours.
- It's great.
- I hope you like purple.
Yeah, I love purple.
This is our bathroom, we'll share it.
Toilet, steam shower.
That bath tub is amazing.
And that's a Moroccan Rose bath oil,
you can use it.
This is the living room, obviously,
and up there is the private roof deck
with a killer fucking Jacuzzi.
You got a car?
Uh, yeah, it's my mom's,
but I'm using it right now.
All right, we'll get you a parking permit.
- Do you have cash?
- Not so much.
We'll get you some cash.
This is a big fucking day.
Yeah.
Let's celebrate.
- You like champagne?
- Yeah.
Cheers.
Thank you.
To your new life, Shannon Shaeffer.
You've never had champagne, have you?
Here.
Hey, I just really
I wanna thank you for this opportunity
First thing we gotta do is fix this.
You look like a show pony.
We gotta get you some new clothes.
Smell this.
- Are you serious?
- Yeah. Smell it.
It's imported leather from Italy.
What's that smell like?
- Oh, imported leather from Italy.
- No.
It smells like money.
Smell it again.
Yeah, it's good.
Oh, you have amazing legs.
You have a great figure.
- I don't know about that.
- You're hot as shit.
- Step right in. Lily, Glen.
- Thank you for seeing us so quickly.
I'm glad to see you always.
So, how are you doing, champ?
Not so great.
[groans]
[Hartman] It doesn't look like it.
- Feeling pretty rough?
- You could say that.
Okay. Well, have a look at this chart.
On a scale of one to 10,
where would you say your pain is?
- I'd say a five or s
- No, it's a nine.
He's feeling like crap
and he's not sleeping,
which means that I'm not sleeping.
- So
- Not sleeping.
Yeah. Whatever you gave me
is not working anymore.
No? I gave you Vicodin.
It's pretty standard.
But I'd like to start you
on something new.
It's called OxyContin.
It's similar to Vicodin,
but it lasts a full 12 hours
without wearing off.
- That would be good.
- All right, so
you will take one in the morning.
You'll take one before you go to bed,
so there will be no waking up
in the middle of the night in pain.
- And I'll get some sleep?
- [Hartman] The best.
- We'll all get sleep.
- You will both get the best sleep ever.
- It's safe? Okay.
- As safe as any other opioid.
The good news is,
you don't have to take it as often.
- Okay.
- [Hartman] All right?
- [Lily] Let's try it.
- I trust you, Doc.
Get out of here.
Go sleep, go sleep better.
Oh, oh, Glen.
I should warn you
there is one possible side effect.
- What?
- [in German accent] The constipation.
Yeah?
- All right.
- [in normal voice] Go sleep.
I think we can handle that.
All right. Constipation.
I need to speak to Dr. Coyle, please.
- And you are?
- Edie Flowers.
Oh, fuck me.
You motherfucker.
So, I asked you if there was anything else
I needed to know, and you said no, right?
- Yeah. Right.
- You're not being honest with me.
- I told you everything. Everything.
- You prescribed a new drug,
one I've never even heard of,
1,098 times in six months.
That's more prescriptions than there are
patients, and nearly 5% of Carroll County.
What we both know is that
those patients don't exist
and that you are running some dumb,
idiotic, little stupid jackass scheme.
Now, I gave you a chance.
Now it's gonna hurt.
Okay. Just wait a second, okay?
Dr. Coyle,
what can you tell me about OxyContin?
["Candy" playing]
What Purdue did, what Richard Sackler did,
abusing the trust
between a doctor and their patient
selling hope
to the most vulnerable people,
that's sick on a whole other level.
And then Richard Sackler combined
two of the most addictive substances:
greed and opium.
And when you understand that
[all cheering and laughing]
- Cheers!
- Ah!
When you understand that,
then your brain
will never be able to reconcile it.
And you will never see the world the same.
♪that no one else could see ♪
You gave me love ♪
For free ♪
Candy, Candy, Candy
I can't let you go ♪
All my life you're haunting me
I loved you so ♪
Candy, Candy, Candy
I can't let you go ♪
Life is crazy ♪
Candy, baby ♪
I know, baby ♪
Candy, baby ♪
Candy, Candy, Candy
I can't let you go ♪
All my life you're haunting me ♪
I loved you so ♪
Candy, Candy, Candy ♪
Life is crazy ♪
Candy, baby ♪
Candy, baby ♪
Candy, Candy ♪
Candy, Candy, Candy
I can't let you go ♪
All my life
I'm waiting for your loving so ♪
Candy, Candy, Candy ♪
I can't let you go ♪