‘Painkiller’ Ending Explained: Does Glen Die? Who Wins the OxyContin Lawsuit?

There are no winners when it comes to the opioid crisis. Netflix’s new series Painkiller is pleasantly twisty and offers several gut punches in its exploration of the opioid epidemic and the rise of the addictive drug OxyContin – and nobody truly gets a happy ending.

The limited series premiered August 10, 2023 on the streamer with six hour-long episodes written by Micah Fitzerman-Blue and Noah Harpster, and directed by Peter Berg. 

Inspired by true events, the show follows Matthew Broderick as Richard Sackler, chairman and president of Purdue Pharma, the company behind OxyContin. Throughout the series, Richard is shown interacting with his billionaire family as they work together to push the drug and maintain their sharp legacy. 

As the story continues, Purdue Pharma and the Sacklers find themselves being sued by investigator Edie Flowers (Uzo Aduda) for misleading the public about how addictive OxyContin is. Then, there’s the group of college-aged women recruited by the company to sell OxyContin to medical professionals by pushing misleading information and encouraging higher dosages. 

Lastly, there’s Glen Kryger (Taylor Kitsch), a working-class mechanic who becomes addicted to OxyContin after suffering an injury. The addiction drives a wedge between him and his family, and his wife eventually kicks him out of their house. 

Since its release, the series has become a massive hit on Netflix. The show spent 1 week in Netflix’s Global Top 10 for English TV and is currently ranked at #2 on the streamer’s Top 10 Shows in the U.S. Today. 

Need a reminder on who’s who? Check out our cast guide for the limited drama. But without further ado, let’s dig into Painkiller’s epic finale. Does Glen die? Who wins the lawsuit? What’s the deal with Arthur Sackler? Continue reading for all you need to know.

Does Glenn Die?

Yes, unfortunately Glenn dies in the final episode of Painkiller. The father-of-two reunites with his teenage son after his bender, during which his wife blamed their son for not telling her about the addiction earlier on. Glenn is a month sober and apologizes to his son for his behavior in an emotional scene. He attends support meetings for his drug addiction and is taking methadone. “I know my word means nothing right now, but it will,” he tells his son who is driving him around. 

Later, Glenn has dinner with his wife and children and asks to stay the night. His wife says no, but the two kiss, insinuating that they are repairing their relationship after she kicked him out of the house. Glenn returns to his current living situation – which appears to be a dingy hotel – and is woken up in the middle of the night by his neighbor’s loud music. 

Glenn investigates and finds that his neighbors, an adult man and woman, are passed out after taking drugs. He checks both of their pulses, but continues shaking them and telling them to wake up. It is unknown if they are dead, however neither are responsive and the woman has her eyes open. Glenn spots a bag of pills on their side table. The pills are circle and blue, indicating that they are OxyContin – the painkiller he was previously addicted to. 

Glenn grabs the pills and heads back to his room. The next morning, he calls his wife to make dinner plans and while on the phone, she points out that he sounds sluggish. He says his neighbors kept him up all night and she shouldn’t worry. He agrees to pick up his wife’s favorite grilled calamari. After the call ends, he is shown snorting a crushed white substance. 

The mechanic drives to a gas station to get snacks and snorts another pill. Glenn begins to experience vivid daydreams where he recalls getting clean and reconciling with his son. Then, he is then shown passed out in his car at the gas station. A man spots him and reaches into the window to shake  his shoulder, saying, “Are you alright, man? Get up.” He says “Oh geez” and walks away. Other passerbyers stop and call emergency services. The responder is heard saying “there’s a reported dead man, send a coroner.”

Who Wins the Lawsuit?

Jumping to the storyline that involves Edie Flowers and Richard Sackler – nobody really “wins” the lawsuit. Based on the real-life 2007 case, Purdue Pharma accepts a settlement which means that neither side gets to proceed to a trial. The drug company pleads guilty to one count of fraudulently misbranding OxyContin. 

Edie explains in a voiceover that Raymond and Mortimer Sackler called then-lawyer and former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani who called Congress and advocated on their behalf. The calls reached the White House and the Department of Justice, and eventually lead prosecutor John Brownlee, who was told to “cut a deal” for Purdue Pharma. 

The company’s president, head lawyer, and former chief of medicine also pleads guilty to individual charges. As revealed in the end card sequence, no member of the Sackler family has been criminally charged with the marketing of OxyContin or any overdoses involving the drug, despite their heavy involvement in the production process at all levels. The family is believed to be worth over $11 billion to this day. 

What’s Going on With Richard Sackler and Arthur Sackler?

Maybe you have one more question by the end of the episode. What the heck was going on between Arthur (Clark Gregg) and Richard Sackler?

Well, if you recall the first episode, the Sackler patriarch was introduced as a doctor who got rich by performing lobotomies. He dies of a heart attack before the OxyContin plot begins, but appears throughout the series as a figment of his nephew Richard’s imagination. The spirit of Arthur taunts Richard as he struggles to uphold the family’s legacy and wealth, and in the final episode, Arthur is upset with Richard for accepting the plea deal. In an explosive sequence, Arthur is shown beating Richard to a bloody pulp. However, the scene cuts and Richard appears to be sitting on a couch with an empty stare.

Given that Arthur is dead, it’s fair to believe that this is a figment of Richard’s imagination.