As a seasoned television critic with decades of experience under my belt, I must say that The Madness is one of the most gripping and thought-provoking series I’ve seen in quite some time. Muncie’s journey from an innocent bystander to a falsely accused man on the run is nothing short of captivating. It’s a testament to the power of circumstance, and how our lives can be turned upside down in an instant.
Warning: Spoilers for The Madness.
A significant triumph for Netflix, “The Madness” stars Colman Domingo as Muncie Daniels, a TV commentator who unwittingly gets tangled up in a murder mystery when he discovers a dismembered corpse while retreating to a cabin in the Poconos. After happening upon the scene at the wrong moment, those responsible for the killing pursue him through the woods where he manages to impale one of them with a pen and flee. However, when he informs the police about the crime, he finds that the crime scene has been wiped clean, leaving no trace of the body. Perplexed by the oddities surrounding the incident, Muncie promptly returns to his Philadelphia residence and starts investigating the identity of the deceased man. Regrettably, as he delves deeper in search of the truth, he finds himself increasingly ensnared in a situation far larger than anything he could have anticipated.
Following the revelation that the man was a covert white supremacist, Mark Simon (Tahmoh Penikett), alias Brother14 online, incriminating evidence implicates Muncie as the main suspect. As his friends and associates start to keep their distance from him, Muncie is forced to seek aid from his estranged relatives. Yet, this action puts them all in potential peril since Mark’s neo-Nazi group, The Forge, intends to bully and menace Muncie, whom they believe responsible for their leader’s killing. While trying to safeguard his family and avoid arrest, Muncie also endeavors to exonerate himself. Along the way, he uncovers a wide-ranging conspiracy aimed at manipulating the political arena through disinformation and assassinations.
Why Was Mark Killed, and Who Killed Him?
In a larger political scheme, Mark’s death occurred because he intended to unveil the underhanded activities of a tech firm called Revitalize and its secretive billionaire owner, Rodney Kraintz (Neal Huff). This tech company, managed by hedge fund manager Stu Magnusson (Bradley Whitford), orchestrated a misinformation campaign using questionable American internet journalists and inflammatory figures like Mark, who would speak on specific topics as directed by Revitalize. The firm wasn’t just influencing election campaigns through donations; they aimed to manipulate the entire discourse of American politics as well.
In contrast, when the connections between internet influencers and Revitalize deteriorated severely, and they ceased to propagate the company’s viewpoints, Revitalize chose to eliminate them. Upon uncovering a vast web of deceit, Mark came to understand that this corporation had no qualms about eliminating “true American patriots.” Laura Jennings (Bri Neal) also dissented, and in the end, they both signed their own death sentences. To Revitalize, human lives were inconsequential compared to their objectives of winning elections and reducing or abolishing environmental regulations.
It soon becomes obvious that employees at Revitalize are expendable, as Stu discovered when he unwittingly stumbled upon the truth about Mark’s assassin, Don Sloss (Dru Viergever). Unfortunately, Julia Jayne, a henchman of Kraintz, ordered Don to eliminate Stu. From the start, Kraintz had been manipulating events and was ultimately responsible for every death that followed. Those involved were merely pieces in his intricate and constantly spinning game, serving as mere cogs in his vast machinery. He hired Mark’s killers and allowed The Forge to believe Muncie was behind their leader’s demise.
What Does Muncie Have to Do With Mark’s Death?
Upon reaching the Poconos, I, Muncie, was completely clueless about who Mark was. I knew of Brother14 and The Forge, but it wasn’t until later that I found out about Mark’s link to the neo-Nazis. Sadly, I just happened to stumble upon the crime scene by chance, which unfortunately made me a scapegoat for something I knew nothing about. If I had stayed in my cabin and not seen anything, it’s probable that I wouldn’t have been dragged into any of this mess at all.
In this situation, when the suspect eluded arrest and started relaying his observations to the police, Kraintz and his tech company found it advantageous to blame the entire incident on Muncie. Although it was common knowledge that Muncie used his TV commentator role to criticize groups like The Forge and its associates, the fact that he rented a cabin near one of these groups was purely coincidental. Unfortunately for Muncie, Revitalize chose to implicate him since he just happened to be in the vicinity.
Does Muncie Ever Clear His Name?
And What Happens to Kraintz and The Forge?
As a movie critic, I can say that our protagonist, Muncie, successfully exonerates himself by revealing an incriminating audio where Julia confesses to the intricate web of deceit, involving Kraintz and Revitalize. However, Kraintz skillfully evades responsibility when Julia meets her demise at the hands of Muncie’s wife, Elena, in a self-defense scenario. This unfortunate event allows him to escape any legal consequences. In the aftermath, Muncie engages in one last confrontation with Kraintz but chooses not to retaliate with violence. Instead, he decides to leave the past behind and live out his days in tranquility.
Eventually, The Forge was responsible for Kraintz’s demise, and later on, some of its members were apprehended by the FBI due to evidence supplied by Lucie Snipes, Mark’s widow. Those leading this specific conspiracy eventually had to answer for their actions, but as Kraintz hinted at Muncie, his death didn’t halt the machinery. Other billionaires would step in to fill his place and carry on with their worldwide scheme to dominate everything.
All episodes of The Madness are currently streaming on Netflix.
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2024-12-07 20:32