WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Daybreak Season 1, streaming now on Netflix.

Of all the properties from which Netflix's Daybreak draws influence -- Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Lord of the Flies, among them -- the post-apocalyptic comedy drama leans most into Mad Max in its first season.

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The series' protagonist, nerdy skateboarder Josh Wheeler (Colin Ford), is no Max Rockatansky but he has an archnemesis who rivals Immortan Joe in Baron Triumph, the mysterious biker who prowls the streets of Glendale, California, capturing kids on which to feast. While he doesn't cut the same imposing figure as Immortan Joe, he's revealed to be every bit as diabolical.

WHO IS BARON TRIUMPH?

Daybreak doesn't hold onto the antagonist's identity for long, opting to reveal the truth in Episode 4, ""MMMMMMM-HMMMMMM." Triumph is actually the principal of Glendale High, Michael Burr (Matthew Broderick), who somehow survives the nuclear attack that turned virtually every other adult into goo, or else into mindless, zombie-like ghoulies.

That Burr has resorted to cannibalism and terror is initially surprising, given that flashbacks depict him as an earnest and caring educator who appears determined to make the school a safe place for everyone. To that end, he leans on Josh's unbelievably popular girlfriend, Sam (Sophie Simnett), to help create a more friendly environment.

But when Josh tries to rescue Hoyles (Rob H. Roy), the jock who previously bullied him, from Triumph's clutches, Burr unmasks and admits the truth: These kids drained him mentally, and in the case of young Angelica (Alyvia Alyn Lind), who gave him "explosive diarrhea," physically. He tells Josh all he did was try to make a better world for them, and these students kept spitting in his face, torturing him and making life a living hell. Now, after mysteriously surviving the nuclear assault, he has an insatiable hunger for the flesh of children, and he won't allow Josh to stand in his way.

WHY DID BURR BREAK BAD?

Admittedly, the series cleverly hides Burr's intentions, and his sadistic character, keeping up his earlier nice-guy facade. Initially, we discover Burr had taken bribes from Hoyles' parents, owners of Goblin Flakes Cereals, so he could have more money for school resources. It's disappointing, sure, but you empathize with him, as he's still trying to do right by his students. You actually like Burr more when it's revealed it's part of a setup for get Hoyles arrested for statutory rape, because he knew his parents' money would embolden the teen to behave even more abhorrently.

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However, it turns out Burr was ever a hero. When details emerge of his relationship with biology teacher Miss Crumble (Krysta Rodriguez), we find out he's been manipulating everything for his own benefit. He had her to change students' grades as well, so rich parents would offer him gifts, something she recognizes when she spots him with a chain from Glendale's jewelers, the Andersons. Crumble's flashbacks also reveal he preyed on her insecurities and manipulated her into a sexual relationship she wanted out of but felt obligated to remain in. Burr wasn't only corrupt, he was a predator. The tipping point comes on the night of the nuclear blast at Homecoming, when he throws Crumble down a stairs so she wouldn't rat on him, causing the brain damage that ultimately saved her from becoming a full-fledged ghoulie.

FROM BURR TO BARON TO BLAST MASTER...

Ultimately, when Turbo Bro Jock (Cody Kearsley) is replaced by Burr as ruler The Jocks and, thus, of the tribes in Glendale, he goes into overdrive, as he's had enough of Josh's resistance, and of Crumble. Burr fakes redemption, staging a coup with Sam, going so far as to give the impression he's no longer a cannibal, only to incapacitate all the kids he inherited from Turbo at the school. With the jocks under his control, Burr kidnaps Angelica so he could set off the remaining nuke at the Goblin factory.

He wants to reset and restart life, and believes Glendale is a virus that needs purging. With Crumble, Team Josh and the other kids sure to become victims of this explosion, Burr, who's once more adopted the Triumph identity, would have left behind the place and life he so hated. More so, this plan would allow him to start a new chapter at Lake Arrowhead and repopulate the Earth, as he believes he was the messiah and godlike figure his planet and his fanatic followers needed all along.

Streaming now on Netflix, Daybreak stars Matthew Broderick, Krysta Rodriguez, Colin Ford, Sophie Simnett and Austin Crute.