What Richard’s Fire Alarm Going Off In Painkiller Really Means

Though this element frames the Netflix series, Painkiller never explains the meaning of Richard Sackler’s fire alarm going off. The fictionalized show follows the rise and fall of Purdue Pharma, pointing to OxyContin as one of the major causes of the opioid crisis. The show uses the composite character Glen Kryger to show the damaging impacts of opioid use disorder on the individual as well as on families. Moreover, Painkiller asserts that the Sackler family had a major hand in the opioid crisis. They’re shown as taking an active role in the damaging practices of the company. In real life, the Sacklers were labeled “the worst drug dealers in history.”