What Really Happened To Madison In The Beast In Me?

by

MAJOR SPOILERS for The Beast in Me are ahead!

The disappearance of Madison Jarvis is at the heart of the thrilling new series, The Beast in Me, and the story behind it is quite dark. Netflix has become known for its suspenseful mystery shows, and The Beast in Me ranks among their very best.

I was completely hooked by this story about Aggie, a writer who gets a seriously intriguing new neighbor – Nile Jarvis, who’s rumored to be a killer. She decides to write a novel about him, and things get really complicated when they actually become friends. It creates this inner conflict for her, because she’s simultaneously getting to know him and trying to figure out what happened to his wife. It’s a really compelling setup!

Okay, let me tell you about The Beast in Me. Michael Rhys is absolutely captivating as Niles Jarvis, a man suspected of making his wife, Madison, disappear. He insists he’s innocent, and honestly, Rhys plays that ambiguity brilliantly. The movie keeps you guessing, and trust me, the reveal of what really happened to Maddie Jarvis is a genuinely shocking twist. It’s a solid thriller with a fantastic central performance.

Madison’s Disappearance In The Beast In Me Explained

In December 2019, Madison Jarvis disappeared, and her body has never been recovered. Shortly after, her personal assistant, Nina (played by Brittany Snow), discovered a suicide note in Madison’s office. The note indicated Madison felt she needed to get away and saw no other option. Nina later married Madison’s husband, Nile Jarvis.

The note provided the Jarvises with a convenient excuse, especially when they needed it most. It allowed the police to quickly and easily close the case without further investigation or expense. Despite this, many people still believed Niles Jarvis was responsible for his wife’s death.

Why Nile Is Presumed To Have Killed Madison

Courtesy of Netflix

People often assume Nile killed Madison in The Beast In Me for a few key reasons. The biggest is that, statistically, women are most often killed by their partners. That’s why, in many crime stories, suspicion immediately falls on the husband or boyfriend.

The Jarvis family is extremely wealthy and influential, primarily through their success in real estate. This gives them the means to potentially conceal Maddie’s murder and stage it to appear as either a suicide or a disappearance.

Even before Madison died, Nile Jarvis and his family were seen negatively by the public. They were already being investigated for allegedly receiving money from a drug cartel, so it wasn’t surprising to many that people would suspect Nile or a family member of being capable of a terrible crime.

What Happened Between Madison’s Disappearance & The Start Of The Beast In Me

A lot happens after Madison goes missing and before the events of The Beast in Me begin. Detective Abbot becomes overly focused on building a case against Nile, though Nile is never formally charged or proven guilty of Madison’s murder. Despite this, the public firmly believes Madison was murdered, which makes it impossible for Nile and his wife, Nina, to live normal lives.

Nile gets frequent requests for interviews and book deals, but he always declines. That changes when he meets Aggie, though he’s still concerned she might portray him negatively, even after agreeing to work with her.

Nile’s personal life also sees a big shift: she marries Maddie’s former assistant. Nile clarifies that their relationship began only after Maddie passed away. The story also reveals that Maddie likely used family funds to start her art gallery, but pressure and public scrutiny eventually led them to relocate to the suburbs.

Nile Is Madison’s Killer

As many suspected, Niles murdered his wife, Madison, striking her multiple times with one of her own sculptures. Though his guilt seemed clear from the beginning, the reasons behind the killing and what happened afterward are truly disturbing.

In episode 7 of The Beast In Me, a flashback reveals that Maddie was secretly providing information about the Jarvis family’s criminal activity to Detective Abbot. At first, Nile suspects Nina of being the informant. But Nina explains that she was watching Maddie and witnessed her meeting with the detective.

Following a confrontation with Maddie, Niles fatally shoots her. He then calls his family for help with the aftermath, asking them to help conceal the crime. Together, they disassemble her body to fit it into a suitcase, which they then bury at Jarvis Yards.

This offers the family another strong reason to proceed with construction. Not only will it be profitable, but it will also effectively conceal Maddie’s remains. Once the building is finished, excavating beneath the foundation would be extremely difficult, if not impossible.

How Nile Is Caught In The Beast In Me

Courtesy of Netflix

Aggie’s friendship with Nile becomes strained when she discovers he’s the murderer. As Aggie and Detective Abbot try to build a case against him, they repeatedly hit dead ends, unable to find proof linking Nile to the attacks on Maddie and Teddy. Nile might have succeeded in hiding his crimes if not for Madison’s brother, who provides Aggie with a crucial clue: Maddie’s diary.

Aggie eventually reviewed the suicide note and realized it wasn’t written right before Maddie’s death, but from a past suicide attempt. She then confessed everything to Nina and turned herself in, hoping Nina would reveal what she knew about the truth.

When Nina gets home, she bravely confronts Niles about what happened to Maddie. While pretending she simply wants answers, she secretly records their conversation on her phone. She then sends the recording to both the FBI and to Niles himself, demonstrating that she’s no longer intimidated by him and has taken back control.

The biggest blow to Nile’s case is that his uncle, Rick—who had been carrying out the family’s illegal activities—agreed to testify against him in exchange for a reduced sentence. As a result, Nile is left with no option but to plead guilty at the conclusion of The Beast in Me.

Ideally, Madison wouldn’t have been killed, but Nile receiving three life sentences feels like the closest we’ll get to justice.

Read More

2025-11-18 03:41