Monsters or Victims…?

Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story is the second season of the true crime drama anthology television series Monster, created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan for Netflix. This season is centered on the 1989 murders of José and Kitty Menendez, played by Javier Bardem and Chloë Sevigny, who were killed by their sons, Lyle and Erik, played by Nicholas Alexander Chavez and Cooper Koch. The second season incorporates the Rashomon effect, in which the story is presented from multiple perspectives, with the brothers’ viewpoint serving as the central narrative.

Since its premiere on September 19, 2024, the season has received a mixed bag of reviews from critics, who praised the performances, with the standouts being those of Bardem and Koch, but critics had issues with the fifth episode of the series with everything from the runtime, to the incestious portrayal of the Menendez brothers throughout the series. The second season achieved global commercial success, debuting as the number-one series on Netflix worldwide, despite Erik Menendez denouncing the season for its inaccuracies and Lyle’s characterization.

At the 82nd Golden Globe Awards, it earned three nominations: Best Limited or Anthology Series or Television Film, Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film for Koch, and Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film for Bardem.

Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story chronicles the real-life case of the Menendez brothers and their convictions in 1996 for the murders of their parents, José and Kitty Menendez. The brothers claimed, and remain adament to this day, as they serve life sentences without the possibility of parole, that their actions that day stemmed out of fear from a lifetime of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. The prosecution argued that this was all made up and there was no proof of the sexual abuse and enabling as accused by Lyle and Erik, and that rather they were seeking to inherit their family fortune, and killed their parents over money.

Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story is the Featured Television Blog of the month for December, you can expect a detailed critique of the limited series where we look at the real life cases of Lyle and Erik Menendez, as well as the retrial and appeals. There is also a recommendation of the limited series that includes a detailed synopsis of all nine episodes. There is also a detailed review of the anthology series looking at the real life characters portrayed in the series. For the interview, check out the Netflix documentary The Menendez Brothers. There is also a Top Ten List, and for Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, the list is My Top Ten Brothers Series! Last but not least, the Featured Television Blog of the month includes an Official Trailer for the featured series!

You can watch the Official Trailer for Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story below:

Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story is available now to stream on Netflix…