'Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story'
The Menendez brothers Lyle and Erik got caught because of Dr. Oziel. He pissed of his mistress Judalon, who then told the police every secret Dr. Oziel told her about the sessions between the Menendez brothers. Apparently, the doctor recorded all the sessions between the boys (with their approval) and stored all his notes and tapes at different save places to ensure his own safety. For me that seemed a little bit off. In the series the Menendez boys don't come over as trusting people fast, so what let them trust Dr. Oziel that much?
The Menendez brother went from spending to begging!
Netflix season 2 Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez story
Episode 3: Brother, can you spare a dime? (49 minutes) - Review of the episode
We see Lyle Menendez being caught at the gates of his parental home in Beverly Hills. Erik Menendez was abroad and was advised by his attorney's office of Robert Shapiro to come back to Amerika, where he is seen being arrested at the airport. Both brothers end up in the same prison, with prison cells next to each other. We see Lyle struggle with his physical appearance and constantly in search for dimes to make phone calls so he can get product to sell and glue for his hair. Erik is struggling with the living conditions in prison where he can’t eat the food, is too scared to take a shower and is basically only living on milk. The struggles shown by the boys may seem small but if we think about all the privileges we have during our freedom, you will think twice before committing a felony.
At some point Lyle writes notes to Erik in which he explains how they can escape prison. These notes where found in the cell of Erik, which resulted in Lyle being transferred, separating the boys. We see another breadcrumb that points out there was a deeper motive to the crimes the brothers committed. We see Erik being attracted to a male prisoner and bonding with him. Robert Shapiro who was the lawyer of the boys did not believe in their innocence and wanted to arrange a deal. He advised the boys to be more sympathetic and remorseful in court, yet their eyes and body language fed the public opinion of the boys being rich and spoiled brats who killed their parents only for money. The scenes with the attorneys and family where a bit boring, it didn’t go well with the flow of this episode. I do appreciate the scene being cut to court when Shapiro explained that the boys did not follow his advice and looked like psychopaths. It was a joke to the actors playing the characters.
Poster source: @Netflix
We see the attorney Leslie Abramson (Ari Graynor) picking up this case in defense of Erik. Erik confesses the deep secret behind the motive of their crime to murder their parents. Abramson gets to know that Lyle was sexually molesting Erik when he was around the age of 5 or 6. This was really shocking to know, because every part in the series was suggesting the father José Menendez was in some way sexually molesting the boys. I would have never thought Lyle would do this to his own brother.
When you watch the scene further you get the confession of Erik that he never blamed Lyle for the sexual abuse because their father José was first sexually molesting Lyle. José started molesting Erik after he stopped molesting Lyle. José made it some kind of Spartan warrior training act, and explained that the warriors (boys) did this to get tough! With the Lyle and Erik Menendez case, you expect some kind of abuse as a motive. It is still shocking to hear about it, and you empathize with the Menendez boys for their suffering all these years. Still, I wonder why they killed their mother, is there also another motive behind that?
This episode ends with the shocking revelation what Erik would do to survive the interactions with his father. He shares the cinnamon solution he tried and the lemon juice that he was given to num his tastebuds. We see Abramson processing this new revelation and realizing she just might get a case she could win. The detail of the abuse makes you want to set the boys free immediately.
This episode was directed by Paris Barclay and written by Ian Brennan & David McMillan. The flow from episode 2 tot 3 was natural. I didn’t notice the switch. The scenes in prison were very well portrayed. The struggle of Lyle, you could feel him being dehumanised. He was holding on to his appearance and image. Both the boys had their own Monsters to fight in prison. This episode started and ended good. The middle felt a bit low and slow.
I am now wondering what episode 4 will bring for new perspective.
Will we empathise more with Lyle Menendez & Erik Menendez, or sympathise with José Menendez and Kitty Menendez?
Rate episode 3: Brother, can you spare a dime?
Episode 6: Don't Dream It's Over Review
This episode explains generational (sexual) abuse. Children getting raised in a new generation with a different lifestyle than you had, and never having to experience the struggles you as a person had to go through to get to al the financial benefits everyone in the family is enjoying. Making your children experience traditional disciplining methods, which you as a child might have hatted to experience, but still apply because you don’t know anything else to ‘toughen’ your children up. These are the thoughts we process while watching this episode.
Episode 7: Showtime Review
Nathan Lane acts as Dominick Dunne in this episode. Dunne is an investigative journalist for Vanity Fair, who covers the trial of the Menendez brothers Lyle and Erik. Dunne has his own perspective and conclusions about this case. He has gone through the evidence and points out holes in the story of Lyle and Erik. He even brings out a new motive for the murder of José Menendez and Mary Louise 'Kitty' Menendez.
Episode 8: Seismic Shifts Review
Los Angles is hit by earthquakes that also hit the prison Lyle and Erik Menendez where in. We can see Erik going crazy in his cell and fearing for his safety and sanity. On the stand when Erik is trying to give his testimony he is constantly interrupted because his microphone was not working. This resulted in his story not coming over as sympathetic as it should be. As a viewer you then experience the case just like the jury present not sympathetic enough. The main question: was it self-defence, do they deserve freedom, is this all true?
Episode 9: Hang Man Review
The mini-series ends with a moment back in time on the boat where José Menendez and Mary Louise 'Kitty' Menendez are seen reconnecting and rekindling their love marriage and wondering why their boys are acting weird. On the other side Erik is confirming to kill their parents and makes sure Lyle doesn’t back out. This episode leaves questioning who the mastermind was in this whole case, and still what the main motive of the Menendez brothers was to murder their parents José and Kitty Menendez?
Episode 3: Brother, can you spare a dime? Review
The Menendez brothers Lyle and Erik got caught because of Dr. Oziel. He pissed of his mistress Judalon, who then told the police every secret Dr. Oziel told her about the sessions between the Menendez brothers. Apparently, the doctor recorded all the sessions between the boys (with their approval) and stored all his notes and tapes at different save places to ensure his own safety. For me that seemed a little bit off. In the series the Menendez boys don't come over as trusting people fast, so what let them trust Dr. Oziel that much?
Episode 4: Kill or Be Killed Review
Kill or be Killed gave deeper details of the emotions and events that took place. It is a trigger for anyone that experienced sexual abuse. Lyle Menendez shares his part of the story, how the abuse of his father José Menendez started. While watching this episode you will see that some ‘Monsters’ are created, not born this way.
Episode 5: The Hurt Man Review
Can we call this episode a 30-minute monologue, by Cooper Koch? The details in which the abuse that Erik Menendez might have experienced is presented with so much emotion by the creators of Monsters. You can see the stages of an abused man who doesn’t know if he should hate what happened to him, be glad it’s over, love his father, hate himself and the most important stage: questioning if who he is, is because he is born like this or created like this? This episode shows that men can also be sexually abused. In this time of of age we know it is possible. In that time of age it might not have been this accepting by the public.
Episode 2: Spree review
The focus of the second episode was the alibi of the boys and what they did after they killed their father José Menendez and their mother Mary Louise 'Kitty' Menendez. The moment they came back to the house expecting people to have found the bodies, yet the whole Beverly Hills neighborhood was quiet. You can see them being portrayed as emotionless creatures, the way they ‘discovered’ the bodies, and watched the result of their actions laying in the room. They were walking in sync with each other communicating without words.
Episode 1: Blame It On The Rain Review
The first episode shows an overall Beverly Hills vibe. It is full of pastel colors, sunshine and beautiful people. While watching the show you feel there is a dangerous secret, it keeps you hooked and on an edge. You can see the closeness of the Menendez brothers Lyle and Erik. The emotional struggle Erik is experiencing after the murder of their parents. Erik is struggling to life with a big secret and is having suicide thoughts. Lyle is trying to act normal picking up his life walking in his father’s shoes, while fighting the monsters in his head.
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