Ryan Murphy Defends Lyle & Erik Menendez Portrayal In Monsters After Backlash: “We Had An Obligation”
Summary
The trailer for the new season ofMonsterpreviews another high-profile crime. Created by Ryan Murphy Ian Brennan, with Evan Peters in the role of Jeffrey Dahmer, the first installment ofMonstermade a surprising splash when it debuted on Netflix in September 2022. The focus on Dahmer garnered both strong viewership, becoming one of Netflix’s biggest shows. But it also faced criticism at the time, with a lot of attention turning to the topic ofMonsterseason 2.
Netflixhas confirmed thatMONSTERS: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Storywill be released on September 19, with a new teaser included.
The brief teaser doesn’t reveal much, though it does offer an unsettling and largely off-screen view of the night that Lyle and Erik murdered their parents.
What To Know About The New Season Of Monster
It Details A Well-Known Murder
The new season will focus on the titular brothers,Lyle and Erik Menendez, and unfurl the story of how the duo fatally shot their parents in 1989.The brothers cited their own motives for committing the crime. However, prosecutors put forth their theories during the high-profile trial. More is revealed via Netflix’s official summary, which is included below:
Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Storyfollows Lyle and Erik Menendez, two brothers who fatally shot their parents in their Beverly Hills home in 1989. During their trials, the brothers cited years of abuse as the reason for murdering their parents. However, prosecutors argued that their motive was to get their hands on the family fortune.
While the prosecution argued they were seeking to inherit their family fortune, the brothers claimed — and remain adamant to this day, as they serve life sentences without the possibility of parole — that their actions stemmed out of fear from a lifetime of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse at the hands of their parents.Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Storydives into the historic case that took the world by storm, paved the way for audiences’ modern-day fascination with true crime, and in return asks those audiences: Who are the real monsters?
The cast ofMonsterseason 2 includes newcomers Nicholas Alexander Chavez and Cooper Kochas the brothers Lyle and Erik, while Javier Bardem and Chloë Sevigny play their parents, Jose and Kitty. Other high-profile actors on the Netflix show are Nathan Lane as an investigative journalist who covers the trial forVanity Fair,and Ari Graynor in the role of Erik’s lead defense counsel.
Monster Season 2’s Story Can Finally Fix The Show’s Dahmer Criticisms
Ryan Murphy’s Monster will return with a new true story to tell, and it can fix the first season’s criticisms of how it glorified Jeffrey Dahmer.
The true crime anthology is executive produced by Murphy and his frequent writing partner Ian Brennan. The first season ofMonster, with its focus on Dahmer, was divisive among critics and audiences.It sparked a backlash from some of the families of Dahmer’s victims, with arguments that the series glorified the infamous killereven in its attempts to condemn him. It became a big hit for Netflix nonetheless, with the second installment touching on a similarly well-known murder case.
Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story
Cast
This true crime drama delves into the infamous case of Lyle and Erik Menendez, two brothers who were convicted of murdering their parents. The series examines the complex family dynamics and legal battles that captivated the nation, highlighting the motivations and repercussions of their actions.
