Ep 3. The Secret

In episode 3 of Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness, titled "The Secret," viewers are plunged deeper into the dangerous and chaotic world of big cat owners. The episode opens with a scene that's become familiar to fans of the show: Joseph Maldonado-Passage, better known as Joe Exotic, is seen performing for a crowd of visitors at his Oklahoma zoo, belting out country songs and slinging insults at his various rivals in the big cat world. But as the episode progresses, it becomes clear that there's much more to the story than just Joe's showmanship.

One of the central focuses of this episode is the disappearance of Don Lewis, the wealthy businessman who was married to Big Cat Rescue founder Carole Baskin. Don vanished in 1997 under mysterious circumstances, leading many to speculate that he was murdered. As the episode delves deeper into this story, viewers are introduced to a range of witnesses and experts who offer their own theories about what might have happened to Don.

One of the key figures in this part of the story is Anne McQueen, who was Don's executive assistant at the time of his disappearance. Anne gives interviews in which she describes the strange behavior she observed from Don's wife Carole in the aftermath of the disappearance. In particular, Anne raises questions about a van that Carole allegedly owned around the time of Don's disappearance, suggesting that it may have been used to transport Don's body.

Throughout the episode, viewers are also given glimpses into the ongoing feud between Joe Exotic and Carole Baskin. Joe seems to grow more and more paranoid and agitated as he becomes convinced that Carole is out to get him. He begins to engage in increasingly erratic behaviors, including hiring a hitman to try to take Carole out. As the episode progresses, viewers are left to wonder whether Joe's antics are simply designed to drum up publicity for his zoo, or whether he's genuinely unhinged.

Meanwhile, the stories of other big cat owners continue to unfold. Doc Antle, who runs a wildlife park in South Carolina, is shown in scenes that highlight his flamboyant persona and his controversial practices. Viewers also see glimpses of Jeff Lowe, a shady businessman who strikes up a partnership with Joe and seems to be involved in various schemes of his own.

Amidst all of the chaos and drama, the episode occasionally returns to the story of Don Lewis and the questions surrounding his disappearance. These threads all come together in a chilling final scene, which seems to suggest that there are still many unanswered questions about what really happened to Don.

Overall, "The Secret" is a tense and unsettling episode that offers a deeper look into the many layers of deception and criminality that underpin the big cat world. As the series moves forward, it becomes increasingly clear that the stories of the various characters are all intertwined in complex and unexpected ways.