The Madness on Netflix is a political thriller series with a lot of depth—and twists.
TV pundit Muncie Daniels (Colman Domingo) seems to have (almost) everything, including a fulfilling career and time off to write a new book in the Poconos woods. Granted, his son Demetrius lives with his ex, who wants to divorce him, but even that isn’t the end of the world for Muncie. However, his life soon turns upside down within a day when he’s accused of a murder he didn’t commit.
What unfolds from there is so enthralling, it’s no surprise why the series is trending on Netflix. So, who framed Muncie? And perhaps more importantly, why? Let’s break down the surprise ending here. Beware, massive spoilers for the Netflix series ahead.
What is The Madness on Netflix about?
TV pundit Muncie just wants to write his new book in peace and quiet at a rental home in the secluded Pocanos woods. But when his power goes out, he tries to get help from a neighbor who had previously introduced himself…only to find the man had been killed and dismembered. Shocked, Muncie tries to leave the property but is followed by two masked killers.
Before he knows it, Muncie finds himself persona non grata and accused of murdering the neighbor, who turns out was a major player in the neo-Nazi scene. After a body part is found in his freezer, Muncie goes into hiding. Eventually, he turns himself into the police, but they don’t believe his innocence. Only at the very end is Muncie able to uncover the huge conspiracy behind the murder and find peace with his family.
The Madness is a parable about modern warfare: truth and disinformation on the internet, the power with which powerful rich people can undermine entire systems, and the cloaks under which they operate.
But who really framed Muncie for the murder? And why?
The Madness, ending explained
Munice, a Black public figure who has been outspoken about Black Lives Matter, is framed for killing a known neo-Nazi.
Who would do that? As Muncie uncovers the conspiracy behind it all, he eventually learns that tech billionaire Rodney Kaintz (Neal Huff) is the one who’s been making his life a living hell. The reason: Muncie was quite simply in the wrong place at the wrong time (or make that several times). Not only is Kaintz responsible for the murder of the neo-Nazi, but he also had his henchman and his business partner Stu Magnussen (Bradley Whiteford) killed.
It turns out the neo-Nazi was murdered because he was a small cog in a much larger conspiracy to spread disinformation ahead of an upcoming presidential election. Kaintz didn’t care about the neo-Nazi doctrine, he just wanted to sway the election results. As the silent majority shareholder of a tech company, the billionaire is all about power.
When it came to Kaintz’s that Muncie had booked himself a rental next to the neo-Nazi, who Kaintz had planned on killing soon anyway, the billionaire decided to frame the Black TV pundit for the murder. That way, he essentially kills two birds with one stone: Not only does the neo-Nazi die has planned, but the well-respected Muncie loses his reputation in the process. “You were just there,” Kaintz says to Muncie in the final episode. The fact that he destroyed his life in the process? The billionaire doesn’t care.
Muncie Daniels, who finally learns this after confronting the billionaire with a gun, could kill his opponent. Instead, he walks away.
With The Madness, a mirror is held up to us: We too often believe what we see or read or hear without fact checking or digging deeper. But all this content can be manipulated by special interest groups for the sake of world domination. Large-scale disinformation is not only a license to get away with all kinds of crimes, but also proof that you have power and can control the masses. The dream of every psychopath, the nightmare of every democracy.
So, is The Madness worth watching? If you like suspenseful thrillers that go deeper than just a game of cat and mouse, you shouldn’t miss it.
A version of this article was previously published in Glamour Germany.
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