What really happened to Madison on The Beast in Me? Why her disappearance feels less like a plot twist and more like a warning buried in plain sight. Netflix’s newest breakout hit has already pulled in 6.9 million views in its first four days — a number that makes sense once you realize viewers aren’t just watching the show, they’re obsessing over the clues, rewinding scenes, and arguing online about the final 12 minutes.

The Beast in Me has exploded in popularity on Netflix, racking up 6.9 million views in its first four days on the platform. Its early success is hardly shocking, though, given the star power in the cast and the twisty story at its core.

The miniseries stars Claire Danes as Aggie Wiggs, a novelist stuck in a creative rut — until her scandalous new neighbor, Nile Jarvis (Matthew Rhys), moves in next door and sparks some inspiration. It turns out Nile has ditched the city for the suburbs to lay low with his second wife, Nina (Brittany Snow), after he’s suspected of playing a role in his first wife Madison’s (Leila George) disappearance.

Madison’s mysterious fate becomes drives much tension in The Beast in Me, and as Aggie digs deeper into Nile’s life, more people go missing, and a rising body count raises even more questions. Does everything lead back to Nile? Did he actually kill Madison, or did she really slip away without a trace? Let’s break it down.

Who is Madison on The Beast in Me?

At first, Madison is only known as Nile’s first wife who disappeared in 2019. It isn’t until episode 7, “Ghosts,” that viewers finally meet her. The flashback episode fills in the blanks, especially regarding her sudden departure from the spotlight.

Madison worked as a gallerist who sourced artwork for her family’s foundation. Back then, Nina was Madison’s assistant, but she was trying to carve her own path in the art world.

The episode opens at the gallery’s 2019 Christmas party, where FBI agent Brian Abbott (David Lyons) — who’s been on Nile’s tail for years — shows up uninvited and arrests Nile’s friend Pedro Dominguez for cartel activity.

Madison gets into a heated exchange with Abbott that ends with her throwing her drink in his face. Later, she vents to Nina about Abbott sticking his nose in their lives, insisting that Nile has done nothing wrong.

Meanwhile, Nile is clearly shaken up. He realizes that someone tipped off the authorities about Pedro attending the party, but he can’t figure out who betrayed them.

Who killed Madison on The Beast in Me?

Nile initially suspects Nina is the one leaking information to the FBI. After all, she knew a lot as Madison’s assistant. However, it turns out Madison is Abbott’s informant.

The two meet up, and Abbott tells Madison there’s nothing he can do because someone else has already taken the fall. He tells her she can still leave Nile, but Madison insists that’s not an option because he’ll kill her — and sadly, he does.

While Nile confronts Nina about being a leak, she tells him it was Madison all along. He scoffs at the idea until she admits she followed Madison earlier and saw her with Abbott.

The scene cuts to Madison at her office as Nile shows up. “I saved your life, Maddie, but that wasn’t enough, was it? You had to go and stab me in the back over and over and f⸺ over again,” he says. When he asks why she would do this to him, Madison replies, “When I look in your eyes too long, I see it — this animal. Maybe I always saw it, but I don’t have a death wish anymore.”

Nile grabs Madison by the throat, but she manages to spray him with mace and run off. He catches up to her, throws her to the floor, and beats her to death with a nearby statuette.

He breaks down in tears and calls his father, Martin (Jonathan Banks), who arrives with Nile’s uncle/fixer, Rick (Tim Guinee). Nile tells them Madison was the mole, and Martin lashes out, repeatedly slapping Nile in the face.

As Nile goes to shower, Rick advises Martin to think about the family’s future. If they don’t step in to help Nile cover up the crime scene, they’ll be dragged down with Nile because they were there. The three soon head out of town and dispose of Madison’s body in a suitcase.

Back at the office, Nina finds a fake suicide note from Madison: “Escape is such a thankful word. I’ve searched for other answers, but they all lead me back here. There has been real love in my life and for that I am grateful. But I am too tired of the fight. I am not strong enough. Forgive me.”

What happened to Nile?

After moving out of the city, Nile settles into a New York neighborhood with Nina, and his corrupt ways only worsen. He soon kills Abbott and a local teen, Teddy Fenig (Bubba Weiler), who was involved in the car accident that killed Aggie’s young son.

By the finale, Nile’s crimes and web of lies start to catch up to him. He tries to pin Teddy’s death on Aggie, but before she turns herself in to the police, Aggie visits Nina at work and begs her to reveal the truth about Nile. Thankfully, Nina complies and records Nile confessing to killing Madison.

Nile claims he’s innocent, but when Rick decides to come forward and testify against him, Nile has no choice but to plead guilty. Nile is thrown in prison, and in the last episode’s final moments, he is stabbed to death by another inmate.

“Uncle Rick wasn’t content to let Nile live out his days in a prison jumpsuit,” Aggie narrates, confirming that Rick arranged his murder.

Where can I watch The Beast in Me?

All eight episodes of The Beast in Me are now streaming on Netflix.

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