Netflix is set to expand its prestige-drama lineup with The Retrievals a limited series that dramatizes a shocking medical scandal at Yale’s Fertility Center. The narrative originates from the Peabody-Award winning New York Times podcast produced by Serial Productions, in which journalist Susan Burton uncovered a systematic diversion of fentanyl that left dozens of patients undergoing egg-retrieval procedures without proper anesthesia. The series promises a blend of harrowing courtroom drama and surprising moments of humor, portraying how a disparate group of women united to take on a powerful university.
While the project had already secured Emilia Jones and Amy Ryan for its core trio, the latest casting news confirms that Oscar winner Jessica Chastain will join the ensemble in a pivotal role. The addition of Chastain, fresh from the horror film Other Mommy and a pending Netflix thriller, elevates the series’ profile and signals Netflix’s confidence in the material’s cultural relevance.
The Retrievals: premise and source material
The series follows a cohort of fertility patients who discover that a nurse at the Yale Fertility Center stole fentanyl intended for their anesthesia and replaced it with saline. The illicit activity, carried out by nurse Donna Monticone between June and October 2020, affected an estimated 75% of the clinic’s narcotic supply, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. As a result, many women endured the physically and emotionally taxing egg-retrieval process while fully conscious. The narrative tracks the emergence of a grassroots legal movement, culminating in a historic lawsuit that pits the survivors against a prestigious academic institution.
Cast and characters
Emilia Jones assumes the role of Gabby Clemente a New Haven bartender-turned-student teacher whose own painful procedure awakens her to the larger conspiracy. Jones’s character becomes a catalyst, rallying other patients and steering the collective toward litigation. Amy Ryan portrays Carla Russo the veteran nurse who ultimately pleads guilty to diverting the fentanyl. Russo’s actions form the crux of the criminal element, and her storyline offers a nuanced look at the motivations behind the drug diversion.
Jessica Chastain will play Kaitlyn Langford a former art historian who has endured a decade of unsuccessful fertility cycles. Once she learns she too was subjected to the fentanyl tampering, Langford confronts a personal reckoning and emerges as one of the lead plaintiffs in the lawsuit. Metzler, the series creator, has described Chastain as the “exemplar” for this part, noting her capacity to convey both restrained vulnerability and unbridled emotional release.
Production team and upcoming schedule
Molly Smith Metzler acclaimed for Maid and Sirens serves as writer, showrunner, and executive producer under her Quiet Coyote banner. She reunites with Colin McKenna with whom she collaborated on the Emmy-nominated series, as well as the LuckyChap trio—Margot RobbieTom Ackerley and Dani Gorin. The New York Times contributes executive producer Caitlin Roper while the podcast’s creator Susan Burton also holds an executive credit.
Directorial duties for the pilot fall to Lila Neugebauer an alum of Metzler’s previous Netflix projects, and Emmy-winner Andrij Parekh will helm additional episodes. Production companies include LuckyChap and Quiet Coyote, with the series slated to debut on Netflix sometime in 2026; a specific premiere date has not yet been announced. In the meantime, Chastain’s schedule remains busy: she returns to the theatrical horror genre with Other Mommy on October 9, and she appears in the Netflix thriller Heartland on November 13, alongside upcoming Apple series Off Weeks and the film The Dealer.
Representation for Chastain on this project comes from CAA, Mosaic, and Hansen Jacobson Teller, underscoring the high-level talent alignment behind the series. With its blend of real-world scandal, legal drama, and complex female relationships, The Retrievals positions itself as a potential flagship prestige series for the streaming platform.
