Abhiroop Das
Created by Gabe Rotter, Netflix’s ‘The Beast in Me’ follows Agatha Wiggs, an acclaimed novelist who is unable to let go of a traumatic memory. With her life in shambles, she desperately seeks a way to let out her pent-up frustrations, but writing a book about an alleged murder is not supposed to be on the list. When Nile Jarvis, an infamous businessman, becomes Agatha’s new neighbor, things take a turn. As the two interact, she begins to notice the layers beneath his charming facade, and the prospect of capturing his life’s story becomes tantalizingly real.
In the previous episodes, we learn that Agatha lost her child following a car crash that also involved a teen named Teddy Fenig. A day after telling Nile about this, however, she learns that Teddy is dead, and suspicions naturally follow. In a bold move, she decides to write about Nile while secretly collaborating with FBI Agent Brian Abbott. Episodes 3 and 4, titled ‘Elephant in the Room’ and ‘Thanatosm’ deepen this mystery further. SPOILERS AHEAD.
The Jarvis Family Faces Political Turmoil
Episode 3, titled ‘Elephant in the Room,’ begins with Rick paying his brother and Nile’s father, Martin Jarvis, a visit. He is here with news about Nile and Agatha’s recent tie-up, and how that is a media disaster in the making, and Martin orders this to be nipped in the bud. Nile, however, has other plans, as his first interview already reveals several untold angles. The story of his birth is unnerving in and of itself, in large part due to his father’s abusive relationship with his late mother. Nile, along with his now deceased elder brother, was born after several miscarriages, which nearly took his mother’s life on at least two occasions. While discussing this, he blends in his own desire to never have kids, in sharp contrast to his father, who prioritizes legacy above all. Upon being probed further, he reveals that it is not to avoid a potential cycle, but because he would simply grow too attached to his children, an idea that captures Agatha’s imagination.
Elsewhere, Nina pays a visit to Shelley, who is currently hosting a mini-exhibition of her latest artworks. Even more impressed than before, Nina offers a chance for a solo exhibition in the J Kahn Gallery, which leaves Shelley overjoyed. For Nile, on the other hand, the day continues to sour by the minute, as he argues with his father about Agatha’s book and what it means for his public standing. Before long, the conversation shifts to another pressing subject, that of their flagship land redevelopment project, named Jarvis Yards. Already in the second stage of construction, the project has encountered a major obstacle, with Councilwoman Olivia Benitez rallying the masses, as well as the council, to vote against the construction. One of the councilpersons on the Jarvises’ payroll, named Gold, brings up insider information about how the votes are barely in their favour, and Nile realizes he must sanitize his image as soon as possible.
Nile Catches Wind of Agatha’s FBI Connections
Back home, Nile bursts upon Rick, demanding why news about his book reached his father’s ear. To this, Rick reestablishes his loyalty, not to Nile, but to his Martin, and reveals that Agatha has been talking to Detective Brian Abbott, which makes her a threat. Nile does not take this information lightly and sets up an urgent meeting with Agatha, who happens to be with Brian at that exact moment. We learn that he has been trying to build a case against Nile for years, but has failed at every turn, ultimately costing him his marriage. A closer look at Teddy Fenig’s case file does not bring up any leads either, but Agatha quickly points out that his suicide note is written in shaky handwriting, which might be an indicator of coercion.
However, with no way of proving that, and a meeting with Nile in a few minutes, she has to rush out, with Brian tailing right behind. Upon meeting, Nile takes her to the highest floor of the Jarvis Yards, both as a pressure tactic and to marvel at his own creation. There, he confronts her about Brian up front, and nearly scraps the novel plan in the absence of editorial control. However, Agatha puts her wits to use and manages to weasel out without raising suspicion while retaining her integrity as an author.
Brian Narrowly Avoids Being Caught
Upon reconnecting with Brian, Agatha explains that she has lied about meeting him for research, and while that buys them some time, they must make their next move quickly. So far, their best bet is to hack into Nile’s laptop and track his records from his fitness app to check for any intense activity during the estimated time of Fenig’s disappearance. Agatha explains that she has already snooped in on the laptop’s password, and with an upcoming invitation to the birthday of Nile’s youngest brother, the perfect opening is created. On the day of the celebration, everyone visits Martin’s house, allowing Brian to drug Nile’s dogs and sneak into the house. While he breaks in and copies all of Nile’s data into a pen drive, Agatha mingles with the Jarvis family at the party. Meanwhile, Nile and Jarvis learn that Councilwoman Olivia Benitez now has the upper hand in the voting process, and even their trusted ally, Gold, is changing his vote.
Furious, Nile exits the party early, not knowing that Brian is still inside, stealing his data. Agatha manages to alert the detective just in time, but on his way out, he is ambushed by one of the dogs that wakes up early. After narrowly escaping with a gnarly injury, Brian wastes no time in setting a meeting with an underground hacker named Simone Says. The process turns out to be more discreet than he expected, and without warning, the officer is placed in a holding cell for the entire duration of the hacking process. Meanwhile, a conflict of interest arises between Agatha and Nina, as the former’s book deal can make Shelley’s art exhibition look transactional in nature. Heartbroken, Nina breaks the bad news to Shelley in person, and she soon realizes that Agatha is the person behind this. In a phone call to her ex-wife, Shelley unloads years of pent-up frustration, prompting Agatha to rush to her home to have an open discussion on the subject.
Initially, Agatha claims to have no ties to Nina’s decision, but upon realizing that the ruse doesn’t work, she slowly turns to the truth. In a risky move, she reveals to Shelley her suspicions about Nile being Teddy Fenig’s murderer, but Shelley has an entirely unexpected reaction. Instead of Nile or any other potential figure, she believes Agatha to be the primary reason for Teddy’s death, claiming that she has been harassing him as a coping mechanism. Agatha, unable to speak any further, leaves the scene, and from there we shift back to Nile’s perspective. His father has assembled a team of Public Relations specialists, named The Montgomery Group, who lay out a plan to recover the council’s majority. However, Nile disagrees with their approach of picking off the weak links and instead suggests aiming for the head of the operation, Benitez herself.
Nile’s Public Persona Crumbles Under Investigation
Elsewhere, Agatha makes significant progress with her writing, as Madison’s parents agree to an interview about her passing. At their home, they ask her whether she believes Nile is to blame, and while she tries to frame a diplomatic answer, she soon makes a surprising discovery: Madison’s parents are on Nile’s side. Instead of seeing him as a potential murderer, they think of their former son-in-law as someone who has been wronged by the media. Over the course of the interview, Agatha learns several key details about Madison, in particular, how she was suffering from Bipolar Personality Disorder. While her passion for birdwatching, coupled with endless medication and psychotherapeutic measures, helped, her parents claim that Madison wanted more. Conversely, they consider Nile to be a heroic figure for introducing love into her life, and this leads Agatha to look at them in a suspicious light.
Meanwhile, Simone manages to locate a highly encrypted live feed on Nile’s laptop and calls Brian to have a look. There, he is surprised to find none other than Teddy Fenig, who is alive but tortured and in captivity. Realizing that the case has reached a new level of intensity, he chooses to lie to Agatha about not finding anything substantial, in the hopes that she will be put off the case. Next, he hides the pendrive in his home and begins tailing Nile, all the way to Jarvis Yards. While hoping to find Teddy, Brian accidentally runs into a meeting between Nile and Olivia Benitez, where the businessman offers to dedicate a portion of the land to housing projects in return for her vote and support. However, Olivia rejects the offer and walks away, leaving Nile furious enough to lower his guard, allowing Brian to hold him at gunpoint. In a critical moment, Nile outsmarts the officer by bringing up Madison as a distraction, following which he takes control of the gun and bashes Brian’s head with it till he’s seemingly dead.
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