Dopesick [Hulu]

JP Liz V1

https://youtu.be/69zOFccYt3o

An impressive cast line up in Michael Keaton, Peter Sarsgaard, Kaitlyn Dever, Will Poulter, Rosario Dawson and Michael Stuhlbarg 

Atlantic Dawn

Looks good, decent cast.

You only have to walk in to a Doctor's surgery in Ireland to see how crooked the whole system is, the place is like a billboard for the various drugs companies, completely wrong.

markw7

For anyone interested in the topic, The Crime of the Century is a great watch.

Atlantic Dawn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117737747#Comment_117737747

Thanks, I will check it out, it's on Now TV.

JP Liz V1

3 episodes drops on Hulu, think Disney + star has it here

2smiggy

Reasonably enjoyable first episode. Be interesting to see how the show goes. Does not paint the Sackler's in a great light, as expected

2smiggy

watched the first three episodes available. Excellent show, very recommended. I would have watched documentaries on the opioid crisis in the US , so the show was an interest to me. But think if you have an interest or not, it is very very good.

iguana

I've watched the first two. I like it but the non-linear storytelling can be frustrating. A few times I either missed the year change and was confused by what was happening. Or thought I'd missed a year change but hadn't.

I'm also not convinced by Betsy's storyline. Of course the oxycontin couldn't keep working. Pain has a purpose, and in her case the pain is to prevent her exacerbating her injury while she heals. Taking oxy so her brain can't recognise the pain and then going back to hard strenuous work would be making her injury worse. So of course the oxy would stop being effective. She's not a good example of the flaws with the drug.

I also from personal experience wonder how accurate a lot of what we're seeing in 1996 is. I was given oxy once in hospital. It was horrendous. People who I was talking to when I had taken it describe how within half an hour I was clearly mentally affected. I felt weird and awful. I don't even remember if it took my pain away. It just made me feel a sick drunken feeling. And as it wore off I scratched the skin on my arms from itching. I refused to take a second dose. It's horrible stuff.

banie01

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117731411#Comment_117731411

I'm looking forward to watching this, it's been a long time coming. The Purdue family and the companies that pushed the widespread adoption of Oxy derivatives, have blood on their hands.

Now just on the comparison of Irish doctors advertising and the impact here.

In fairness the pharmaceutical sales system in Ireland is far, far less aggressive and consumer focused than the US.

Yes there is advertising for medicines in GPs and Pharmacies but those are at least an appropriate setting for such info and targeted ads.

Spend a little time watching US TV. The ad breaks are not just over saturated the volume of prescription medications advertised is massive.

In the US the drugs are advertised at the consumer and then the secondary effort is in play to push prescribers to choose their drug. Commissions and kickbacks along with perks are huge.

I often have American TV on and the advertising for drugs is constant, Omnipod, Reluzeb and numerous drugs for Diabetes, Psioriasis, Rheumatoid issues, cardiac and so on are non stop.

I take a lot of meds, some of them high tech and a lot of them on the LTI scheme here. I have never had a prescription medication advertised directly to me.

Now I know that the Doc's and Consultants will all have the new drugs advertised to them, their will be promo's but the pricing and distribution system here for meds, be it the LTI scheme, medical card or the DRS scheme which limits the charge passed on to consumers for prescription meds to €114 per month, means that it's not the patient or the consumer in Ireland, or indeed much of Europe that is the customer.

It's the state. The limits placed on the maximum cost of meds mean that the state here bears the burden and the drug companies have to play ball or they don't play.

banie01

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118025023#Comment_118025023

I also from personal experience wonder how accurate a lot of what we're seeing in 1996 is. I was given oxy once in hospital. It was horrendous. People who I was talking to when I had taken it describe how within half an hour I was clearly mentally affected. I felt weird and awful. I don't even remember if it took my pain away. It just made me feel a sick drunken feeling. And as it wore off I scratched the skin on my arms from itching. I refused to take a second dose. It's horrible stuff.

There is a cohort of people that have opiod allergy and it can kill. Very disconcerting from a person I know who's been through it.

I am unfortunately suffering an ongoing issue that neuropathic meds have a diminishing effect on. The 1st time I was prescribed OxyNorm was in may 2019. I was in hospital, in the most extreme and debilitating pain I'd suffered up to that point and it was honestly an incredible experience in how the pain was just off.

Gone, my pain stopped. That sounds great but the truth is the underlying cause wasn't treated. I was sent home and then back to the hospital again on a yo-yo for a few months.

Lots of tests, intervention via pain specialists and so on. The causal factor still hasn't been treated. Every single intervention has been pain management, from pharmaceutical, to manipulation, nerve blocks and rhizotomy.

Almost 3yrs in at this point, and currently bed-ridden with pain. My last rhizotomy failed. The neuropathic meds do an ok job of dialling pain down to a manageable level if I make sure I restrict myself and keep activity to a minimum.

OxyContin and OxyNorm are the meds I'm prescribed for breakthrough pain and they work fantastically well, at killing pain but, they also really place a burden on a person as they really do impact how you function. High, stoned, vacant, junkie... That's what I would end up as if I took the meds as scripted, rather than managing to keep them for only breakthrough pain.

I can totally appreciate how and why people end up addicted to them, and it's moniker of "Hillbilly Heroin" there really is a euphoria sometimes that in addition to the pain relief it gives me? Is incredible.

I'd be very cognisant of the danger that those effects could bring when it's used as a recreational drug.

TLDR: Great medication but only in appropriate circumstances and control. Opiod allergy sucks 😁

*This post was written from bed whilst on Oxy, so my opinion may be clouded 😂

When will part 4 air? It's good but need to drop that stupid thing between the two reps and the cop and her bf . Just annoying filler

2smiggy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118041642#Comment_118041642

was out yesterday stateside I believe

Agent Coulson

Michael Keaton really is a great actor!

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118054014#Comment_118054014

Got it thanks. Was there really a

Spoiler Warning

Doctor that became addict as Michael Keaton played?

2smiggy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118058331#Comment_118058331

only seen it now. all the characters are fictional, but I'm sure there was on the laws of averages. New episode to watch this evening anyway !!

2smiggy

Well besides the Sackler's of course. Just reading up on it some of the characters are based on some people that were interviewed for the non fiction book it was based on.

Atlantic Dawn

Enjoying this so far.

Only occured to me 3 episodes in that Richard Sackler is also the mob boss from Your Honor, Michael_Stuhlbarg.

2smiggy

last episode today if you are visiting the USA

but the first 3 are now on Disney.

It really is an excellent show. Takes concentration as they jump to the different stories over different time periods often enough.

Agent Coulson

Fantastically written and acted series.

Created & written by Danny Strong who was Jonathon in Buffy who has become a powerhouse behind the camera winning Emmy's, Golden Globes & Screen Writers awards for his shows and movies.

briany

Absolutely brilliant so far. I mean, it makes you lose your faith in humanity somewhat, but the storytelling and acting is masterful. Richard Sackler is horrifying in this, like a kind of ruthless, stone-faced android with a human skin. If he had been overseeing a meth cooking operation, he could have been an alternate Gus Fring in Breaking Bad, except Richard's actually a real guy as well.

RocketRaccoon

I'm surprised there isn't more fanfare for this. We're 4 episodes in and it is absolutely fantastic viewing. Trying to decide whether to wait for the weekly drop on Disney+ or go visit the states for a few nights this week.

The Princess Bride

I've seen the entire season and it just keeps getting better. Brilliant television, Michael Stuhlbarg is fantastic as Richard Sackler.

Rather scary to think that a powerful and much valued drug, in the wrong hands, can be so destructive.

JP Liz V1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118182966#Comment_118182966

A frequent collaborator of George Clooney too

RocketRaccoon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118239429#Comment_118239429

Went to the states and finished the series. This deserves to be seen by everyone, one of the best series I've watched in years.

yabadabado

Finished this last week.Its brilliant ,scary **** .

AlmightyCushion

A friend recommended this to me the other day and I just started watching it on Disney+ earlier. I just finished binge watching the 5 episodes on Disney+. I knew some of the story about this from John Oliver and things I seen elsewhere but I didn't realise how bad it was. Absolutely terrifying stuff. It's the type of thing that if it was fictional it would be dismissed as being too farfetched. Any way I'm like Keaton's character here dying for my next fix so just got the last episode.

yabadabado

Dying for your next fix !!

Very apt .

AlmightyCushion

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118272186#Comment_118272186

Don't know how apt it is. I thought there were only 6 episodes. I was starting to get withdrawal symptoms before I even finished it. Then realised at the end there was two more. Absolute bliss

Penn

Yeah, binged the 6 episodes over the weekend thinking that's all there was, and about 10 minutes from the end realised there must be more episodes because there was no way they were going to wrap it up in 10 minutes.

Going to be tough going from binge to watching the last two episodes week-on-week.

De Bhál

excellent tv

Pentecost

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118312066#Comment_118312066

Did the same except I looked at IMDB to see how many episodes there were and assumed all 8 were on Disney! I'll have to see if I can wait for the last two. Great show.

Thecageyone

I'm onto ep-7, will watch it later, not sure if I'll finish it as I like to leave something to watch for another night and I haven't much atm besides this and Dexter

Great series, Keaton is very good and Michael Stuhlbarg also very good as the socially awkward and weird 'villain' of the show - solid performances all-round in this one really

spurious

Thank God for German (presumably EU) standards.

briany

Brilliant series. Have to give it up to the actor playing Richard Sackler. It's terrific performances all around, but his portrayal stands up there with the best, in my opinion. His speech at the very start about the creation of a new drug for the treatment of moderate and chronic pain reminded me of There Will Be Blood and Daniel Plainview's, "I'm an oil man..." speech. On the surface, it sounds like it's an intention to make the world better, but it doesn't take much insight to sense the great evil and greed behind the words.

Xander10

what day does new episodes release ?

Thecageyone

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118317326#Comment_118317326

Aye, that's Michael Stuhlbarg, I mentioned him above, he's been in some good tv stuff - [Boardwalk Empire, Your Honour, Fargo ..] plus a bunch of movies.

Penn

Enjoyed the latest episode on D+.

My main complaint with the show thus far though, is that the majority of scenes with the Sacklers have been a bit comically... evil. Like at the end they should start MWAHAHAHAH!-ing.

Obviously in real life they are definitely a bunch of thunderc*nts who cared about profits above all else and didn't care about the effects of the opioids etc. Absolutely. But for the show, if they are going to play the Sacklers off as being so evil, there's almost no point in showing that to us. Better to have more scenes or even more characters learning about decisions the Sacklers/Purdue have made. Scenes of Mountcastle or Meyer discussing the moves Purdue have pulled with their wife/husband, which also works to tell us more about their personal life.

We're not really learning anything about the Sacklers other than "want more money, drugs good, regulations bad", and because of that the few scenes of family in-fighting and Richie wanting to surpass his father's legacy etc, it just falls flat imo, regardless of how great a performance the actor playing Richie is giving.

Thecageyone

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118327098#Comment_118327098

Perhaps they were precisely like that? Many filthy rich people are known to be eccentric and completely out of touch with reality, lacking empathy and playing life like it's a game.

Penn

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118327153#Comment_118327153

Oh definitely, but I think if that's true, then for the show I'm not sure if we really need to see it, and I think the rest of the characters might be served better with more scenes to flesh out their characters where they're learning about or reacting to the decisions the Sacklers/Purdue have made.

We're not really learning anything valuable about those characters or their journeys for the amount of time spent with them.

It's a small quibble, I just don't know if the amount of time spent with the Sacklers is justified, and too many of their big meeting scenes just come across a little cartoony.

Thecageyone

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118327210#Comment_118327210

Tbh, I preferred their scenes to most of the ones featuring Bridget Meyer ... I just didn't care about her back story and felt that was highlighted way too much. I felt the amount of Stackler scenes was just about right, they are the root and cause of the entire scandal after all. Also, they kept it from getting a bit boring, I mean if the story followed Bridget or Rick & Randy much more than they did I might have dropped out at some point.

Penn

Yeah that's true too. More Meyer instead of the Sacklers could have helped her character, but also could have just been more of an annoyance. I nearly would have liked a journalist character/story or something who was following/tracking the Sacklers and the rules/regulations and have that as a side story instead of the Sacklers, but I guess if it wasn't really happening at the time you kinda can't just invent it for the show.

Marje

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118317327#Comment_118317327

Looks like Wednesday 22 December on Disney+ searching online as I am waiting to watch the last episode myself.

Pentecost

Does Kaitlyn Dever ever play roles where she's happy? This, Unbelievable, and even Justified she has a mostly unhappy life in them all. She's a good actress though.

Thecageyone

Yeah every Weds is a new ep on Disney+

De Bhál

caught up with it. That last episode was outstanding.

Spoiler Warning

Really felt for the mother. That moment when when found out about her daughter was some blow.

TheValeyard

Brilliant show. Great acting all round.

The Black Oil

I'm five episodes in. Even if some aspects are cranked up for dramatic effect (including the music), it's still quite a good show. Scary, horrifying, devastating and more. At times I've felt so angry I wish I could reach through the screen and throttle some of them.

One of its strengths is how it captures the fractures in people's relationships, that may well be the saddest part.

lordgoat

Best TV I've watched in a long time, really enjoyed it. First show that depicts addiction that well too. And really accurate portrayal of the regulatory side of things.

NIMAN

Finished this several weeks back, and then went on to watch the Louis Theroux BBC documentary Dark States, about the heroin town, where a lot of folk couldn't get Oxy any more and went on to hard drugs instead as it was cheaper.

gmisk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118342057#Comment_118342057

Booksmart?

Nigzcurran

Finished it and really enjoyed it, timeline got a bit confusing at times but the acting more than made up for it