'Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story'
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.
The Menendez brothers where paranoid!
Netflix season 2 Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez story
Episode 4: Kill or be Killed (49 minutes) - Review of the episode
When Lyle shares that the abuse started when he was around 6 years old, your heart just breaks. You can see the pattern of abuse, where it evolves. I will not go fully in details of the evolution. It is shown that it first started with massages after training practices till a point the father was using objects to abuse his son, and eventually rape him in the shower when he was 8 years old. When Lyle asked his father to stop, he did stop and started abusing his younger brother Erik Menendez without his knowledge.
Your heart will only break more when you get to know Lyle sexually molested Erik because he wanted to make his own abuse feel normal. After his own abuse stopped and his father gaslighted him (when he was younger) in thinking Erik was not being abused, José Menendez made Lyle despise his little brother Erik. The creators of Monsters showed the pain in Lyle’s story when he got to know his little brother was experiencing everything he had to go through. When Lyle shares that he was also a part of the suffering Erik endured and he was not there to protect his little brother. The creators showed remorse in Lyle his actions towards his little brother Erik. Lyle questioned himself for what kind of ‘Monster’ he is.
Poster source: @Netflix
The focus of this story is to give the viewer a perspective to why they resorted into killing their parents. Abramson the attorney asks the important question: did no one know? A shocking revelation about the mother Mary Louise 'Kitty' Menendez will give you more empathy for the Menendez brothers. Questioning if she really did not know? The boat trip was just one example of the fear the boys where living in. Lyle and Erik being scared their parents would kill them on this boat trip. It is presented that Lyle and Erik were just scared boys, or maybe a little paranoid? The people who should protect them became the monsters in their life.
This episode was directed by Paris Barclay and written by Ian Brennan & David McMillan. I must say till now every episode kept their focus on a plot. This one was the perspective of Lyle Menendez in what led to the events in murdering his mother and father. As a viewer it feels like I am on of the jurors who is being presented all the perspectives and motives in this case.
The next episode is ‘the hurt man’. I would love to see the plot this episode presents. Do share your view on Lyle’s perspective shown in this episode. Do you feel empathy for him, or do you just like the Vanity Fair journalist see Lyle as a psychopath?
Rate episode 4: Kill or Be Killed
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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