Monster season 2 has found its next subject. Created by Ryan Murphy and released on Netflix last September, the laboriously titled Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story chronicled the life of the cannibalistic serial killer (played by Evan Peters) as he became one of the most notorious serial killers in American history, operating between 1978 and 1991. Shortly after the first season’s runaway success, Netflix renewed Monster as a true crime anthology series intended to tell “stories of other monstrous figures who have impacted society.”
Now, Monster season 2 has chosen its next subject. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the second installment will focus on Lyle and Erik Menendez, brothers who were convicted of murdering their parents in their Beverly Hills home in 1989. Naturally, the show’s title will become pluralized for the second season to Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story. For the title announcement, Netflix also released a quick teaser containing Lyle Menendez’s real-life 911 call and revealing a 2024 release date. Check it out below:
Monster Season 2 Could Rival Season 1
By focusing on the Menendez brothers, Monster season 2 has chosen a subject that could potentially rival season 1’s Dahmer. The brothers were tried twice in court for murdering their parents, José and Kitty, with the first ending in a mistrial because of a deadlocked jury before the second found them guilty of murder in the first degree. The Menendez case was covered exhaustively by the media during the early 1990s, as well as by subsequent documentaries and dramatizations. Law & Order: True Crime season 1 recently focused on the case with Edie Falco playing controversial defense lawyer Leslie Abramson.
Though Monster season 2 will likely continue to be criticized for glorifying killers, it should also continue to provide a nuanced exploration into what compelled its subjects to commit such monstrous acts. During their trial, the Menendez siblings said they suffered lifelong sexual, emotional, and physical abuse from their parents and murdered them out of fear for their own lives. However, the prosecution argued they did it to inherit their father’s multimillion-dollar estate. By choosing an equally sensational subject as Dahmer, Monster season 2 is primed for more success.
