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Ryan Murphy has played a pivotal role in raising the bar of the crime genre on Netflix. He’s also the mastermind behindDahmer,featuring Evan Peters as the brutal serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer. While in the past Murphy has laid a lot of emphasis on how he wanted Peters to play the character in full authenticity. However, he’s not following the same when it comes to the recently releasedMonstersSeason 2.
The Netflix show is full of inaccuracies and strays away from the real murder case quite a lot. Let’s look at the top seven sequences from the show that are nowhere to be found in the real case.
7There Were Several Inaccuracies in the Depiction of the Murder
In 1989, the world woke up to the shocking news of what happened in the Menéndez family’s Beverly Hills mansion. A brutal crime had taken place in which José and Kitty Menéndez were found murdered. The duo died from gunshot wounds, with José being shot six times and his wife Kitty being shot 10 times.
However, in the show, it was seen that the brothers had opened fire on their parents while they were watching television. According to reports after the real murders, José was shot from point-blank range, and in the back of his head.
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This meant that he most likely never saw his attackers. But in the show, it is inaccurately depicted that the parents recognized their sons during the attack.
6The Brothers Establishing an Alibi
In the show, it is portrayed that both Erik and Lyle visit a movie theater to establish an alibi for themselves. However, in reality, the brothers only claimed that they were at themoviesand didn’t go to such lengths to cover their crime.
5Misrepresentation of the Incest Theory
MonstersSeason 2 introduced a rather controversial and unsupported theory about Erik andLyle Menéndez. In a scene, the creators depicted that Kitty discovers the brothers in a compromising position, thus implying an incestuous relationship between the two. This theory was also denied by Dominick Dunne, whose impressive work on the real murders influenced the show.
In his work, Dunne had reported the abuse the brothers had to go through because of their father. However, instead of focusing on the real events, the series introduced such baseless theories.
4Exploring Erik Menéndez’s Sexuality in the Show
The Netflix hit devotes a significant amount of time to exploring Erik Menéndez’s sexuality and its connection to his abuse. The show suggested that Erik has an attraction for men, a theory which the real Erik Menéndez has denied.
However, he did agree that the years of abuse he faced played a huge role in his understanding of relationships. The show places a lot of confusion on this and even diverges significantly from major plots that could have had more value.
3Biased Portrayal of the Brothers
In the show, the creators presented Erik in a more favorable light, showcasing his sympathetic demeanor every now and then. On the other hand, Lyle was shown as someone who was just focused on drugs and the family’s inheritance. These elements were not supported by the people who are close to the brothers. Though these are not entirely inaccurate, it does skew their characters more than necessary.
2The Show Has Taken Several Creative Liberties
While the show promises to keep the authenticity as it is, it does introduce several fictional elements. For instance, in the show, it was showcased that José was abused by his own mother. However, in reality, there is no evidence to support this claim. Also, the series suggested that Kitty somewhat knew about the abuse her kids were facing, even though it was not stated outright.
During the brothers’ trial, an envelope with pictures of Erik and Lyle in various stages of undress was shown. Interestingly, the envelope had Kitty’s handwriting, which perfectly depicted that she indeed knew what was happening with her kids.
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However, the show completely downplayed these allegations and does not feature what role she played in the abuse.
1The Role of Donovan Goodreau in the Case
In the Netflix show, a subplot was shown where Lyle confides to Donovan about the years of abuse he suffered at the hands of José Menéndez. However, this element was nowhere to be found in the actual trial proceedings. In reality, Goodreau did not mention this during the real trial.
However, some of his interviews do reveal that he was well aware of the fact that José was abusing Lyle.
You can watchMonstersseason 2 on Netflix.
Sakshi Singh
Articles Published :1436
Sakshi Singh has written over 1,300 entertainment articles, mostly about Netflix shows and reality TV. She’s spent the last two years covering everything from surprise engagements to shocking eliminations and previously wrote for Essentially Sports in their Netflix Junkie division. A self-proclaimed reality TV addict, Sakshi has watched all 48 seasons of Survivor and never misses a new dating or competition series. She loves watching how strangers meet, fall in love, team up, or betray each other - it’s the mix of strategy and drama that keeps her hooked. When she’s not glued to a reality show, she’s usually watching a crime thriller or tracking the next big streaming hit.
