The second season of the Netflix series Monster focuses on the lives of brothers Lyle and Erik Menendez and the 1989 murders of their parents, Jose and Kitty. Then 21-year-old Lyle and 18-year-old Eric were found guilty of brutally murdering their parents in their Beverly Hills estate in 1989. A year later, the boys confessed the murders to their psychologist due to the overwhelming guilt and agony that consumed them. Their psychologist failed to keep their confession a secret, subsequently leading to the boys’ prosecution in 1994. The brothers then revealed to their lawyer, Lestie Abramson, that the motive for murdering their parents was due to enduring years of emotional, sexual, and physical abuse from their father.
Released on Sept. 19, the nine-episode season depicts the brothers’ sick and twisted childhood and teenhood, as they strive to cope with the trauma inflicted upon them at the hands of their father. Furthermore, the show explores how they overcome the guilt of murdering their parents and ultimately find peace and justice in a corrupt system. Though Monsters has highlighted the many horrific truths of the shocking case, many details were exaggerated in hopes of increasing the shock value for the intended audience.
Junior Emily Ioannou became invested in the show and the case itself. She shared, “I think the show did not portray them in the best way. At times, the show prioritized entertainment over actually showing the case and made the brothers appear bratty and entitled.” Ioannou highlighted the show’s mistake of blurring the lines between entertainment and fiction and feels the show painted the boys as entitled murderers rather than victims. Ioannou further illuminated the show’s mistake in prioritizing content over validity. Ioannou added, “Though the show was not all fact, it still certainly kept you on your toes. With their dramatic plot twists and disheartening and graphic scenes, it’s almost like the audience is experiencing these tragedies with Lyle and Eric. I certainly loved and binged on this show.” Although the show may not be entirely factual, it certainly encapsulates the raw and utter fear Lyle and Eric faced in their childhood home. Ioannou commented on how she would recreate the series if she could: “I would make the boys less bratty–this way their story will be given the proper recognition and respect [it deserves]. I would treat the series as a documentary more so than a comedy.”
Like Ioannou, junior Vincent Brunette found himself indulged in the show yet still questioning the show’s accuracy and true representation of the case: “I think the problem with shows and movies that are based on true historical events is they can often be considered a ‘bad interpretation’ as directors and writers will try to create a spectacle of story.” He continued, “Also, shows and movies based on history may be considered ‘boring’ despite their authenticity. Because of this, writers could alter the details to get people talking about the movie.” Brunette ruminated on the question of how he would recreate the series: “I would keep the actors, but I would try to write it in good faith of the actual cause. I think shows that are based on crimes like this must be grounded; they should stay as true as possible. This is because any detail that is poorly recreated can leave a bad taste in the viewer’s mouth. Despite what the many directors think is best, they do not know the story better than the victims do.” Brunette believes that a series based on reality should showcase a raw and uncut interpretation of the series of events.
Junior Alessia Bavaro appreciated the show’s portrayal of the story. “The show for sure kept me entertained. With each episode, a new shocking detail is revealed. I loved how the show portrayed the boys living a lavish lifestyle with a dark family secret. Many people think the boys came off as spoiled brats, but I think the opposite,” said Bavaro. Unlike Brunette and Ioannou, Bavaro thinks the show portrayed the boys’ life well and went into extensive detail portraying the brothers’ traumatic experiences. “If I were to produce the show, I would definitely cast different people who look more like brothers. I would also film the show in the actual house the brothers lived in. This may be controversial, but I think it would help the actors get more into character,” said Bavaro. She believes doing this would increase the authenticity of the show, creating a bigger impact on the audience.
The show did a great job with portraying the hard-to-watch scenes depicting abuse; however, it failed to portray an accurate representation of the brothers’ relationship throughout the series. In the show, Lyle and Erik’s relationship is portrayed as blatantly incestuous. In an article by Town & Country magazine entitled, “Erik Menendez reacts to Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story,” Erik denounces the series: “It is sad for me to know that Netflix’s dishonest portrayal of the tragedies surrounding our crime have taken the painful truths several steps backwards” (townandcountrymag.com). Additionally, the show frequently defames Lyle, depicting him as a perpetrator motivated by wealth, rather than a victim subjected to one of the worst kinds of abuse. In the Town & Country article, Erik also said, “I believed we had moved beyond the ruinous character portrayals of Lyle, creating a caricature of Lyle rooted in horrible and blatant lies rampant in the show.” The show frequently dramatizes details, which can be misleading to the audience. The falsified details also blatantly disrespect the victims and capitalize off of the tragedy they endured.
So, is the show worth the watch? Yes; that is, if you take all the information with a grain of salt. The show can be enjoyed if watching it primarily for the shock value and not for the facts.
