In Painkiller, the fictionalized series that retells some of the origins of the opioid epidemic, the soldiers on the front lines of spreading OxyContin to the masses are ambitious young upstarts with bright smiles and irresistible sales pitches.

Painkiller follows one such soldier, the character Shannon Schaeffer (West Duchovny), who’s recruited straight out of college by a charismatic and ruthless Purdue Pharma sales rep, Britt Hufford (Dina Shihabi). As Shannon learns the ropes of selling OxyContin to prescribers — which requires ignoring alarming red flags and downplaying the addictiveness of the drug — she goes through an internal ethical struggle throughout the six episodes of the limited series. “I think a lot of people are going to see themselves in her,” said Duchovny from the set of Painkiller in 2022. “A theme for her is [the desire] for success and trying to do good and grappling with the pressures of money and how that changes you.”

While the relationship between Shannon and Britt is fraught, with Britt constantly driving Shannon harder toward sales goals and further away from her conscience, the explosive chemistry between Duchovny and Shihabi has translated into a supportive friendship off-screen. “Having Dina around has been such a blessing because she’s taken on the role as an older sister and mentor to me,” said West. “Even though our relationship on-screen is quite tumultuous and at times kind of abusive, her openness and her warmth kind of shines through, and it was so fun seeing her choices that felt so unique and unexpected.”

Keri Anderson/Netflix

Shihabi was surprised, at times, by Duchovny’s portrayal of Shannon’s gradual disillusionment with Purdue. “Shannon’s a f**king fireball and she can fight,” she said. “[When I was] first reading the scripts, I didn’t see Shannon that way, and I think that’s West’s magic touch. It just elevated the role and made her even more compelling than she was on the page.”

Shannon’s disillusionment with her complicity in the epidemic culminates during a corporate sales conference in Miami, where she takes Oxy for the first time and ends up walking straight into a swimming pool. Although Duchovny was initially terrified of “belly flopping” into the freezing water, the pivotal scene had to convey a moral awakening.

“I think [Shannon is] not only drawn to Purdue because of the money, but because she thinks that she can help people and do good,” said Duchovny. “I think that’s the moment where she can’t come up with an explanation — there’s just been too much evidence of what’s really going on… Thinking back on Shannon and her arc and this final moment and just all the emotion — it was one of my favorite things to shoot.”

Painkiller trailerRun from pain. Run toward Pleasure. Painkiller, a fictionalized telling of the origins and aftermath of the opioid crisis in America.

Stream Painkiller now on Netflix.