1 Year Later, Monsters: The Menendez Brothers Story Remains Netflix’s Biggest Misstep

by

The platform has enjoyed several popular streaming shows over the years, and the 2020s have been especially successful. While many shows have come and gone, some have been more talked about than others. A prime example is a horror anthology series created by Ryan Murphy, which faced difficulties with its second season.

The first season of Ryan Murphy’s ‘Monster’ anthology series, ‘The Jeffrey Dahmer Story,’ launched on Netflix in 2022 and quickly became both popular and talked about, though not always for positive reasons. The second season, focusing on Lyle and Erik Menendez, also drew viewers, but didn’t receive as much attention or positive feedback. Now, with the premiere of the third season, the show has a chance to avoid the pitfalls of its previous installment.

These Notorious Criminals Didn’t Make Sense for Netflix’s Most Controversial Hit

Netflix’s “Monster” series is designed as an anthology, meaning each season focuses on the life of a different serial killer and explores the story from various perspectives. The cases of Jeffrey Dahmer and others featured in the series are especially disturbing, even compared to other true crime stories. Both seasons were released in October and promoted as scary entertainment for Halloween, despite being based on real-life horrors. The Dahmer season often depicted his brutal murders in detail, while also showing the lives of his victims, which made their fates even more tragic. This earned the show its chilling title. Interestingly, the story of another killer was briefly mentioned in an episode of the Dahmer season, and now that killer is the subject of a new season. Before this latest installment, however, there was a previous season that didn’t quite align with the overall tone of the series.

As a true crime buff, I found *Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story* really focused on the complicated story of those brothers and how they ended up killing their parents. But honestly, the Menendez case felt a little out of place within the *Monsters* series. Whether you think they deserve life in prison or not, they weren’t serial killers – it was just their parents who were victims. Their story actually feels more suited to Ryan Murphy’s *American Crime Story*. Thinking about it, Andrew Cunanan, who *was* a serial killer and the focus of season two of *American Crime Story*, would have been a much better fit for *Monsters*.

Even small changes, like renaming the second season from *Monster* to *Monsters*, hinted that this installment didn’t quite fit the show’s established style. It lacked the scary and suspenseful atmosphere of the previous seasons, and surprisingly, the relative lack of deaths and the large number of characters made it less gripping. While viewers generally liked the actors in *Monsters*, it didn’t capture the same level of attention as *The Jeffrey Dahmer Story*. This led to poorer reviews from both critics and audiences. Viewership was also significantly lower – about half that of *Dahmer* in the same timeframe, although still substantial, it represented a noticeable drop. Some believe the story itself was a problem, as it relied too heavily on shocking and exaggerated details.

Monsters Fictionalized Too Much of the Menendez Brothers

Despite some alterations for storytelling purposes, Netflix’s *Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story* generally presented an accurate portrayal of the killer’s life, proving more faithful to the facts than films like the one starring Jeremy Renner. One example of a change involved Jeffrey Dahmer’s relationship with Tony Hughes, one of his most vulnerable victims, and the extent of Dahmer’s involvement in the Milwaukee gay community. Overall, the series was remarkably accurate, but this realism caused further pain for the victims’ families. In contrast, the second season took more liberties with the story, which may have made it less engaging for viewers.

Netflix’s series about the Menendez brothers faced significant criticism for taking too many liberties with the facts of their lives, and even the brothers themselves pointed out how much of the show was fabricated. A major point of contention was the overly sexual and suggestive portrayal of their relationship, showing an inappropriate level of intimacy and a lack of boundaries. The series also handled allegations of abuse in a way that many found exploitative – even more so than in the show about Dahmer. While some believe this was an attempt to make the story more dramatic, given the absence of serial killings, it ultimately didn’t improve the show. Considering the Menendez brothers are still alive – unlike the subject of the Dahmer series – it raises questions about why their story was chosen in the first place.

Why Ed Gein Is a Gruesomely Good Fit for Monster Season 3

The next season of *Monster* will explore the crimes of Ed Gein, a killer briefly featured in the *Jeffrey Dahmer Story*. While some viewers expected the show to focus on John Wayne Gacy (also appearing in *Dahmer*), the creators have chosen to tell Gein’s story instead. Charlie Hunnam, known for his work on shows like *Sons of Anarchy*, will portray Gein. Like previous seasons, *The Ed Gein Story* is set in the past, primarily the 1980s and 90s, and this different era could give the show a new feel.

Ed Gein’s crimes occurred in the late 1950s, well before cases like Jeffrey Dahmer and the Menendez brothers became known. This sets this series apart. Unlike the *Monsters* series, which felt too close in time and style to the *Dahmer* story, this series is distinctly removed from those events. *Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story* suffered from being compared to *Dahmer* due to their similar timelines, and even shared musical styles – it’s perhaps best remembered for bringing the song “Money Talks” back into the spotlight. This new series, however, takes place in the mid-20th century and is completely separate from those later crimes. Interestingly, film director Alfred Hitchcock actually played a significant role in the story being told.

The choice of Ed Gein as the subject for the next season likely came down to wanting a fresh story. While his crimes are just as disturbing as those of Jeffrey Dahmer, a season focused on John Wayne Gacy would have felt too similar to the recent Netflix series. Interestingly, Peacock is also planning its own Dahmer-related show. Although true crime fans know Gein well, he isn’t as widely recognized as killers like Dahmer, Gacy, or the Menendez brothers, giving his story a new angle. The actor cast in the role isn’t typically associated with such parts, unlike Evan Peters, who had previously played similar creepy characters and received praise for his Dahmer portrayal. Hopefully, this approach will result in a stronger third season, and if it does, it will highlight just how much the first season, *Monsters*, didn’t live up to the rest of the series.

Monster: The Ed Gein Story is now streaming on Netflix.

Read More

2025-10-09 04:08