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The new conspiracy thriller series by Netflix, The Madness, premiered on the streaming platform on November 28, 2024. The limited series consists of eight episodes, all available for streaming now. Starring Academy Award Nominee Colman Domingo, the series starts as a murder mystery and gradually delves into the dark and complex world of race, politics, and social media.
In The Madness, Domingo plays Muncie Daniels, a political consultant turned TV pundit, who becomes embroiled with the murder of a white supremacist on his trip to the Poconos. The circumstances frame him as the murderer, and Daniels fights to clear his name, reconnecting with his estranged family and rediscovering his lost ideals along the way.
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Although The Madness is not based on a true story, according to the executive producer and director Clement Virgo, it is inspired by the social media world that we live in today.
Apart from Domingo, the show features Emmy Award Nominee Marsha Stephanie Blake as his estranged wife, and Gabrielle Graham and Thaddeus J. Mixson play his children. John Ortiz, Deon Cole, and Tamsin Topolski also play titular roles.
Disclaimer: The article ahead contains spoilers for The Madness. Reader discretion is advised.
What is the inspiration behind Netflix's The Madness?
Netflix's The Madness is fictional but reflects today's cultural and political climate, highlighting how technology and politics shape public opinion. The plot revolves around Muncie Daniels, falsely accused of murdering a white supremacist, a result of cyber manipulation.
In a behind-the-scenes interview with Tudum by Netflix, the executive producer and director of the show, Clement Virgo explained,
“The Madness is a metaphor for the world we are in now: the social media world.”
Domingo, whose character is an anchor on the real-world news channel CNN, also talked about how he was inspired by actual journalists.
“He's modeled after these pundits that are respected, at times challenged, even by their own communities. Sometimes looked at as being not Black enough, and then to some folks, too Black,” he told Tudum.
He added
“He is someone who was definitely an activist when he was younger, then moved into a different echelon and then became a bit of a superstar. He’s a little bit removed from the communities he was advocating for.”
The Madness Plot: How does the story connect with the real world?
At the beginning of The Madness, the audience gets a glimpse into Muncie's life- his rising career as a TV anchor and writer, and his troubled relationship with his family. While taking time off in the Poconos to write a novel, he encounters the murder of Mark Simon (Tahmoh Penikett) in the cabin next to him.
He then gets dragged into a situation where the authorities claim he is the murderer, and to clear his name, he goes on the run and gathers evidence.
Towards the end of the show, it becomes evident how the web of lies portraying Muncie as the killer is fabricated by a company called Revitalize. The head of the operation is a billionaire data analyst called Rodney Kraintz, a man involved in manipulating the American elections in multiple ways and shaping public opinion through the internet is one of them.
According to the creator of the show, Stephen Belber, a tech giant being the antagonist of the show is an inspiration from reality, as the social media narrative around the globe is decided by the information that the sites want its audience to see.
“The notion of objectivity is really hard to come by as we navigate all the information that’s coming at us 24/7. … What’s important is the notion of how to declutter in order to find out what you care about amidst it all," Belber said in an interview with Tudum.
The title of the show also refers to the 'madness' that the common man is exposed to in the world of technology. Muncie's decision to step away from that fast-paced world in the last episode titled No More Madness shows the evolution of his character.
The series is created by the acclaimed playwright and screenwriter Stephen Belber (The Laramie Project). He is also the showrunner along with executive producer VJ Boyd. Apart from Boyd, the executive producers are Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping, Kaitlin Dahill, and the director of the show, Clement Virgo.
Catch all episodes of The Madness on Netflix.
