2 more reviews

1. ›Painkiller (series): Dramatized, but a seriously important docu-series regardless@netflixr1013d

   I haven't been very impressed with Netflix's offerings in the past few months. So much so to the point where when my subscription "piggybacking" on someone else's account was rejected that I decided to just not have a Netflix account anymore. I still get all the new shows and movies if I want them through my Plex account though. Someone else is responsible for getting the "good stuff" on to Plex and I am subjected to their whims of what is good or not. This should be very easy for Netflix content though seeing as how most of what they release is garbage.

   I like this series for a number of reasons and one of the main ones is that Matthew Broderick is in it.

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   I don't immediately recognize any of those other names but was curious if West Duchovny was related to David Duchovny of "X-Files" fame and as it turns out she is his daughter.

   I like seeing Matthew in stuff because I think he is a good actor that doesn't get many chances to shine. I have read that this is by his own decision as he lives in New York and chooses to be more involved in the Broadway scene rather than in screen acting. I also feel as though he is probably a genuinely nice person although that is based on nothing other than the interviews I have seen him in and that fact that other than that one thing in France many years ago, he hasn't been involved in a great deal of controversy of any kind.

   Painkiller is a story about Oxycontin, which is a pill that you have almost certainly heard about and how tons of people ended up addicted to it and overdosing and dying from it on a regular basis. Despite the regular occurrence of death by overdose, this product was a huge seller and remains an available product on the market even to this day.

   The story is dramatized, which they are very clear about at the start of each episode, but I think the overall message is quite clear about the intentional damage for profit that was done by this company, and how corruption lead to it being on the market in the first place and that same corruption is the reason why it continues to be available by prescription despite having been involved in the death of over 300,000 Americans. Well, that is what they said in a show that states they are being dramatic on a Network known for their social programming attempts. So take it with a grain of salt I guess.

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   The series is 6, 1-hour long episodes long and I managed to watch every single one of them in a single day....because that's how I roll when something is really good.

   It follows the lives of multiple individuals and families including people that are involved on all sides of the opioid problem in America. There is a family who at first genuinely needs pain relief that turns into addiction, a prosecutor whose brother is in jail for selling crack and has a personal beef with this company since they are legally doing the same thing as her brother, and of course the people involved with manufacturing the drug / masterminding its legality, and the very attractive sales representatives that are involved with getting doctors to prescribe the drug more and more.

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   The focuses heavily on how Pharmaceutical companies intentionally recruit very attractive people and then brainwash them / teach them how to manipulate people into prescribing a product that the company knows has terrible side effects. The reps themselves have been taught over and over how to respond to all claims against the product, and they are very good at flirting and getting to know the doctors and their staff who ultimately are the ones who write the prescriptions.

   They frequently "break the 4th wall" and speak directly to the audience but they don't overuse this tactic. It is just used to speed things along during long speeches where a narrator would normally be used. I liked this tactic because it reminded us that Matthew Broderick and others in the cast are not actually scumbags, they are just playing one on TV.

   The only time they get mildly political is when they briefly take aim at a rather famous conservative politician and I'm not going to spoil it but trust me when I say that you will know it when you see it.

   Should I watch it?

   I think the fact that I watched 6 hours worth of a show back-to-back in one sitting should tell you enough about how I feel about this series. It is wonderfully made and actually inspired me to look further into how much of it is pure drama, and how much of it actually happened. I was never part of the Oxy craze, but I certainly did hear about it and knew a few people that used it recreationally on occasion. I have never had the stuff because well, while I will try almost anything once, when it is heroin, I gotta draw the line somewhere. That is essentially what Oxycontin is so I never felt compelled to join that long list of superheroes that went on a one-way trip to death because of it.

   I think this is an important series for people to see not just because it is very well-made, but because it exposes how all the people in big Pharma and the government bodies that are involved in regulating them don't actually give a damn about the regular people. Even your doctor doesn't really care about you. They are all in it for the same thing that greedy people are involved with almost anything.... money.

   _{Believe it or not there is actually something worth watching on Netflix right now! This is one of them! go see it!}

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2. ›Painkiller | Review@soy-laloreto1048d

   If you were to go on Google right now and type in “opioid pandemic” you would be amazed at all that is going on in the United States regarding this. The truth is I had no idea of the impact it was having even though I already knew of its existence. In today's review, I want to tell you about a miniseries that is trending right now on Netflix: Painkiller.

   Si en este momento entrarás a Google y escribiera "Pandemia de los opioides" te sorprenderías con todo lo que está sucediendo en los Estados Unidos con respecto a esto. La verdad es que no tenía idea del impacto que tenía aunque ya sabía de su existencia. En la reseña de hoy quiero hablarles de una miniserie que está en tendencia en este momento en Netflix: Painkiller.

   

   

   

   Painkiller is a miniseries based on real-life events about the creation of one of the strongest opioids ever released, OxyContin, manufactured by Purdue Pharma. It is set in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The entire miniature series surrounds in 4 scenarios the creation of OxyContin, how it was created, why it was created. The Sackler family (the owners of Purdue), got the FDA to approve a drug that in its minimal presentation duplicated the mechanism of action of morphine, as well as its high tendency to addiction.

   Painkiller es una miniserie basada en hechos de la vida real que habla sobre la creación de uno de los opioides más fuertes lanzados al mercado OxyContin, fabricado por Purdue Pharma. Está ambientada a finales de los 90 y principios de los 2000. Toda la miniserie rodea en 4 escenarios la creación de OxyContin, como fue creada, por qué fue creada y cómo hizo la familia Sackler (los dueños de Purdue), para que la FDA aprobara un «medicamento» que en su presentación mínima duplicara el mecanismo de acción de la morfina, así como su alta tendencia a la adicción.

   

   

   The next scenario is that of the investigation that begins in the late 90s. An investigator from the prosecutor's office begins to see anomalies and high sales of a drug that was prescribed to anyone who came in with any kind of pain (any kind of pain). Thus begins an aggressive investigation into a powerful pharmaceutical company that was making 30 million dollars a week from the sale of OxyContin alone.

   El siguiente escenario es el de la investigación que empieza a finales de los 90, cuando una investigadora de la fiscalía empieza a ver anomalías y altas ventas de un medicamento que se lo recetaban a todo el que llegara con cualquier tipo de dolor (cualquiera). Así empieza una investigación agresiva alrededor de una farmacéutica poderosa que hacía 30 millones de dólares por semana solo con la venta del OxyContin.

   

   

   A third scenario is that of sales. And we are all more or less familiar with this process, or we will have seen it in a waiting room of a doctor's office or in a pharmacy: medical sales representatives. Although, their legal title is sales representative. It was a troop of sexy people who went to the most remote places to offer this medicine so that it could be sold. The idea was to sell more and more, so doctors, only trusting the word of the salesperson, would offer doses to patients without knowing the harm it would cause them. The more they sold, the more money they made, so they were practically dealers with permits to sell drugs.

   Un tercer escenario es el de las ventas. Y todos conocemos más o menos este proceso, o lo habremos visto en una sala de espera de un consultorio o en una farmacia: visitadores médicos. Aunque su cargo legal es el de representante de ventas. Era una tropa de personas sexis que se acercaban hasta los sitios más recónditos a ofrecer este medicamento para que pudiera venderse. La idea era que se vendieran más y más, así que los doctores, solo confiando en la palabra del visitador, ofrecían las dosis a los pacientes sin saber el daño que les causaba. Mientras más vendían, más dinero hacían, así que prácticamente eran dealers con permisos para vender drogas.

   

   

   And the last scenario we see in the series is the strongest and the saddest, the patient/addict. In this case, we see a working man and family man who suffers an accident and his doctor prescribes OxyContin. As expected, he becomes addicted, so we can observe his descent during the 6 episodes of the miniseries and everything he goes through during this painful process.

   Y el último escenario que vemos en la serie es el más fuerte y el más triste, el paciente/adicto. En este caso vemos a un hombre trabajador y padre de familia que sufre un accidente y su médico le receta OxyContin. Cómo era de esperarse, este se vuelve adicto, así que podemos observar su descenso durante los 6 episodios que dura la miniserie y todo lo que atraviesa durante este proceso tan doloroso.

   

   The series stars Matthew Broderick and Uzo Aduba. Broderick portrays the president of Purdue, a tycoon who, to me, seems to have a screw loose, but heads one of the toughest legal mafias. I was outraged to see how they kept killing people with his drug and that knowing this he always said the addicts were to blame. That made me very angry. And, on the other hand, we have Uzo, an actress I've loved since Orange is the new black, who plays the investigator Edie Flowers. She works for the prosecution and also goes to the depths of this problem to find the crime that can bring the pharmaceutical company to trial, this is quite a journey.

   In terms of visuals, art and all this stuff, I don't think it's a great miniseries. I have doubts that I'm going to see it nominated in next year's awards. Although Broderick and Uduba stand out with their performances and also have a bit of satire and black comedy, I don't think it's completely great. However, as a story it's a marvel, has a good narrative and keeps you hooked. My favorite part is when they played news footage and original commercials, which made the miniseries seem like a docuseries. Another important thing is that at the beginning of each episode, they would show a family member of an OxyContin victim who had died from an overdose.

   I've already introduced you to the miniseries, now let's get to the real problem. The Pandemic. And yes, there is a pandemic. But let's make a difference, because right now the dangers are fentanyl, which is an illegal drug and is the main issue right now. However, no less relevant is the concern that started with prescription opioids, that is, you were prescribed it by a doctor, and it made you fall, unquestionably, into a great addiction. Why? Because they can call it whatever they want, name it whatever they want, but basically it's concentrated heroin. This was what they were prescribing. A more potent drug than morphine. Morphine is also highly addictive, and this is offered to patients who are already in the last stages of cancer or in death throes (literally). And this makes you wonder how they could give this drug to anyone, in any pain, it just goes to show me what money does to people's minds.

   Currently, and you can watch the news, it is forbidden to prescribe any kind of opioids in the United States in any stage of patients. There is a lot more news, which if you like, you can research for yourself, and you will see that it is a real and very serious problem.

   La serie está protagonizada por Matthew Broderick y Uzo Aduba. Broderick representa al presidente de Purdue, un magnate que, a mí parecer, le falta un tornillo, pero encabeza una de las mafias legales más dura. Me indignaba ver cómo seguían matando a personas con su medicamento y que sabiendo esto siempre decía que los culpables eran los adictos. Eso me enfurecía muchísimo. Y, por otro lado, tenemos a Uzo, una actriz que me encanta desde Orange is the new black, quien personifica a la investigadora Edie Flowers, ella trabaja para la fiscalía y además va hasta lo más profundo de este problema para dar con el crimen que pueda llevar a juicio a la farmacéutica, esto es todo un periplo.

   En términos visuales, de arte y todo este tema, no me parece una gran miniserie. Tengo dudas de su vaya a verla nominada en las premiaciones del próximo año, porque aunque Broderick y Uduba destacan con sus actuaciones y además tienenun poco de sátira y comedia negra, no me parece completamente genial. Sin embargo, como historia es una maravilla, tiene una buena narrativa y te mantiene enganchado. Mi parte favorita es cuando ponían grabaciones de noticias y publicidades originales, que hacía que la miniserie pareciera una docuserie. Otra cosa importante es que al inicio de cada capítulo ponían a un familiar de una víctima de OxyContin que haya muerto por sobredosis.

   Ya les presenté la miniserie, ahora vamos al problema real. La Pandemia. Y sí, existe una pandemia. Pero vamos a establecer una diferencia, porque en este momento loas peligros es el fentanilo, que es una droga ilegal y que es el principal problema actualmente. Sin embargo, no es menos relevante el problema que inició con los opioides por Prescripción, es decir, te lo recetaba un médico y te hacía caer, indiscutiblemente, en una gran adicción. ¿Por qué? Porque pueden llamarlo como quieran, ponerle el nombre que quieran, pero básicamente es heroína concentrada. Esto era lo que les estaban recetando. Un medicamento más potente que la morfina. La morfina también es altamente adictiva, y esta se la ofrecen a pacientes que ya están en últimas etapas de cáncer o con dolores de muerte (literalmente). Y esto te hace pensar en que cómo podían darle este medicamento a cualquier persona, con cualquier dolor, es algo que solo me hace comprobar lo que el dinero hace con la mente de las personas

   Actualmente, y pueden observar las noticias, está prohibida la prescripción de ningún tipo de opioides en los Estados Unidos en ningún estadío de los pacientes. Hay muchas más noticias, que si gustan, pueden investigar por si mismos y verán que es un problema real y muy grave.

   

   

   Addictions are hard, they end families, demolish dreams, enterprises, companies, they end the life of each addict and those around them. This series shows that it is not only the addict's fault and that it does not end only with “willpower”, that there is a system much more beyond that puts them at risk and puts drugs in their hands. Unfortunately, all of this is a very strong lobby, and there is too much money, publicity, big parties and phone calls involved to end this overnight.

   I would like to say that the series had a happy ending. But when so many people a year (thousands per year) have died from overdoses, it's impossible to say that the story can have a happy ending. It's been going on for decades, so it's just a matter of crunching the numbers. If you want to watch the miniseries, it's on Netflix. It can be watched very quickly in an afternoon. I also have another miniseries pending that deals with the same subject - Dopesick, which is my next series to watch.

   Love to everyone, and I hope you liked my review. My publication is open to talk about this situation.

   Las adicciones son duras, acaban familias, demuelen sueños, emprendimientos, empresas, acaban con la vida de cada uno de los adictos y de los que los rodea. En esta serie muestra que la culpa no es solo del adicto y que no termina solo con "fuerza de voluntad", que hay un sistema mucho más allá que los pone en riesgo y que les pone las drogas en las manos. Lamentablemente, todo esto es un lobby muy fuerte, y hay mucho dinero, publicidad, grandes fiestas y llamadas telefónicas de por medio como para terminar con esto de un día para otro.

   Me gustaría decir que la serie tuvo un final feliz. Pero cuando han muerto tantas personas al año (Miles por cada año) por sobredosis, es imposible decir que la historia pueda tener un final feliz y esto ha ocurrido durante décadas, así que solo es de sacar cálculos. Si quieren ver la miniserie, está en Netflix. Se puede ver muy rápido en una tarde. Tengo pendiente también otra miniserie que trata el mismo tema: Dopesick, la cual es mi próxima serie por ver.

   Un abrazo a todos y espero que mi reseña les haya gustado. Mis publicación está abierta para hablar de esta situación.

   

   

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