Episode 3 of "The Madness" kicks off with Muncie's family reeling in shock as he discharges his firearm into the open sky. Elena, furious that he'd resort to such an act right in front of Demetrius, worries deeply about his escalating lack of control. Demetrius, in a gesture to help, offers Muncie some weed to calm his nerves, but Muncie snaps back at his son, leaving an tense atmosphere in the wake of his anger.
In the dead of night, Muncie decides to confront his issues head-on and makes his way to a gun commune where the Discord gang is known to hang out. Meanwhile, Philly PD arrives at Elena's doorstep, seeking answers and casting a shadow of suspicion over Muncie's absence. Elena remains tight-lipped for now, but Muncie's reputation is already taking a hit.
Posing as a reporter working on an exposé about the far left's push to normalize guns, Muncie uses his CNN badge as a pass to gain entry into the commune. He surrenders his gun and phone, securing an interview with Ant, the group's elusive target. Yang, the defacto leader, lays out their ideology—arguing that they have the same right to bear arms as law enforcement. Yang, privy to Muncie's CNN suspension after his public gun display, sees through his deception, plunging Muncie into a perilous situation.
As Muncie comes clean about the Poconos incident, Yang remains skeptical until one of his associates mentions that Ant's associate might be a certain Don, a regular at Nelly's, a swingers' club. Muncie enlists Elena's help to track down Don, but only after agreeing to consult with her lawyer.
Together, they put on a convincing charade and uncover a connection leading to Berkeley. Just before diving deeper into this lead, Muncie consults with Kwasi's lawyer, who assures him that, lacking physical evidence, he's in a relatively safe position. However, twiddling his thumbs and waiting for something to materialize isn't an option if someone is framing him for the murders. The stakes are too high, and Muncie knows he must act decisively to clear his name.
Muncie swiftly discovers that Don's full moniker is Donald Bartholomew Sloss Jr., an ex-Green Beret ousted for misbehavior. He seems to be a perpetual troublemaker, hopping from one group to another, and Discord is no exception. Armed with Don's full name and a plausible motive, Muncie seeks a private conversation with Franco. It transpires that Franco is probing into the affairs of Stu Magnusson, a prominent hedge-fund titan and coincidentally, the owner of the cabin where Simon had taken refuge. Given Magnusson's grievance against Mark and his connection to Jennings' demise, he emerges as a plausible mastermind behind the whole saga, transforming the case into something far more intricate than initially perceived.
Later, Muncie encounters Lucie once more, who reveals a series of messages exchanged between Mark and Jennings. Frequent references to 'SM' pepper the conversations, unmistakably pointing to Stu Magnusson. Ignoring Franco's stern advice against it, Muncie confronts Magnusson, threatening him with dire consequences and giving him a couple of hours to rectify the situation. Disregarding Franco's messages urging him to return to the motel, Muncie finds himself in a tight spot when it's Don, not Magnusson, who calls. Don is aware of Muncie's whereabouts in New York and seems to be keeping a close watch on him.
After an abortive pursuit through the bustling streets, Muncie is astounded by the news breaking in – Mark Simon's body has been discovered in his apartment. With his name splashed across the headlines and seemingly trapped with no escape, Muncie's situation appears increasingly grim!
