Painkiller, Netflix's new scripted true-crime series about the opioid epidemic, blends fact and fiction to depict the complex public health crisis that followed Purdue Pharma's release of the opioid drug Oxycontin. Each episode begins with a disclaimer, read aloud by the loved ones of real-life victims of the epidemic: "This program is based on real events. However, certain characters, names, incidents, locations, and dialogue have been fictionalized for dramatic purposes." One of these fictionalized characters is the determined narrator of the series, Edie Flowers.
Portrayed by three-time Emmy winner Uzo Aduba, Flowers is a lawyer with the U.S. Attorney's office in Roanoke, Virginia, who comes across Oxycontin while investigating a separate case of medical fraud. She is the viewers' guide through the crisis, providing context as she recounts her investigation into Purdue's marketing methods and Oxy's impact on local communities. Though she isn't a real person, Edie's inspired by the real-life prosecutors who sought justice for devastated families and communities in the midst of the crisis.
