The Beast in Me Recap ‘Bacchanal’: Let’s Dance

The Beast in Me Season 1 Episode 5

The fifth episode of The Beast in Me began and ended, fittingly, with Aggie and Nile, performing this dangerous dance the two of them could not help but be drawn to. Why did Nile go to Aggie’s house that night after killing Brian Abbott? His fists were still bloodied. He had no way of knowing that Aggie had been suitably primed by the day’s tough events to believe his innocence, that he would be able to get away with the story of someone jumping him outside his office and getting, and winning, the fight. Did he go there, high from the adrenaline of a kill, to interrogate Aggie about Abbott, and disappear her too if it became necessary? Did he just want to talk to someone he genuinely liked, to help him come down from his murderous plane? By the time Nile started dancing to Psycho Killer by Talking Heads, their friendship chemistry was such that it really was rather a kind of torture that Matthew Rhys was cast in this role. How am I supposed to hate this guy? 

Aggie began her acquaintance with Nile sincerely disliking him. It was not quite a leap for her to believe that Nile disappeared Teddy Fenig the way he disappeared his wife Madison. The hours they spent together, in interviews for the book, did not change her mind. Yet, the combination of Shelley’s surgical dissection of her motives, Madison’s parents’ full throated support of Nile, and Abbott telling her that Nile was home asleep when Teddy disappeared, injected doubt in Aggie’s mind. If she still mostly believed him a murderer, there was little chance she would have allowed him in her house after midnight. Aggie let Nile in because she had began to consider, to believe, that he was innocent.

It was not that Aggie completely let her guard down with him. When he asked how many times she talked to Abbott, she lied and said twice, once in person and once over the phone. Nile told her Abbott was an addict; Aggie agreed, she, too, thought Abbott had demons. Nile figured that she wanted to believe Abbott, the book would be better if he did it, that she was disappointed. He read her well, and knew he was in no danger from her, at least, not that night.

If this weren't a conversation between a murderer and his biographer, it was actually a rather nice adult friendship time. They drank, smoked, listened to music, talked, ranted. When Nile needed to use the bathroom, Aggie told him to use the one upstairs; her plumbing issues were still not sorted. Aggie followed him up when she saw Nina calling his phone, and found him inside her son Cooper’s room.

This was obviously a very emotional place for Aggie, and she tried to get Nile out of there. But Nile persuaded her to sit with him for a bit. They sank to the floor, backs against the child’s bed, Aggie slipping into a vulnerability she only ever slipped into when her son was mentioned. She was 12 when her father was arrested. With her son, she wanted something permanent, so she bought this large house that needed a lot of work. Already very drunk, Aggie fell asleep on Nile’s shoulder. He later pulled her up and helped her to Cooper’s bed, and made sure to put a blanket over her before he left. It was a chillingly tender scene.

The next morning, having thrown up what was left of the major dose of alcohol she consumed the night before, Aggie went to Shelley’s place to beg her forgiveness. Shelley wouldn’t let her through the door. Aggie told Shelley that she was right about the show and the book, and Teddy too. She admitted that maybe she didn’t know how to live without someone to fight, but she never meant for that to be Shelley. This was a heartbreaking declaration of love and regret, and a plea for another chance, but Shelley, who saw Aggie more clearly than she saw herself, had already decided to choose herself. 

It was with her broken heart still leaving a trail of tears from Shelley’s studio that Aggie received a phone call from Christopher Ingram, Madison’s brother. He insisted on them meeting that day, that there were things his parents didn’t tell her about Nile. When they met at the Park, Christopher at first tried to feel out where Aggie was with regard to Nile. After Aggie admitted that whilst at first she had a gut instinct that Nile was hiding something, but that she now thought she misjudged him, Christopher almost walked away. He had seen this before, people who ended up believing Nile.

Christopher eventually said what he wanted to say – his parents’ belief in Nile was mostly a matter of self preservation. James Ingram was one of the executors of the family trust. When Nile and Martin were short 200 million for a loan that came due, James convinced the other trustees that this was a golden opportunity. James used the family trust to pay off half that 200 million in exchange for five ownership points of Jarvis Yards. If Nile really did kill Madison, if he was convicted, at court or at public opinion, and Jarvis Yards suffered for it, it would ruin not just James and Mariah; there were about 40 cousins, including Christopher, who were financially dependent on the income of the trust.

Aggie asked about the note, but Christopher could only insist that Madison was not suicidal, at least, not then. She was terrified of Nile. About a month before she disappeared, she called Christopher and told him she loved him, no matter what happened. Christopher blamed himself for not understanding what Madison was trying to tell him. He believed she must have already known what Nile was capable of.

Christopher gave Aggie a box of Madison’s things that he took from their penthouse after she disappeared, things that he did not want Nile to have. Later that night, Aggie opened the box. There were photos, a bird book where Madison kept sketches and notes. One of the pages was torn. Aggie recognized the paper, took the copy of the suicide note the Ingrams had given her, and matched the edges. The so-called suicide note had been torn from Madison’s notebook. 

Nile, too, had a busy day. After fighting with and having angry sex with his wife Nina, he drove up to the city to get rid of Abbott’s body that was in the trunk of a car. He drove the car to a salvage yard and paid off the man there to crush it first. Abbott’s blood flowed as the car was crushed; if the man saw what was happening, it did not look like he said anything.

Nile took Abbott’s badge, wallet, and phone, and started tossing them one by one into the river. Abbott’s phone, however, rang before he could get rid of it. Aggie was calling. When Abbott did not answer, Aggie sent texts. He killed Madison. I have proof. Nile texted back as Abbott and told Aggie to wait for him and to tell no one, then tossed the phone out, too.

Nile wanted Aggie’s celebrity and credibility to help rehabilitate his name. She was useful to him, so it was not surprising that he tried to remain on her good side. But I do think Aggie was right, too; Nile liked her. When Nile was not being his murderous self, they got along well together. Nile had a wife, and he had employees, but in Aggie he found, and lost, a neighbour and a friend, just when he had finally gotten rid of the FBI agent who had hounded him for years. 

How would a cornered and betrayed lion react? He would probably attack, and Aggie, who has been vulnerable with him, who has been honest with him, who has not guarded her own darkness as prudently as she probably should have, has given him some solid ammunition. 

Rating: A-

Strays

📬The stick that Martin meant to use on Olivia Benitez was paying off people and at least one cop to instigate a riot at her rally. Whilst they prepared the cash, Rick told Martin that Nile was up to something. Martin declared that once Jarvis Yards was finished, he was done, and Nile would not be their mess anymore.

📬Nina saw bruises on Nile as he showered and told Rick about them. 

📬Rick’s line about having enough, something neither Martin nor Nile had, was a good line and character moment.

📬Erika was still trying to reach Abbott. Her husband knew of the affair and forgave her, and he looked like he wanted to save the marriage. 

📬The episode ended to the tune of David Bowie’s Let’s Dance.

Episode Title: Bacchanal

Episode Writer: Daniel Pearle

Episode Director: Lila Neugebauer

Original Air Date: November 13, 2025

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