Dhruv Trivedi
Netflix’s ‘Pieces of Her’ introduces audiences to a large pharmaceutical corporation called Quellcorp and the complicated dynamics of the family that runs it. The show’s narrative follows a young woman named Andy, who slowly begins to realize that her seemingly humble and quiet mother might be hiding an explosive secret.
Through a twisting journey and multiple flashbacks, it eventually becomes apparent that Andy’s mother has a deep connection to Quellcorp. The multinational pharma company and its murdered CEO actually play a significant role in the show’s season 1 finale, so we decided to dig around and see if Quellcorp might be based on a real pharmaceutical company. Here’s what we found out.
Is Quellcorp a Real Pharmaceutical Company?
In the Netflix series, Quellcorp is introduced as a multinational pharmaceutical company run by the Queller family’s patriarch, Martin Queller. Under him, the corporation seemingly profits by selling highly addictive medications with incredibly adverse side effects. The woman who eventually fires the shot that kills Martin claims that her husband, under the influence of the company’s antipsychotic medication Haldol, murdered their three children and subsequently committed suicide.
Much of the show’s overarching plot centers around Martin’s murder. His son and successor, Jasper Queller, also plays a significant role in the plot, though his actions only come to light near the end of season 1. The company itself, under Martin, is depicted as an unempathetic, profit-hungry corporation that maximizes profits without mitigating the devastating effects caused by its medications.
As it turns out, Quellcorp is not a real pharmaceutical company. The corporation is a fictional entity created to benefit the thriller series’ broader plot. Of course, Quellcorp, as seen in the series, takes inspiration from the equally fictional Queller Corporation in Karin Slaughter’s novel, on which the series is based.
Like many other aspects of the story, the author seemingly takes inspiration from various sources to construct the fictional situations and entities that populate the narrative. It’s pretty easy to guess where the real-life inspirations possibly stem from, considering large pharmaceutical companies have occasionally faced backlash for questionable practices that place profit over human wellbeing.
The aspect of the head of the company, Martin Queller, being shot by the wife of a victim seems to also be a fictional plot point. Thus, the pharmaceutical company in ‘Pieces of Her’ is an entirely fictional entity that possibly draws from some real-world news stories in order to seem authentic. The more violent and dramatic aspects of Quellcorp, like the head of the company being shot and his son, Jasper, being involved in a secret plot while also becoming the new face of the company, are created to imbibe intriguing twists into the thriller narrative.
Read More: How Does Clara Die in Pieces of Her? What Happens to Her Husband Eli?
