The following is a spoiler-free review of HBO's McMillions.
From Operation Varsity Blues to Theranos, I've got scam fatigue.
Like many, I'm still interested in conpeople cleverly wreaking havoc, but my desire to see every trickery turned into a miniseries has waned. Each week it feels like a new service is offering a new "too crazy to be true" tale of wrongdoing. It's why I've foregone a handful of recent true crime juggernauts, and haven't bothered to google older cases as of late. It's a scam-eat-scam world out there, with too many deceptions for the average viewer to catch up on. And yet...
It was the stuff of consumerist dreams, until the FBI discovered the thing was rigged.
Much to my chagrin, HBO's McMillions, premiering Monday, has reignited my fraud fervor, and left me wanting more scam docs than ever before.
The six-part docuseries examines the US$24 million scheme that cheated thousands out of their chance to win big in a nation-wide promotional contest. It's an event many will have vague recollections of, but few have appreciated to its full complexity until now.
As those alive and eating french fries at the turn of the 21st century will recall, McDonald's Monopoly allowed customers to collect "properties" from food packaging and turn them in for prizes. The biggest winners (either snagging an "instant win" or matching a Park Place with the ever-elusive Boardwalk) could walk away with as much as US$1 million.
It was the stuff of consumerist dreams, until the FBI discovered the whole thing was rigged. Someone, somewhere was hoarding the most sought after pieces, and McDonald's didn't know how they were doing it.
Spectacularly paced and instantly engrossing, HBO's McMillions starts with a tip from an anonymous caller. Viewers soon learn that the McScam almost went unnoticed, initially dismissed by investigators as a probable prank. But when Special Agent Doug Mathews (a rookie "bored" of studying health care fraud) took interest in the case, the story unleashed its wild and weird fury on him and the agency.
Image: hbo
Serving as a de facto narrator, Mathews is an outrageously entertaining interview.
Instantly likable, the FBI Agent recounts the biggest case of his career with frantic enthusiasm. His and others' recollections are paired with silent reenactments of the investigation's most unusual moments: Burger and fry boxes pinned to evidence boards; multiple agents and suspects miraculously (and confusingly) sharing the same first name; Mathews walking into his inaugural meeting with McDonald's executives wearing a nugget-gold suit because why not.
The series mimics Mathews' sense of humor, accenting its bizarre subject with flippant on-screen text and appropriately befuddled producer comments. Snappy editing and a jazzy score make what could have been a dry re-telling into a nail-biting journey full of laugh-out-loud moments.
McMillions also uses a treasure trove of archival footage from the investigation, including numerous interviews with the fraudsters at its center, that are stunning to behold.
This show has more interesting characters than plenty of fictional worlds, with new, baffling people popping up every few scenes. If I didn't remember holding St. James Place in my hand at age 4 and adamantly believing that made me a millionaire, I wouldn't believe any of this was possible.
Image: hbo
The merriment takes a backseat when appropriate, with certain moments pulling at heartstrings more than you'd expect. Like most true crimes, the McDonald's Monopoly fraud had real victims (not all of whom worked for the global fast food chain), and their stories betray fascinating information about the era in which this occurred. With the Clinton impeachment back in headlines and '90s fashion seeing another revival, a 2020 revisit to this particular crime is well-timed.
I've seen only the first three episodes of McMillions, so I can't tell you how this story ends — but it's off to one hell of a start. The end of episode 3 left critics on a cliffhanger, and not hunting down the answer for myself has been a test of wills.
As addicting as McDonald's itself, McMillions is more than worth a watch. Suit up, strap in, and get fries with that because this is one six-week event scam fans shouldn't miss.
McMillions premieres on HBO Monday, Feb. 3 at 10 p.m. E.T.
