Ep 1. Episode 1

The show McMillions tells the story of one of the biggest scams in American history, involving the McDonald's Monopoly game. Season 1 Episode 1 serves as an introduction to this elaborate scheme and the individuals involved. The episode opens with a brief history of the McDonald's Monopoly game and its popularity in the 90s.

The audience is then introduced to the FBI agent who uncovered the fraud, Doug Mathews. He recounts how he came across the scam through a tip provided by an informant. The informant claimed that the winning game pieces were being stolen from the printing company that produced them, and then sold to various individuals for a cut of the prize money.

The scene shifts to Jacksonville, Florida, where Mathews begins his investigation. He soon discovers that the winners, who had claimed to be ordinary people, are actually connected to each other through family ties and friendships. Mathews remarks that it's highly unlikely that all of these individuals would win the game through pure chance.

The episode then takes a detour to explore the lives of some of the winners. One of them is Gloria Brown, a single mother living in a trailer park. She won a million dollars, but her life didn't change much after her win. She continued to live in the same trailer park and work at the same job. Another winner, Michael Hoover, was a former police officer turned strip club owner. He won several times, leading Mathews to suspect that he may be involved in the scheme.

As Mathews digs deeper, he discovers that the mastermind behind the scheme is a man named Jerry Jacobson, who worked for the company responsible for producing the game pieces. Jacobson was in charge of overseeing the security and distribution of the game pieces, and he took advantage of his position to steal the winning ones. He then used his connections to distribute the pieces to various individuals, who would then claim the prize money.

The episode ends with Mathews realizing the magnitude of the scam and the lengths to which Jacobson and his accomplices went to keep it a secret. It sets the stage for the following episodes, which delve into the intricate details of the investigation and the various players involved.

Overall, the first episode of McMillions is a captivating and intriguing introduction to this unbelievable true story. It offers a glimpse into the lives of the individuals impacted by the scam and sets the foundation for the twists and turns to come. The show's blend of true crime and humor make it a must-watch for fans of this genre.