'Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story'
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.
The story of the Menendez brothers is not true!
Netflix season 2 Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez story
The episode starts with doubt created towards the stories the boys told. Abramson even suggested to the attorney of Lyle, Jill Lansing (played by Jess Weixler) that she doesn’t believe most of his stories and that Lyle might have Erik lie about the events. With Lansing responding with a suggestion that it could also be that Erik is the mastermind behind this whole situation. It is seen that Lyle is asking his friends and family to fabricate lies in defence of their abuse story. Everyone he asked is seen denying his appeal. Erik is seen confessing to his psychologist that he lied about a story he told about his father. The psychologist is questioning if he lied because Lyle asked him to?
Dunn explained to his colleagues that the story of Lyle and Erik is not accurate. They said they were scared their parents would kill them on the boat trip, but it turned out the boat trip was not private and there were other people present. He even discussed that José and Kitty had just bought an apartment for Lyle and where planning to travel to the apartment to furnish it. On the night of the murder Kitty was even inviting her family friend to come over. Dunn even suggested that the abuse never happend and Lyle got the idea of abuse out of a book he was reading in prison. Dunn even shared a point of view where the Menendez parents José and Kitty were not abusing the sons but knew a big filthy secret about them that got them killed. He suggested that Kitty caught the boys in the shower while they were showing signs of incest and that the boys killed their parents so this truth would never come out.
Poster Source: @Netflix
We can see that the creators of Monsters are presenting the (emotional) point of view Dunne had while writing about the Menendez brothers case. He himself had just experienced a horrifying event where his daughter Dominique Dunn was brutally murdered, and the murderer didn't got the sentence matching his actions. We see Dunne walking with this hatred towards murders in the courtroom and defence attorneys who set such monsters free.
Fast Forwarding to the court scene, Lyle is brought to the stand. This scene was so explosively impactful, that you could feel your conclusions of doubt shift to immense sympathy towards Lyle. Dunne experienced the same feeling and shifted his personal opinion to doubt about the punishment the Menendez brothers should get. The moment Lyle tells his story and you see him struggle telling the story with the emotions he is feeling. Chavez his acting was just top-notch! The connection between Chavez and Koch is like that of real brothers, understanding each others emotions, acting and responding in the right non-verbally way.
Showtime is directed by Michael Uppendahl and written by David McMillan, Reilly Smith & Todd Kubrak. It was refreshing to have the story shift to the perspective of Dominick Dunne. Lane has acted fabulous in this episode. He went through all the emotions and showed them in the right way. The unbelieve in sympathy for the boys shifting to empathy for what they experienced after watching the confession of Lyle. A shout out to Nicholas Alexander Chavez, it was like I was listing to the real Lyle Menendez who experienced these unfortunate events that led to the murders. His pain of experiencing the abuse het might have suffered, still loving his parents and feeling the guilt of his actions towards his little brother Erik. If I was the jury I would just like Dunn question if Lyle is just a good actor, directed by his attorney Abramson, or an innocent boy who experienced horrifying events in a picture-perfect family behind closed doors, that made him the Monster killing his parents.
Rate episode 7: Showtime
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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