The Beast in Me Series-Premiere Recap: Knock, Knock

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Journalist Janet Malcolm famously wrote that every perceptive journalist realizes their work is ethically questionable. For those unfamiliar with this idea, it comes from her 1989 book, The Journalist and the Murderer, which details a legal battle between journalist Joe McGinniss and murderer Jeffrey MacDonald. McGinniss initially promised MacDonald a sympathetic portrayal in a book, but the more time he spent with him, the more he believed MacDonald was guilty. Despite this, McGinniss kept his true feelings hidden, knowing that access to his subject was vital for the book.

Let’s say, instead of meeting through work, MacDonald simply became McGinniss’s neighbor. And imagine McGinniss has been stuck trying to write a new book for over two years, struggling to follow up on a previous success. If you picture McGinniss as Claire Danes, you’ll get a good sense of the premise behind Netflix’s new crime thriller, The Beast in Me.

Sarah Danes stars as Agatha “Aggie” Wiggs – she might seem a little quirky, but she’s deeply troubled. Aggie is a writer living in the charming town of Oyster Bay, Long Island, and on the surface, she has it all: a beautiful home, stylish clothes, and a successful career. However, she’s secretly falling apart. The story begins with a shocking scene: Aggie, covered in blood, at the site of a car crash while another woman desperately searches for a boy named Cooper. We soon discover this woman is Shelley (Natalie Morales), Aggie’s former wife, and Cooper was their son, who tragically died in the accident. Years later, Aggie is still devastated. Her house is falling into disrepair, with broken pipes and mounting bills. She’s also struggling with her writing, and Shelley refuses to communicate with her.

Nile Jarvis, played by Matthew Rhys, moves in next door, immediately making a chaotic first impression. His German shepherds are unruly and frighten Aggie’s small dog, Steve. Nile tells the neighbors he wants to build a jogging path in the nearby woods for everyone to use, and he’s sent around easement agreements hoping to get their permission. So far, no one has objected. However, it’s hard to tell if people are supportive of the path or are hesitant because of rumors surrounding his wife’s disappearance. Aggie, after throwing away his letter, looks up Nile’s case and remembers that his wife, Madison, vanished without a trace. Though the investigation didn’t lead to any arrests or charges, many people—including the media—strongly suspected Nile was involved.

Honestly, after meeting Nile, I immediately got a really bad feeling about him. I was only ten minutes into the premiere, and I was already convinced he was capable of anything he’d been accused of. The whole situation felt off. It started with the Jarvises leaving a bottle of wine at Aggie’s to apologize for their dogs. Aggie, not being a drinker, went over to return it, bracing herself for a confrontation. But Nile’s wife, Nina (Brittany Snow), was surprisingly warm and even claimed to be a fan of Aggie’s work, which totally threw her off. It was an uncomfortable visit, but not hostile, until Nile himself came out and awkwardly brought up the local jogging path, like he was trying to steer the conversation somewhere else.

Nile Jarvis is a powerful and arrogant real estate developer. He’s condescending and immediately begins to criticize Aggie’s book, pointing out its age, suggesting she’s out of touch, and even implying she needs more exercise. Aggie is already upset about issues with his property – his dogs, a late-night alarm, and a problematic land agreement – and refuses to sign whatever he’s asking for. He tries to bribe her, which only escalates the situation. Despite her growing anger, Aggie remains relatively composed until Nile makes a shockingly insensitive remark about her deceased son. It’s an unbelievably cruel thing to say to someone he’s just met – bordering on psychopathic. Aggie visibly becomes furious, but Nile remains disturbingly calm throughout the entire exchange.

You really feel for Aggie in this scene. It’s the anniversary of her son Cooper’s death, and she’s been trying to reach Shelley all day to go to the grave together, but Shelley isn’t responding. When Aggie gets there, she finds a young man with his mother at Cooper’s grave, and things instantly explode. The camera work is frantic as Aggie goes after this guy, intending to push him away. We quickly learn he’s Teddy Fenig – the driver of the other car involved in the crash that killed Cooper – and Aggie holds him completely responsible. She screams at Shelley, who finally shows up and manages to pull them apart. It’s clear Aggie’s anger is a huge problem; the Fenigs have even gotten a restraining order against her, and it’s hinted that her inability to control her rage contributed to the breakdown of her marriage. Meanwhile, Shelley is trying to rebuild her life – she’s taking some space from a new partner and is getting back into painting, which feels like a small but important step.

Aggie is upset, but it’s clear she cares deeply for Shelley. What’s most heartbreaking about her is how anger has replaced all the warmth in her life. When her editor and friend, Carol, calls, Aggie expects to be scolded about the late manuscript, but Carol is simply checking to see if she’s okay. Aggie shares what’s been happening – the cemetery, a plumbing disaster, and her neighbor, Nile Jarvis. She also hesitantly asks Carol about getting an advance to help with her bills. However, Carol worries the publisher, Bob, is losing patience after two years of delays. Perhaps if Aggie could submit a couple of chapters, it might reassure him that she’s still working on it. If only she could find some new inspiration to get things moving…

The following day, while a plumber was fixing Aggie’s damaged pipes, Nile stopped by and asked her to sign his copy of Sick Puppy. Based on his suspicious look at the book earlier, it seems he wants to forge her signature to get approval for a running path he’s proposing. This tactic of appealing to her vanity would likely only work on a writer, particularly one who’s feeling uncertain about her career. Nile then offered to take Aggie to lunch to smooth things over after their rocky start. She initially declined, but he pressed her – confidently and insistently – until she finally agreed to meet him at a restaurant named Eleanor’s. As she walked inside, a man in a nearby parked car was watching her.

During lunch, Aggie and Nile begin to share their life stories as other diners observe them. Nile grew up in Oyster Bay, while Aggie, a Pulitzer Prize winner, recently moved there from Brooklyn. Her previous book, Sick Puppy, was about her estranged and dishonest father. She’s now working on a biography about the surprising friendship between Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Antonin Scalia. Nile suggests she’s chasing another bestseller and playfully proposes she write about him instead, sensing a connection to her own ambition. He quickly recognizes a similar ruthless streak in Aggie, which he calls a “bloodlust.” Aggie reveals that Cooper died in a car accident caused by a drunk driver, and that Teddy refused a breathalyzer test at the scene. He later claimed she was driving recklessly. Nile, a keen observer, realizes Aggie is harboring intense anger – which explains why she doesn’t seem intimidated by him, unlike most people. To showcase his power and seemingly test Aggie, Nile approaches a woman who secretly photographed him and destroys her phone when she refuses to delete it. Aggie is both shocked and strangely excited, and a smile appears on her face.

As they left the restaurant, Aggie and Nile spotted Teddy Fenig exiting a nearby market with his friends. Aggie admitted to Nile that it was difficult seeing Teddy so often. Nile’s expression darkened as he watched Teddy, muttering, “Something isn’t right.” Before leaving, Nile asked Aggie to think about accepting money for the jogging path project. Driving away, Aggie glanced in her rearview mirror and saw Nile still watching Teddy.

That night, Aggie took a sleeping pill and went to bed, but a thunderstorm soon started. Just as she was getting comfortable, someone knocked at her door. She discovered it was the man who had been watching her earlier, and he was trying to break in through the back. When she armed herself with a knife, he flashed an FBI badge and claimed he was there to warn her. This was Special Agent Brian Abbott (David Lyons), and he appeared to be intoxicated. Looking defeated and pleading with his eyes, he urged her to be cautious around Nile, saying, “He’s not like us.” After delivering his warning, he left. Abbott had been the lead investigator on the Jarvis case and seemed to have a hidden motive. When Aggie asked what he was doing following Nile, he didn’t answer directly. But if the Jarvis case was truly closed, as she thought, why was he still keeping tabs on Nile?

The next morning confirmed his suspicions. Aggie received a call from Shelley with terrible news: Teddy Fenig was gone, having disappeared the night before. His car was discovered near the beach, and police suspect he drowned. The fact that his body hasn’t been found is eerily similar to another recent murder. Horrified, Aggie recalls telling Nile she simply wanted Teddy to experience the same pain she had. In a dramatic and unsubtle moment – a hallmark of this premiere – Aggie’s face blends with Nile’s as she desperately asks, either him or herself: What have you done?

Intrusive Thoughts

Honestly, the way Aggie reacted to Teddy saying she was driving badly… it really feels like she was driving erratically, but she just can’t admit it to herself. And considering she’s been sober, it makes me wonder if maybe there were actually two people driving under the influence that night… It’s just a hunch, but it’s definitely making me think.

I’m really enjoying Matthew Rhys’s portrayal of this character. Nile is unsettling and strange, and his smiles always feel like they’re hiding something sinister, almost like he’s about to burst into a wicked laugh.

One of the best things about this show’s first episode is how it avoids excessive flashbacks, which are common in many crime dramas. While we get a brief look at the past at the beginning, the story mostly moves forward from there. Past events are explained naturally through conversations, giving the feeling that we’re experiencing Aggie’s life as it’s happening now, instead of constantly jumping between past and present. Hopefully, the show continues to tell the story this way!

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2025-11-13 14:56