Update from the Empire State
More family time in New York this week. Plus, a thriller worth streaming.
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Some pictures from my family trip with Stephanie and Monroe in New York City this week.
Author Aggie Wiggs, grieving the loss of her son, finds new purpose unraveling the mystery behind neighbor Nile Jarvis' vanished wife and his suspicious dealings. [1]
Matthew Rhys is absolutely magnificent in his role as the fictional Nile Jarvis, but viewers believe his character was based on the real-life New York figure featured in the HBO crime documentary The Jinx: [2]
No, Nile Jarvis isn’t a real person. However, his story is clearly inspired by a very real figure: Robert Durst, the American real estate heir who spent decades surrounded by rumours, suspicion, and eventually criminal charges.
While Netflix hasn’t confirmed that the show is directly based on Durst, the similarities are striking. Nile’s father, Marvin Jarvis, runs a sprawling real estate empire with multiple Manhattan skyscrapers, much like Durst’s family business, The Durst Organisation.
If Rhys doesn’t win Emmy and Golden Globes for his role in The Beast In Me, I’m not quite sure what people are watching.
GIF Game
Thanksgiving in New York
Notes and Sources
[1] “The Beast In Me,” IMDb, retrieved November 22, 2025, https://www.imdb.com/title/tt31974367/
[2] Suchismita Ghosh, “Here’s if the eerie story of Nile Jarvis in Netflix’s The Beast in Me is based on a real person,” The Tab, November 21, 2025, https://thetab.com/2025/11/21/heres-if-the-eerie-story-of-nile-jarvis-in-netflixs-the-beast-in-me-is-based-on-a-real-person
Decisions with Mic Farris
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