Austin Price, Editor in Chief
In continuing my Spooky Season Series Selection, we have another series created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan for Netflix. Today’s selection is the second season of the Monster series and focuses on a controversial and highly debated case. The disputation of this case was mainly due to the extensive media coverage and exploitation of all involved through the televised process. In a harrowing account of childhood abuse and the greed of the American Dream, comes the biased story of the Menendez brothers. Today’s Spooky Season Series Selection is Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.
On September 19, 2024, nearly two years after the show’s debut, the second installment in the Monster anthology series hit the streams. The second series centers on the 1989 murders of José and Kitty Menendez. The murders were later determined to be parricides, as the couple was killed by their own sons, Lyle and Erik Menendez. Nicholas Alexander Chavez portrays the eldest brother, Lyle, while Cooper Koch embodies the younger brother Erik. Javiar Bardem plays the head of the house, José, and Chloë Sevigny accompanies him as José’s wife, Kitty.
Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story incorporates the Rashomon effect. The Rashomon effect is the phenomenon of the unreliability of eyewitnesses. It is used by the show’s creators, Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan, to allow viewers to form their own interpretations of the story, by presenting key events through unreliable narrators. The narrators of the series are the brothers, Lyle and Erik, the leaders of the family, José and Kitty, Erik's lead defense attorney, Leslie Abramson, Erik's therapist, Dr. Jerome Oziel, Dr. Oziel's mistress, Judalon Smyth, and Dominick Dunne, a journalist whose biased perception of the boys’ story was published in Vanity Fair.
Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story has received a plethora of criticism, mainly due to the overly sexual themes seen in the episodes. While childhood sexual abuse is one of the main aspects of the Menendez brothers' case, many argue that the explicit sexual content and portrayal of the characters discount the severity of the issue in the true story. Additionally, the show garnered controversy for implying an incestuous relationship between the brothers. This relationship has been denounced by both Erik and Lyle. However, Lyle later expressed gratitude for its depiction of child abuse, that gave a new light to his side of the story, and a better reasoning for his motive.
The series has 9 full episodes, each of which bounces between featuring different viewpoints and accounts of those involved. The soundtrack, costumes, set design, and mannerisms of each episode clearly demonstrate the spirit of 1989, when the crime took place. Out of the 9 episodes, halfway through the series, at episode 5, is The Hurt Man.
Directed by Michael Uppendahl and written by Ian Brennan, episode 5 is a one-shot episode that features the magnificent talents of Cooper Koch and Ari Gaynor. The episode centers on a conversation between Erik, played by Koch, and his lead defense attorney, Leslie Abramson, played by Gaynor. This conversation reveals Erik’s account of the atrocities committed by his father, while his mother, aware of the situation, neglected to protect him. In a haunting conversation formatted in a confessional style, Erik expresses the nightmares of his past. Leslie serves as a mentor, guardian, and safe space for him to finally relieve himself of the horrors of his childhood.
The series has gained various opinions from the public. Some were swayed by the passionate performances of Cooper Koch and Nicholas Alexander Chavez. Their depiction of the brothers garnered an unexpected sympathy from the current generation. This is due to the current generation’s more inclusive and empathetic outlook on life, as well as our distrust of the legal system. With this outlook, Erik and Lyle’s stories were finally told to a captivated audience, bringing their supposed injustice in punishment and time served under scrutiny. As a member of Generation Z myself, I will say that the performances of Cooper Koch and Nicholas Alexander Chavez were heartfelt and raw and gave a voice to the unexpected victims of the story.
Unlike the first season of the series, Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, season 2 is much more entertaining and is written for audience appeal. Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, was written in a no-nonsense way, clearly painting Dahmer as the villain, with no room for debate. Season 2 of Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, is a more Hollywood studded, glamorized version of true crime, blurring the line between hero and villain and skewing the perception of truth and reality.
Despite the multiple controversies, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story achieved global commercial success, debuting as the number one series on Netflix worldwide, the most-viewed streaming content on the Nielsen Streaming Chart, and the third most-watched Netflix series in the second half of 2024. Critics and academy members praised the performances of the actors involved. At the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards, it earned 11 nominations, including Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for Koch. For the 82nd Golden Globe Awards, nominations included Miniseries or Television Film for Koch, and Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film for Bardem.
With the incredible success of the first two seasons of Monster, the series was again renewed for a third season, Monster: The Ed Gein Story which was released on October 3rd, 2025. It stars Charlie Hunnam as murderer and graverobber Ed Gein. Tune in again next week for the third installment of Spooky Season Series Selection for analysis of Monster: The Ed Gein Story, along with more productions by Ryan Murphy.
Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story is available to stream on Netflix.