Madhouse

Stockbroker Mark Bannister and his wife Jessie enjoy a seemingly perfect California life. Their routine is suddenly disrupted when relatives arrive and threaten the quiet they’ve built. This opening sets the stage for the over-the-top chaos to come.

Bernice and Claudia settle in with Mark and Jessie, bringing drama and tension. Bernice’s pregnancy is treated as a real condition, reinforced by Dr. Penix’s instruction that she must stay until the baby is born. Mark funds their stay with a small cash gift to get through the days.

Claudia’s fight with her rich husband Kaddir leads to a divorce after he cancels her credit cards. She adds glamour and trouble to the household as the tension among the women heats up. The situation compounds the instability of Mark and Jessie’s home.

Bernice’s pampering of Scruffy the cat becomes a running joke as the pet dies and comes back to life multiple times. Each ‘funeral’ dramatizes the absurdity of the guests’ demands and sets the tone for the house’s chaos. The cat’s antics symbolize the escalating madness.

Claudia’s son Jonathan moves in after being kicked out by his father. The addition of another family member stretches resources and tempers, further fraying Mark and Jessie’s control over their home. The influx of relatives makes the planned five-day visit drag on.

Jessie tries to seduce Dale, the neighbor carpenter, hoping to push Claudia away. The scheme triggers chaos and accidentally leads to Dale’s villa burning down, forcing Dale and his two teens to move into the Bannister house. The act marks a turning point as guests overrun the couple’s space.

To maintain an appearance of normalcy, Mark helps Jonathan secure a job as a mailroom clerk at his office. The small success provides a glimmer of stability amid the household upheaval. It also deepens Mark’s connection to Jonathan.

A Bogotá-bound box containing cocaine arrives at the office, reportedly intended for Jonathan. Grindle pressures Mark to sell a stock set due to a scandal, but Mark forgets to act before leaving with the cocaine. The incident threatens to explode into a larger crisis for everyone involved.

Police raid the Bannister residence after the cocaine incident and discover Scruffy, who is overdosing on cocaine. The house is destroyed in the drug bust, a televised spectacle that pushes Jessie to a mental breakdown on live TV. The couple’s finances and reputations crumble in public.

A recording from Dr. Penix reveals Bernice was never pregnant, destroying the last shred of the family’s sanity. Jessie forces Bernice to confess, and chaos quickly erupts as Claudia and Dale are targeted for removal. Fireworks and threats escalate the conflicts before the police arrive.

Grindle arrives and explains that a false scandal has left him with a fortune; he offers Mark a share and a promotion. Claudia flirts with Grindle, while Dale flirts with a police officer, signaling shifting allegiances. Scruffy disappears briefly but returns to stay with Mark and Jessie.

Bernice and Fred depart, and the couple is financially free enough to consider a fresh start. Jessie’s on-air outburst finally earns her a solo TV show, signaling professional success. Mark and Jessie move to a three-bedroom house in Malibu to begin their next chapter, with their parents looming as possible visitors.