WARNING: SPOILERS ahead for The Madness.
Colman Domingo’s protagonist in the Netflix conspiracy thriller seriesThe Madnesshas a notorious activist father. Created by playwright Stephen Belber ofThe Laramie ProjectandTapeacclaim,The Madnessfollows Muncie Daniels' rapidly unraveling life after discovering a dead body in a remote cabin neighboring his wooded rental home.Muncie believes he’s being set up for the murder of a man named Mark Simon, a prominent online figure and spearhead of a rogue white supremacy group called The Forge.
The Madnessarrives months afterDomingo’s Oscar-buzzy prison dramaSing Singamidst a swell of new A-lister-led thriller series like Michael Fassbender’sThe Agencyand Eddie Redmayne’sThe Day of the Jackal.Domingo is best known for his inspired work in films likeRustinand his Emmy-winning performance inEuphoria.Hislead role as Victor Strand in the dystopian sci-fi seriesFear the Walking Deadoffered an initial glimpse of his less-utilized skills as a physical actor, which are also put on display inThe Madness.
All 8 episodes ofThe Madnessare now streaming exclusively on Netflix.
Although Muncie Daniels' father is not portrayed onscreen in The Madness, several characters mention him on numerous occasions. Based on the context clues and limited information about the specifics of Muncie’s dad, it’s clear thathis dad was in prison and that he either killed someone or attempted to kill them. Muncie’s father was a notorious activist who used violence as a tool for his activism which naturally had disastrous results for his life and his cause.
It appears that most if not all of the characters inThe Madnessare fully aware of who Muncie’s father is, whichcasts a large shadow over Muncie’s reputation and career. The “sins” of Muncie’s father, as one key character alludes to in the series, come about during Muncie’s predicament as he desperately tries to prove his innocence against powerful shadow forces. Muncie has to actively work against his infamous family legacy caused by the headlining acts of violence done by his father.
Muncie tries but struggles to not repeat his father’s mistakes
Muncie’s entire adult life can be summarized as a response to “the sins of his father.” InThe Madness, Muncie says that he tried to change the system from the inside rather than the outside like his father did and ultimately didn’t want to be a killer.Muncie morally wrestles with having to resort to violence, which is a key theme and source of internal conflictwithin his character. He learns in certain moments how violence, or at least threats of violence, seems to be the most effective tool to achieve a desired outcome.The Madnessshows Muncie struggling to rise above his father’s reputation while also needing to defend himself from violence and employ violence for self-defense.
The Madness
Cast
Muncie Daniels is a political consultant-turned-TV pundit who may have lost his way in life. While on a work sabbatical in the Poconos to write the great American novel, Muncie finds himself the only witness to the murder of a well-known white supremacist, and now he’s being framed for the crime. Muncie is forced to go on the run in a desperate fight to clear his name and unravel a global conspiracy before time runs out. Along the way he’ll reconnect with his family, find unlikely allies, and fight against disinformation in a post-truth age.
