What Are Barbiturates In Perfect Couple Netflix? Meaning In Show Explained

A major plotpoint in Netflix's hit murder mystery series revolves around a specific type of antidepressant.

By Jennifer McDonough Posted:
Barbiturates In Perfect Couple, Nicole Kidman

The Perfect Couple’s finale episode revealed that the potentially dangerous barbiturate pentobarbital was used as a murder weapon.

Netflix’s new drama The Perfect Couple stars Nicole Kidman, Dakota Fanning, and Liev Schreiber. The story concerns an unexpected guest arriving at a fancy Nantucket wedding: a dead body. As the six-episode series unfolds, many truths emerge for the show’s dysfunctional family.

What Is Pentobarbital From The Perfect Couple?

An open drawer filled with pills and a hand reaching into it
Netflix

In The Perfect Couple, Merritt Monaco's (Meghann Fahy) body washes onto the shore during preparations for a well-to-do wedding ceremony. Merritt was to be the maid of honor as the best friend of the bride, Amelia.

When Merrett’s body is examined, pentobarbital is detected in her system. The barbiturate, known as pentobarbital, is a highly addictive sedative that’s often reserved for emergencies. If the dose is high enough, it can be lethal.

As such, the drug is sometimes used for euthanasia. One of the characters in The Perfect Couple, Karen Sacks aka Amelia’s mother, is a cancer patient. She had the pills on hand in case her health were to take a drastic turn for the worse suddenly. 

A figure in a blue robe with their hands on a table
Netflix

It was then revealed that Dakota Fanning’s Abby stole the pentobarbital and used it to kill Merritt in The Perfect Couple's final episode.

Could The Perfect Couple Get a Second Season?

Unfortunately for fans of The Perfect Couple, a Season 2 for the Netflix murder mystery is unlikely.

The show was envisioned and executed as a limited series, meaning no follow-up is planned. 

Furthermore, the series was based on the 2018 novel The Perfect Couple by Elin Hilderbrand. With no further source material to draw upon, continuing the series with another season wouldn’t make much sense.

Stranger things have happened in Hollywood, but fans should treat The Perfect Couple as an open-and-shut case.


The Perfect Couple is streaming exclusively on Netflix.

- About The Author: Jennifer McDonough
Jennifer McDonough has been a writer at The Direct since its 2020 launch. She is responsible for the creation of news articles and features. She also has a particular affinity for action figures and merchandise, which she revels in discussing in the articles she writes, when the situation calls for it.