Look, there's a lot of bad television this year. I've had the (dis)honor of reviewing some of these shows, but none have stretched my critical cred Madness. It's a mish-mash of genres, a thrilling murder-political mystery and a flat-out family drama trying to raise a trial, all coming together for a toothless, vague, and confused final product. It's the worst series to arrive in November 2024, given how big the show is he thinks you have to say about today's American politics. After all, how can you take the game seriously after the phrase “Antifa on meth with uzis” has been uttered with complete and utter sincerity?
But I'm moving forward. At its most basic level, Madness is about an occasional CNN contributor named Muncie Daniels (Colman Domingo) who is charged with the brutal murder of a white man after stumbling upon his corpse and being chased by his killers. The deceased is a Q-from-QAnon known as Brother14, an anonymous leaker of secrets and conspiracies that allegedly built and amassed a large following on the Internet, so it stands to reason that he made some enemies; what remains in question is why these enemies wanted to force his death on Muncie.
You might have a lot more questions in the first episodes of the series, because it plays fast and loose with its plot. It's not until about midway through the series that Muncie becomes a wanted man, but by the end of Episode 1 there are rumors all over the internet that Muncie killed this popular far-right figure. How did these people know that Zhrowe14 had died before the authorities saw it? How did they know Muncie was near him before he was killed? How do they know where Muncie is at all times? The story crumbles under scrutiny, too Madness it invites your tons.
Another strange part of the Madness Muncie's bone. We know right from the start that he didn't commit the murder, but he did everything in his power to make it seem like he did. He drops important information when talking to the authorities, but ignores FBI agent Franco Quinones (John Ortiz) even when he offers help, and sets off as a vigilante to investigate the mystery for himself—inevitably making things worse as a result. At one point while confiding in his friend Kwesi (Deon Cole), Muncie insists, “I'm not a criminal. Kwesi's answer? “Muncie, with all due respect, my brother, you sure behave like him.” Watching Muncie dig himself into such a deep hole is amazing, making him a frustrating character instead of one you'd like to get rid of.
The politics of this program also fails to be heard. Madness We spend its time on several different suspects for the murder, from some members of the white supremacist group to the aforementioned “Antifa on meth with uzis” to shadowy billionaires with superpowers. This latter group ends up being the main focus of the series, as Muncie and the rest of the cast express empty opinions about disinformation, media manipulation, and corporate self-interest. It may sound like a suggestive and sad plot ten years ago, but it is a terrible revelation when the richest man in the world is the head of this country's next administration (especially after he pays all the voters).
Even the thread about political extremism is old and unexamined. Antifa is invoked throughout the episode, each time coming with subtle and thoughtful Facebook posts from that extended family member you don't speak to. A white supremacist group, an artificial society called the Forge, finds some depth in Lucie (Tamsin Topolski), but not much. She is the ex-wife of Brother14 who was killed and works to ruin the plans from her time in the group, but Madness he never takes a good look at his previous beliefs. Instead, Lucie is able to conclude towards the end of the series that The Forge and other racist groups are “just a symbol.” . .people dating people.” How obvious and politically correct.
Madness it thinks it's clever and revolutionary, but it fails to say anything new. Yes, the “major media” pushes its narrative and we clearly live in a world where the truth can mean many different things to people, but the show is broad and cartoonish when it tries to portray that. It conspires instead of asking what drives people to create them, and its original plot becomes nonsense as a result. For example, the last thing this show needed was a deranged British assassin (Alison Wright) on Muncie's tail, but that doesn't stop it. Madness in such a strict and unfair choice. The series becomes more ridiculous from there, and you will get very tired of it.
'The Madness' is streaming on Netflix now.
