Monster: The Ed Gein Story pays tribute to “perfect” cancelled Netflix series – and fans are divided

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*Warning: This article contains spoilers for the final episode of Monster: The Ed Gein Story.*

Monster’s third season delivered its usual disturbing imagery, a story spanning several decades, and featured many people based on real life. However, it was the season’s ending that truly shocked most viewers with an unexpected twist.

The last episode of ‘Monster: The Ed Gein Story’ explores the impact of Gein’s crimes by looking at famous serial killers who followed him. It begins with Ted Bundy, who at the time was still an unidentified suspect, and the FBI was actively searching for clues about his identity.

In the third season of Monster, there’s a surprising nod to the Netflix series Mindhunter. For a brief time, the show adopts a style reminiscent of Mindhunter, which followed FBI agents Holden Ford and Bill Tench as they pioneered criminal profiling in the Behavioural Science Unit, alongside psychologist Wendy Carr. (Mindhunter was unfortunately cancelled.)

The true crime series featured the work of FBI agents Ford, Tench, and Carr, portrayed by Jonathan Groff, Holt McCallany, and Anna Torv. It showed how these new investigative techniques began, but primarily focused on the agents’ collaborative efforts to catch some of the nation’s most dangerous serial killers.

The Netflix series Mindhunter featured interviews and case studies of notorious serial killers, including Ed Kemper, Jerry Brudos, Richard Speck, and Charles Manson. Interestingly, these same individuals also played a role in the final episode of Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story.

The final episode of Monster: The Ed Gein Story opens with FBI agents John Douglas and Robert Ressler interviewing Michael Brudos in prison. They’re hoping he can shed light on a new, unidentified serial killer they’re struggling to find.

During an interview with Brudos, he admitted being influenced by Ed Gein, prompting Ann Burgess to propose interviewing Gein directly. Gein shared details about saws and weapons, ultimately helping investigators catch Ted Bundy.

Viewers who enjoyed Mindhunter will see familiar faces in Monster, but these characters are based on the real people who originally inspired the Mindhunter characters, and are identified by their actual names instead of the fictional names Ford, Trench, and Carr.

A major issue with the film *Monster* is its blending of truth and fabrication. Specifically, there’s no proof that Ed Gein ever helped the FBI with their investigation into Ted Bundy. This is problematic because Gein was arrested in 1957, while the FBI’s Behavioural Science Unit—which the film suggests he assisted—wasn’t established until the 1970s.

Recently, the series Monster has gained a reputation for focusing on dramatic storytelling over solid evidence, and the finale, which many have compared to the show Mindhunter, has sparked a lot of disagreement among viewers.

One viewer on X was deeply moved by the nod to ‘Mindhunter’ in the final episode of ‘The Ed Gein Story.’ They expressed how much they miss the show, praising its unique atmosphere, suspense, and quality, and voiced their disappointment with Netflix’s decision to cancel it.

But one viewer strongly disagreed, saying the sound of keys jangling at the end of the Ed Gein story felt unnecessary and disrespectful to everyone involved in creating and acting in the show *Mindhunter*.

Many fans are frustrated that Netflix keeps referencing *Mindhunter* in other shows without actually reviving the series, which they’ve been requesting for some time. One fan jokingly suggested Netflix should prioritize bringing *Mindhunter* back instead of including subtle references to it in *Monster*.

The show Mindhunter premiered in 2017 and lasted for two seasons. In 2020, Netflix announced that season three was put on hold because David Fincher, the show’s creator and director, was working on other projects.

In 2023, director David Fincher indicated that Mindhunter wouldn’t be returning for another season. He explained to a French newspaper that while he was pleased with the first two seasons, Netflix didn’t feel the show attracted enough viewers to continue investing in it.

Holt McCallany, star of Mindhunter, recently suggested the show might return as three feature-length movies. He mentioned that writers are currently working on scripts, but David Fincher, the show’s creator, needs to approve them before anything moves forward.

You can now watch ‘Monster: The Ed Gein Story’ on Netflix! Netflix subscriptions start at just £5.99 per month, and it’s also available through Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.

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2025-10-06 15:06