Miniseries · Netflix
Painkiller
*Do not use as directed.
Who's in it
Cast
The principal ensemble across the run of the series.
Uzo Aduba
Edie Flowers
6 eps
Matthew Broderick
Richard Sackler
6 eps
Taylor Kitsch
Glen Kryger
6 eps
Dina Shihabi
Britt Hufford
6 eps
Clark Gregg
Arthur Sackler
6 eps
Jack Mulhern
Tyler Kryger
6 eps
Sam Anderson
Raymond Sackler
6 eps
Tyler Ritter
US Attorney John Brownlee
6 eps
Ana Cruz Kayne
Brianna Ortiz
6 eps
John Ales
Dr. Gregory Fitzgibbons
6 eps
Carolina Bartczak
Lily Kryger
6 eps
Ron Lea
Bill Havens
6 eps
Kyle Gatehouse
Riggs
2 eps
Daniel Kash
Stanley
1 eps
Stuart Hughes
Tony
2 eps
Yasmin Lau
Hoop Earrings
1 eps
Caylie Mcrae
Coyle's Receptionist
1 eps
Kathryn Bellamy
Tanya
1 eps
Lexie Galante
Young Rep #1
1 eps
Sarah Curd
U of C Recruit #3
1 eps
Rosie Callaghan
Richard's Maid
1 eps
Dominique Smith
Party Goer
1 eps
Mercedes Blanche
Sorority Girl
1 eps
John Bydevaate
Mechanic #3
1 eps
Sanjay Talwar
ER Doctor
1 eps
Natasha Bromfield
Intake Nurse
1 eps
Maureen Ludford
Focus Group Doctor #5
1 eps
Gary Eisler
Focus Group Doctor #4
1 eps
Chris O'Bray
Focus Group Doctor #3
1 eps
Simon Sinn
Focus Group Doctor #2
1 eps
David Bronfman
Focus Group Doctor #1
1 eps
Michael Gimera
Shannon's Mom Boyfriend
1 eps
Cece King
Shannon's Mom
1 eps
Wendy Lyon
Facilitator
1 eps
Krista White
Mary Jo White
1 eps
Neil Foster
Handyman
1 eps
Lara Daans
Physical Therapist
1 eps
David Tompa
Conference Room Lawyer
1 eps
The Nutevio profile
TV DNA
How Painkiller actually feels to watch, measured on the traits our editors track across every series.
Signature profile
Painkiller reads strongest on Serialized, Character Depth and Bingeability.
How much each hour depends on the one before it.
How fully written and psychologically layered the ensemble is.
How hard it is to stop after one episode.
How much the series is designed to affect you.
The sustained pressure the series keeps you under.
How often an episode ends on a hook you can't ignore.
Visual ambition — scale, craft and set-piece filmmaking.
The scale, internal logic and texture of the world.
How often the series is genuinely funny, by design.
The story
What it's about
The causes and consequences of America's opioid epidemic unfold in this drama following its perpetrators, victims and an investigator seeking the truth.
Where the series peaks
Best Episodes
The hours that define the show, ranked by audience response and editorial signal.
S01E02
Jesus Gave Me Water
A patient using OxyContin attends a Purdue conference. Edie witnesses the drug's adverse effects. Richard faces roadblocks in his pursuit of profit.
S01E03
Blizzard of the Century
Glen is forced to detox when his addiction lands him in the ER. Edie struggles to convince her new boss, the US Attorney, to build a case against Purdue.
S01E04
Is Believed
Edie works to expose Purdue. Shannon enjoys the perks of her job but faces a moral dilemma. Pushed to the brink, Glen starts losing control at work.
S01E05
Hot! Hot! Hot!
Glen hits rock bottom, Shannon attends a raucous work afterparty, and Edie uncovers damning evidence in her case against a pharmaceutical giant.
S01E06
What's in a Name?
Glen starts sobriety. Shannon reevaluates her role. Using new evidence, Edie and the team take Purdue to court as the case comes to a stunning end.
S01E01
The One to Start With, the One to Stay With
Seizing an opportunity, Richard bets on an opiate that relieves pain. College graduate Shannon takes a job at Purdue. Glen suffers a workplace injury.
- Directed by Peter Berg
Recently aired
Latest Episodes
S01E01
The One to Start With, the One to Stay With
- Directed by Peter Berg
S01E02
Jesus Gave Me Water
S01E03
Blizzard of the Century
S01E04
Is Believed
S01E05
Hot! Hot! Hot!
S01E06
What's in a Name?
Behind the series
Created by
Showrunners, creators, executive producers and the writers who set the voice of the series.
The craft
Key Crew
Directing, writing, production, camera, music and editing.
Executive production
- Eric NewmanExecutive Producer
- Peter BergExecutive Producer
- Noah HarpsterExecutive Producer
- Alex GibneyExecutive Producer
- Patrick Radden KeefeExecutive Producer
- Micah Fitzerman-BlueExecutive Producer
Direction
- Peter BergDirector
Where to watch
Streaming
Availability verified against regional listings.
- NetflixStreaming
- Netflix Standard with AdsStreaming
If you liked this
Similar Series
Series that share this one's texture, not just its genre tags.
Saint X
2023
Moral complexity
Waco
2018
Moral complexity
Ghosts of Beirut
2023
Character-driven drama
The Terminal List
2022
Character-driven drama
Archive 81
2022
Character-driven drama
American Primeval
2025
Character-driven drama
The Terminal List: Dark Wolf
2025
Character-driven drama
The Residence
2025
Crime storytelling
Solos
2021
Character-driven drama
The Artist
2025
Crime storytelling
Mrs. America
2020
Character-driven drama
The Society
2019
Character-driven drama
Where to go from here
Watch Next
Our editors' suggestion for the show you should start tonight — and why.
Teach You a Lesson
2026
Need something lighter afterwards? Start here.
Agent Kim Reactivated
2026
Watch this next if you like protagonists you can't quite defend.
Breaking Bad
2008
A crime story told with the patience of a novel.
FBI
2018
Another morally complex epic for anyone who wanted more grey.
Good Girls
2018
Watch this next if you like protagonists you can't quite defend.
Tracker
2024
A crime story told with the patience of a novel.
Never stop watching
Related Collections
No related collections yet
This title isn't in a published Nutevio collection yet. It will appear here automatically as soon as it is.
Join the conversation