The new Netflix series, "Painkiller," opens with a disclaimer from a mother who lost her son to addiction. She notes the show is based on real events, but some of the names, places, and details have been fictionalized for television. She then makes a point, through tears, that what has not been fictionalized is the devastation and loss so many have experienced as a result of the proliferation of opioids. While "Painkiller" is a fictionalized account of the origins of the opioid epidemic, the investigations and legal proceedings referenced in the drama series have direct parallels to ongoing disputes in the highest courts of the nation.