Alright, where do I start?
Monsters: The Lyle And Erik Menendez Story was released on Netflix as part of the 2024 TV schedule, and I had to admit—I was excited at first. I've always been very interested in this case, and I feel that it was good to bring it back up years later.
If we're being honest, I've also always been a Ryan Murphy apologist. Don't get me wrong, I know that some of his stuff hasn't been the absolute best, but I still supported what he did thanks to how much I've loved his shows in the past, as I'll soon discuss.
However, I think this show has broken my trust in Murphy, and I really need to get into it because my thoughts are all jumbled in my head, and I have to get them out.
First Off – I Know Ryan Murphy's Shows Have Declined In Quality, But I Still Enjoyed Them
I'll start by saying that, again, I know that Ryan Murphy's shows have diminished in quality over the years. I'm not blind. While I have rewatched American Horror Story and changed my rankings a bit, and I can still enjoy the best covers from Glee, I acknowledge that there are some seasons and shows of Murphy's that aren't good.
While AHS Delicate started strong, it ended in a boring way that I can't even remember and need more energy to recall. The Watcher was just poorly told. Hollywood could have been great, but was flawed by a bad story—the list goes on. However, I've stuck with Murphy because I did enjoy a lot of his earlier shows.
The first seasons of American Horror Story were top television, with some great Sarah Paulson performances, some great Evan Peters performances, and many more amazing stories to tell. Glee was enjoyable (until Season 5, but that's an article for another time). Scream Queens is a classic, even if it only lasted for two seasons. I did enjoy many of his older projects, and even with some of his new things, there are moments I wanted—just not as much as in the past.
And I Actually Enjoyed The First Iteration Of Monster About Jeffrey Dahmer
I know I know – there was a lot of controversy about Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, but I actually enjoyed that series. I think it's mainly because I was able to separate the dramatized version from the facts of the case that I already knew from the several documentaries I had seen.
Once you recognize it as a drama, the show is enjoyable. Evan Peters' performance was excellent (as I predicted it would be), and the story certainly keeps your attention for episode after episode. I'll say that I feel the treatment of the victims was not great, but I liked the series enough that I checked out the next version regarding the Menendez brothers… which was not great.
However, I Am Truly Disgusted With The Portrayal Of The Menendez Brothers
I am not an actual crime expert—I don't claim to be, and I never will—but I've watched enough documentaries about the Menendez Brothers and read enough about the case that I knew what I was getting into when watching this show.
And I am utterly disgusted at this portrayal.
I'm not really as disappointed at it because I knew about the facts of the case beforehand and the things that were true or not. What made me worried about this show is that there are people who are watching this because it's just trending as part of Netflix's 2024 TV schedule and know next to nothing about this case. Now they'll think that some of the facts in this are real.
I know what you're going to say – it's on the viewer to figure out and separate fact from fiction, but when you make a show at this level on the biggest streaming platform out there, then I'd expect there to be some care put into it.
But the moment you watch this show, it feels so fake, inauthentic, really. It paints the brothers out as not really victims, but individuals with messed up minds and strange innuendos and so much more that it absolutely unnerves and bothers me. If you know about the case, you know about the horrors they went through and the evidence that it shows, and it's just disheartening to see them portrayed in such a lousy matter.
Ryan Murphy himself said he didn't even meet the Menendez Brothers before making the show and has no interest in meeting them now, according to Variety in September 2024. He claims that the interest in the show could mean that another trial is possbile for the brothers, which, sure, that's great, but the fact that the creator of the show doesn't want to meet them? At all? That's… a major red flag, and it bothers me.
I Also Don't Like How The Series Made Jose And Kitty Out To Not Be "As Bad" As They Really Were
I actually had a conversation with my boyfriend regarding this aspect. He said I was "closed-minded" when I brought up "Don't Dream It's Over," which I personally believe glamorizes Kitty and Jose. He said that people are complex, and yes, they did these horrible things, too, but they also made a lot of choices for their family, future and all that.
Sure, I can understand that, but the way in which it's portrayed bothers me. Yes, in the court case, the two parents would technically be the victims because they were murdered. However, after what those boys went through, I can't see any good in them. Some people are just the epitome of horrible, and from what I've read about the Menendez Brothers, their parents were pretty darn close.
It's easy for me to say because it's not like I'm personally connected to the case. I'm not one of the victims. I don't understand the complexities of loving someone after what horrible things they did because I've never truly gone through it. But as a human being who wants justice, I can't stand episodes like this – where it makes the monsters be someone else.
I Really Don't Know If I Can Keep Supporting Ryan Murphy After This
There are a lot of things coming out for Ryan Murphy that, before this, I was excited about. I'm still thinking about watching American Horror Story Season 13 because there are rumors of old cast members coming back. Part of me was looking forward to Grotesquerie because I thought the trailers looked good, and it's been getting decent reviews.
But I just… don't know if I can keep supporting Ryan Murphy after this.
There are plenty of great Ryan Murphy TV shows of the past you can watch, but watching Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story really put a sour taste in my mouth. It makes me wonder what other cases he could potentially cover that might be told in the wrong way.
Personally, I don't want to support a creator who delivers a story in this way.
It's not just wrong—it's inhumane. It's cruel and mocks the real lives that were affected, and for that, I just can't return to something like this.
I don't know, maybe something will happen in the future that will change my mind, but I think the Ryan Murphy bug in me has been officially squashed—and I just don't see myself trying to revive it any time soon.
