Netflix's Maniac: What Does The Ending Really Mean?

4. Pills And Therapy Aren't Bad, But Aren't Magic Fixes Either

In parts, Maniac could quite easily come off as an outright dismissal of medication and/or therapy as a means of treating mental illness, but the show has enough in it to realise that's not what Somerville and Fukunaga are saying. As we see earlier in the series, the therapy and pills taken by Owen DO help him, but what's important to note is that, despite what Dr Mantleray thinks, there is not a magic fix.

As Owen and Annie come to realise after their three-day trial, 'fixing' yourself isn't as easy as taking three pills. They might offer a solution - a very necessary one in cases - that helps the problem, but it won't eliminate the root cause of them. The confrontation pill worked in that it made them face their issues, but it is then still upon the person to tackle them.