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Ryan Murphy’s Most Controversial Show Dominates Global Netflix Chart Days After Season 2 Return
Ryan Murphy defends the portrayal of the eponymous brothers inMonsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Storyfollowing backlash. After the first season focused on Jeffrey Dahmer, the second season of Ryan Murphy’s Netflix anthology series centers on Lyle and Erik Menendez, two brothers who killed their parents, José and Kitty Menéndez, in 1989 and were eventually convicted in 1996.Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story’s castincludes Cooper Koch, Nicholas Alexander Chavez, Javier Bardem, Chloë Sevigny, Nathan Lane, Ari Graynor, and many more.
Talking toEntertainment Tonight,Ryan Murphy defended the portrayal of the eponymous brothers inMonsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Storyafter one of them, Erik Menendez, called the show a “dishonest portrayal.” See his response in the video below:
Ryan Murphy mentions that Erik Menendez’s criticism is premature since he hasn’t seen the show, which provides a balanced and nuanced portrayal of the Menendez brothers, their parents, and many more perspectives. Read his full response below:
I think it’s interesting that he’s issued a statement without having seen the show. I know he hasn’t seen the show in prison. I hope he does see the show. I think he sees the work that Cooper Koch did… Listen, I think it’s really really hard if it’s your life to see your life up on screen. I think that it’s been 30 years around since that case. I think that’s hard.
The thing that I find interesting that he doesn’t mention in his quote and that nobody from that side of the aisle is talking about is if you watch the show, I would say 60 to 65% of our show in the scripts and in the film form center around the abuse and what they claim happened to them and we do it very carefully and we give them their day in court and they talk openly about it. We present the facts from their point of view. Largely, you know, we spent three years researching it, all that is true. I had such a huge team and I do when I do when I do these biopics so I think that’s really interesting and people should know that.
I also understand and what’s interesting in this age where people can really talk about sexual abuse, which I didn’t have when I was younger, that talking about it and writing about it and writing about all points of view can be controversial. The interesting thing that I think about Monsters, this season, is its kind of a Rashomon approach where there were four people involved in that, two of them are dead, and two of them are alive at the point of view, but what about the parents? We had an obligation to storytellers to also try and put in their perspective based on our research, which we did.
Monsters: The Lyle & Erik Menendez Story Provides A Fair & Balanced Portrayal
Their Abuse Is Accurately Portrayed
As Ryan Murphy mentions, it can be incredibly difficult to see the most painful moments of your life portrayed on screen, which is whyErik Menendezlikely made a statement condemning the show. However, as Murphy also mentions,Erik Menendez hasn’t actually seen the show, and if he did, he would likely feel that he and his brother Lyle’s perspectives are accurately and fairly portrayed on screen. Murphy and company did their due diligence in depicting the Menendez brothers' perspectives, but also many others who were involved, with the show taking a Rashomon-style approach.
Monsters: The Lyle & Erik Menendez Story Ending Explained
Monsters: The Lyle & Erik Menendez Story’s ending not only reveals the verdict of the murder case but also invites viewers to form their judgements.
As Murphy mentions,the majority ofMonsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Storyfocuses on the brothers' defensethat they killed their father in self-defense after years of sexual, physical, and emotional abuse. They also claimed that their mother – who struggled with mental health issues including depression, alcoholism, and substance abuse – was complicit in the alleged abuse they suffered from their father. On the other hand, the prosecution argued the brothers were seeking to inherit their family fortune, and the show goes to great lengths to present both perspectives.
Our Take On Ryan Murphy’s Response To Erik Menendez
Ryan Murphy’s response to Erik Menendez is dead on, emphasizing that the show provides a fair and balanced portrayal of multiple perspectives and that Erik Menendez’s criticism is premature since he hasn’t seen the show. Murphy and company conducted extensive research to convey the complexity of the real-life events. The series carefully presents the Menendez brothers' perspective, particularly the abuse allegations, and while their viewpoint is central,Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Storyalso had an obligation to portray other perspectives, such as their parents and the prosecution.
Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story
Cast
This true crime drama delves into the infamous case of Lyle and Erik Menendez, two brothers who were convicted of murdering their parents. The series examines the complex family dynamics and legal battles that captivated the nation, highlighting the motivations and repercussions of their actions.
