Netflix’s Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story is the second installment in Ryan Murphy’s controversial true-crime series, and it came with a built-in controversy that Monsters season 3 will smartly avoid. The series offers dramatized reenactments of infamous murder cases that captured national attention. The first season detailed the crimes and trial of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, but season 2 focused on a far more complicated case–the Menendez brothers’ self-defense killing of their parents in 1989, which resulted in the brothers being sentenced to life in prison.
Given that the show is titled Monsters, the central debate of season 2 remains whether Murphy intended to depict Lyle and Erik Menendez (Cooper Koch and Nicholas Alexander Chavez, respectively) as the monsters, or their parents, José and Kitty Menendez (Javier Bardem and Chloë Sevigny). The Menendez brothers’ parents allegedly sexually and psychologically abused them throughout their lives, serving as the motive for the murders. The Netflix series has helped sway the public perception about Lyle and Erik Menendez, but made the primary “villain” of the most recent season of the series murky.
Ed Gein’s Story Avoids Monster Season 2’s Controversial Villain Debate
Gein Is Undeniably The Villain
Monsters: The Lyle And Erik Menendez Story continues to spark debate about who the true titular monsters really are. At the time of the real-life Menendez trial, the public was largely inclined to assume that the brothers killed their parents for their inheritance, as none of the men on their jury believed their claims and evidence of sexual abuse. Juror Hazel Thornton recently claimed, “The men in the room, it was a classic battle of the sexes. The men did not believe that Jose had been abusing his sons.” (via The Daily Beast).
In the years since the trial, the public has shifted to believing the abuse allegations the Menendez brothers suffered at the hands of their parents, in part due to new evidence that has emerged. Roy Rosselló of Menudo, a band formed by then RCA Records executive José Menendez, has since come forward and alleged that he was also abused by the late Menendez (via Billboard). The nature of the crime being imperfect self-defense, the Ryan Murphy show has courted controversy for its approach to representing the currently incarcerated brothers.
On the contrary, Monster season 3’s focus on Charlie Hunnam’s serial killer Ed Gein will remove that controversy. Gein is a clear monster, known for his depraved murders of women in the 1950s in the Midwest. His methods have inspired several fictional killers in the horror genre, including Norman Bates, Leatherface, and Buffalo Bill in The Silence of the Lambs. His crimes were horrific, his victims methodically selected, murdered, and skinned. Gein’s motives appeared to be entirely rooted in a thirst for cruel and sexist violence, making him an undeniable villain who will separate Monsters season 3 from the morally gray controversy of season 2.
Monster Season 3 Returns To The Show’s Original Focus After The Menendez Brothers’ Divisive Story
This Monster Is Undeniable
While Monster: The Ed Gein Story will certainly avoid the controversy about the central crimes in discussion, Murphy’s production will likely continue to court controversy for its treatment of victims’ families. In season 1, while Jeffrey Dahmer (Evan Peters) was undeniably a monster, the real surviving family members of Dahmer’s victims criticized the production for not contacting them in advance, with some feeling they were forced to relive their trauma on a national scale (via Forbes). This complaint is sadly not a new one for Murphy’s true crime-focused shows.
While Monster season 3’s central villain will not have any murky qualities or have his motives called into question, the lingering controversy shrouding the franchise remains the real-life ramifications for survivors. Now that Monsters will avoid a repeat of its season 2 debate, the question remains of whether those impacted by Gein’s crimes will play a role in consulting the ethics of the production. Murphy confirmed that he did not contact the Menendez brothers directly (though Cooper Koch met Erik Menendez), and will likely follow suit in Monsters season 3.
