Ryan Murphy has another anthology on his hands at Netflix. After the success of Dahmer — Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, Netflix gave the green light to two more seasons of Monster, in addition to another season of Murphy’s other big hit, The Watcher. The second season will be Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.
In 1996, one of the most high profile trials involved two brothers who murdered their parents in 1989. At first, Lyle and Erik said they came home and found that someone killed their parents, Jose and Kitty, but eventually the truth came out. The young men, 21 and 18, said they feared for their lives and that the crime was self-defense. Eventually, the court found them guilty and sentenced them both to life in prison.
Dahmer quickly became the second most popular series for Netflix, topping both the Netflix and Nielsen ratings charts for weeks on end. It’s no wonder that Netflix was quick to offer the anthology two seasons.
Monster now officially become an anthology series that focuses on different notorious figures in society each season.
"Audiences can’t take their eyes off of Monster and The Watcher," Bela Bajaria, Netflix’s head of global TV, said in a statement on Tudum. "The creative team of Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan on Monster along with Eric Newman on The Watcher are masterful storytellers who captivated audiences all over the world. The back-to-back force of these two series is due to Ryan’s distinct original voice which created cultural sensations and we are thrilled to continue telling stories in the Monster and Watcher universes."
Here's what we know about Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.
Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story release date
Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story arrived on Netflix on September 19.
As a Netflix original show, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story will only be available on the streaming platform. You can watch the first season, featuring Jeffrey Dahmer, on Netflix now. If you want to check out the current season you must be a Netflix subscriber.
Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story episodes and recaps
Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story episode 1: "Blame It on the Rain"
"Plagued by dark thoughts after the murders, Erik opens up to his therapist and shares disturbing details that put the doctor in a difficult position."
Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story episode 1 recap
Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story episode 2: "Spree"
"After throwing suspicion elsewhere during police questioning, Lyle and Erik go on a wild spending spree while waiting for Jose's will to be read."
Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story episode 2 recap
Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story episode 3: "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?"
"The brothers navigate life behind bars after police receive a tip-off about the tapes. A new defense attorney prompts Erik to talk about the past."
Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story episode 3 recap
Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story episode 4: "Kill or Be Killed"
"Lyle shares painful memories of trying to live up to his father's expectations, detailing the timeline and impact of Jose's abuse and its effect on Erik."
Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story episode 4 recap
Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story episode 5: "The Hurt Man"
"During an emotional conversation with Leslie, Erik gives a harrowing account of the sexual abuse and torture he experienced throughout his childhood."
Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story episode 5 recap
Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story episode 6: "Don't Dream It's Over"
"The trajectory of Jose and Kitty's relationship--from their courtship through their fracturing marriage--plays out against family therapy sessions."
Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story episode 6 recap
Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story plot
The second season of Murphy's Monster series features the Menendez brothers, Lyle and Erik, who infamously killed their parents in 1996. Both brothers claimed that they had been molested by their father, leading to the crime, but ultimately the jury found them guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison.
The first season of Monster focused on the early life and the terrible crimes of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer. More importantly, though, the series put a spotlight on his victims.
Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story cast
Cooper Koch (Swallowed) has been tapped to play Erik Menendez and Nicholas Alexander Chavez (General Hospital) will play Lyle Menendez.
Here are the other actors rounding out the cast:
- Javier Bardem as José Menendez
- Chloë Sevigny as Mary Louise “Kitty” Menendez
- Nathan Lane as Dominick Dunne
- Ari Graynor as Leslie Abramson
- Leslie Grossman as Judalon Smyth
- Dallas Roberts as Dr. Jerome Oziel
- Paul Adelstein as David Conn
- Jason Butler Harner as Detective Les Zoeller
- Enrique Murciano as Carlos Baralt
- Michael Gladis as Tim Rutten
- Drew Powell as Detective Tom Linehan
- Charlie Hall as Craig Cignarelli
- Gil Ozeri as Dr. William Vicary
- Jeff Perry as Peter Hoffman
- Tessa Auberjonois as Dr. Laurel Oziel
- Tanner Stine as Perry Berman
- Larry Clarke as Brian Andersen
- Jade Pettyjohn as Jamie Pisarcik
- Marlene Forte as Marta Cano.
Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story trailer
You can take a look at the first teaser for the series below:
Here's the teaser revealing the subject of the new season, the infamous story of the Menendez brothers who murdered their parents.
