Monsters Season 2 has successfully claimed the top TV spot on Netflix, even as viewers grapple with one particularly disturbing scene.
Showrunner Ryan Murphy has once again delved into true crime with his Monsters anthology series, this season spotlighting the infamous killer brothers Lyle and Erik Menendez.
The brothers are notorious for the brutal murder of their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez, in their Beverly Hills home back in 1989.
Given the high-profile nature of the Menendez case over the decades, it’s no wonder that the series swiftly ascended to the number one slot on Netflix, overtaking other murder series like The Perfect Couple. However, many viewers expressed disbelief that the audience remained engaged until the finale, considering the extreme graphic nature of the killing scenes.
“Fam, I’m watching ‘Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story’ … They didn’t have to make the scene when they killed their parents that graphic. SHEESH,” one viewer posted on X/Twitter.
Another commented, “[Monsters Season 2] is gripping and intense, perfect for true crime fans. While some details have been altered for cinematic purposes, it still delivers the brutal reality of the case. The murder scene is EXTREMELY graphic.”
A third viewer wrote, “The murder scene in the new Ryan Murphy show was too graphic even for me. I don’t think he should have shown that in a show about REAL people. It was too much.”
Not only did Murphy’s intended audience find the portrayal of the Menendez murders grotesque, but Erik Menendez himself condemned the series for its “horrible and blatant lies” in a letter shared by his wife, Tammi.
In his letter, Erik criticized both Murphy and Netflix for revisiting an era when the prosecution created a narrative undermining the sexual abuse of boys, claiming that male victims experience trauma differently than females.
He pointed to recent discussions surrounding the case, in which the brothers claimed that their violent actions were influenced by the sexual abuse they endured from their father at a young age.
Erik Menendez emphasized that it’s crucial to remember “that violence against a child creates a hundred horrendous and silent crime scenes darkly shadowed behind glitter and glamour and rarely exposed until tragedy penetrates everyone involved.” He expressed gratitude to those who reached out to him following the series’ release.
Currently, both Erik and Lyle are serving life sentences at the RJ Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego.
Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story is available for streaming on Netflix now. For more updates on true crime, check out the most shocking moments in Into the Fire: The Lost Daughter, investigate whether Brenda Bowman was ever arrested, and learn how to watch the Huw Edwards documentary in the US.
Leave a Reply