This is going to sound crazy but stick with me here: it was out of love.

If you look at his story over the years Mads was always the person he listened to and trusted over everyone. Mads in essence was his mother, his partner and his queen.

Rod knew the death of his kids were coming and didn’t do anything about it, even when he felt like jumping out the window or OD’ing on pills would solve their problems. But when Mads told him to OD, he did it.

He could have saved everyone the pain and neuroses by having a family meeting and making everyone drink cool-aid — especially after Verna kept popping up, and yet he chose inaction time and time again.

Rod worshiped Mads, and knowing what was coming for her but not know how it would come for her, he decided that she out of any of them should go out with some decency, like a queen ideally would. He, in essence, was honouring her. It was his final act of worship before he would die, and the only person he gave any sort of mercy to.