'Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story'
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.
The Menendez men experienced generational sexual abuse!
Netflix season 2 Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez story
Episode 6: Don’t Dream It’s Over (65 minutes) - Review of the episode
Don't Dream It's Over gives the perspective of José Menendez and Mary Louise 'Kitty' Menendez. We can see how the relationship of the parents of the Menendez brothers Lyle & Erik started and ended. We also get some answers on question we are asking from the beginning. We will also question some perspectives we have seen in the last episodes, conclusions you might have taken in deciding if the boys deserve freedom and if the parents where really monsters who deserved to die like this.
The creators showed us that we are all human beings learning how to live life every day. There was a time where it was normal to assume that you are born in a family, you will find the love of your life, ask your parents for permission to marry, buy a house, earn money, have a couple of kids and that was life. It is shown that every step in this traditional process of life has its own struggles. What if you are far away from the family you are born and raised in, you don't get permission to marry the love of your life, you don't have money to buy your dream house and what if you don't like your children? We get to see that having kids is not always a happy experience for most parents.
Poster source: @Netflix
This episode gives a glimpse of the abuse José experienced which might have made him how he was. The focus was on his mother who molested him (who on here turn got molested by her uncle). This episode gave a small dialogue of José’s father doing the same things to him, what he did to Erik and Lyle. We can see José confronting his mother on the phone after realizing he got abused and what he experienced was not normal. This episode tried to humanize José Menendez.
On the other side we also get to see the experience of Kitty Menendez as a woman living in a house with two boys and a man, she has zero control over. She fears Lyle and sees Erik as a disappointment. She is experiencing the anger of the boys and the gaslighting of her husband. She also got emotionally and mentally abused by José. We can see her confronting José for the truth of what kind of relationship he has going on with the boys. After knowing the truth, she tried to make him talk to a relationship physiatrist. It is not shown that she was trying to protect the boys in any way. She was focused on healing her husband and protecting the image of a perfect family. We might never know if that is all she did, or was planning to protect the boys in any other way.
We get to see that José would never let Erik go. He was planning to keep Erik by his side in every step he would take. You can assume José was planning to continue the abuse with Erik. Lyle had this constant fear or alertness that his mother could poison him and his brother. Why? Did he experience something with his mother? On the other side we see Kitty experiencing the boys as 'monsters' when she had an epileptic episode. José is seen trying to maintain a perfect image and the boys are seen harming this perfect picture in his mind of a powerful family man. In a moment it is shown the Menendez brothers are living in some fear of their father putting their name out of his will. This episode showed us a lot through the eyes of José and Kitty, how they might have gone through their lifetime.
This episode is directed by Max Winkler and written by Ryan Murphy & Ian Brennan. It showed us a lot in 65 minutes. This episode was a bit boring and to long for the information they wanted to show. It showed the side of the people who got murdered, who had flaws they were trying to correct, dreams they were chasing and rebellious boys they were trying to raise. In short, a typically family with ups and downs and most importantly family secrets that no one should ever know. It is shown that the parents had an unbreakable relationship and received their death by the hands of their two sons, while watching tv and eating ice-cream.
The boys might have 3 motives to kill their parents such as: money, anger of the abuse and self-defense because of the fear of being trapped or killed by their abusers.
Rate episode 6: Don't Dream It's Over
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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