# Monster (American TV series)

Monster is an American biographical crime drama anthology television series created by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan for Netflix. Murphy and Brennan both serve as showrunners. The series follows the lives of "monstrous figures", with each season following a different killer or killers.
The first season, The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, focuses on serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer (Evan Peters), and released on Netflix on September 21, 2022. The series was initially conceived as a limited series, but was renewed for a second and third season in November 2022. The second season, The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, focuses on the murder case of the Menendez brothers (Nicholas Alexander Chavez as Lyle Menendez and Cooper Koch as Erik Menendez), and released on September 19, 2024. In September 2024, the third season, titled The Original Monster, was announced to be focusing on killer Ed Gein (Charlie Hunnam).
The first two seasons received mixed reviews from critics but were ultimately a commercial success, both reaching the number-one spot on Netflix in the first week of their release. The Jeffrey Dahmer Story became Netflix's second most-watched English-language series of all time within 28 days, and the third Netflix series to pass 1 billion hours viewed in 60 days. It received four nominations at the 80th Golden Globe Awards and six nominations at the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards. Peters won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film, while Niecy Nash won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie. The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story received three nominations at the 82nd Golden Globe Awards, including Best Limited or Anthology Series or Television Film.

## Cast and characters
### The Jeffrey Dahmer Story

* Evan Peters as Jeffrey Dahmer
** Nick A. Fisher as young Jeffrey
* Richard Jenkins as Lionel Dahmer
** Josh Braaten as young Lionel
* Molly Ringwald as Shari Dahmer
* Niecy Nash as Glenda Cleveland
* Michael Learned as Catherine Dahmer

### The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story

* Javier Bardem as José Menendez
* Chloë Sevigny as Kitty Menendez
* Cooper Koch as Erik Menendez
* Nicholas Alexander Chavez as Lyle Menendez
* Ari Graynor as Leslie Abramson
* Nathan Lane as Dominick Dunne

### The Original Monster

* Charlie Hunnam as Ed Gein
* Laurie Metcalf as Augusta Gein
* Tom Hollander as Alfred Hitchcock
* Olivia Williams as Alma Reville

## Episodes

| Season | Title | Episodes | Episodes | Originally released | Originally released |
| 1 | The Jeffrey Dahmer Story | 10 | 10 | September 21, 2022 (2022-09-21) | September 21, 2022 (2022-09-21) |
| 2 | The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story | 9 | 9 | September 19, 2024 (2024-09-19) | September 19, 2024 (2024-09-19) |

### Season 1: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story (2022)

| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
| 1 | 1 | "Bad Meat" | Carl Franklin | Ryan Murphy & Ian Brennan | September 21, 2022 (2022-09-21) |
| 2 | 2 | "Please Don't Go" | Clement Virgo | Ryan Murphy & Ian Brennan | September 21, 2022 (2022-09-21) |
| 3 | 3 | "Doin' A Dahmer" | Clement Virgo | Ryan Murphy & Ian Brennan | September 21, 2022 (2022-09-21) |
| 4 | 4 | "The Good Boy Box" | Jennifer Lynch | Ryan Murphy & Ian Brennan | September 21, 2022 (2022-09-21) |
| 5 | 5 | "Blood On Their Hands" | Jennifer Lynch | Ian Brennan | September 21, 2022 (2022-09-21) |
| 6 | 6 | "Silenced" | Paris Barclay | David McMillan & Janet Mock | September 21, 2022 (2022-09-21) |
| 7 | 7 | "Cassandra" | Jennifer Lynch | Ian Brennan & Janet Mock & David McMillan | September 21, 2022 (2022-09-21) |
| 8 | 8 | "Lionel" | Gregg Araki | Ian Brennan & David McMillan | September 21, 2022 (2022-09-21) |
| 9 | 9 | "The Bogeyman" | Jennifer Lynch | Ian Brennan & David McMillan & Reilly Smith | September 21, 2022 (2022-09-21) |
| 10 | 10 | "God of Forgiveness, God of Vengeance" | Paris Barclay | Ian Brennan & David McMillan & Reilly Smith & Todd Kubrak | September 21, 2022 (2022-09-21) |

### Season 2: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story (2024)

| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
| 11 | 1 | "Blame It on the Rain" | Carl Franklin | Ryan Murphy & Ian Brennan | September 19, 2024 (2024-09-19) |
| 12 | 2 | "Spree" | Carl Franklin | Ian Brennan & David McMillan | September 19, 2024 (2024-09-19) |
| 13 | 3 | "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?" | Paris Barclay | Ian Brennan & David McMillan | September 19, 2024 (2024-09-19) |
| 14 | 4 | "Kill or Be Killed" | Paris Barclay | Ian Brennan & David McMillan | September 19, 2024 (2024-09-19) |
| 15 | 5 | "The Hurt Man" | Michael Uppendahl | Ian Brennan | September 19, 2024 (2024-09-19) |
| 16 | 6 | "Don't Dream It's Over" | Max Winkler | Ryan Murphy & Ian Brennan | September 19, 2024 (2024-09-19) |
| 17 | 7 | "Showtime" | Michael Uppendahl | David McMillan & Reilly Smith & Todd Kubrak | September 19, 2024 (2024-09-19) |
| 18 | 8 | "Seismic Shifts" | Ian Brennan | Ian Brennan | September 19, 2024 (2024-09-19) |
| 19 | 9 | "Hang Men" | Michael Uppendahl | David McMillan & Reilly Smith & Todd Kubrak & Ian Brennan | September 19, 2024 (2024-09-19) |

### Season 3: The Original Monster
## Production
### Development

In 2018, co-creator and co-showrunner Ryan Murphy signed a deal with Netflix for $300 million to create original television shows. On October 2, 2020, a limited series focusing on the life of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer was announced to have been greenlit from Murphy and co-creator Ian Brennan, titled Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. To prepare for the role, Dahmer actor Evan Peters reportedly "stayed in ... character ... for months."
On November 7, 2022, Netflix announced that the series had been renewed as an anthology series based on famous convicted killers who are "monstrous figures". The series had a two-season order, and was renamed simply to Monster. On May 1, 2023, Netflix announced that the second season would center on the murder case of the Menendez brothers, and be titled Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.
On September 16, 2024, it was announced that the third season of Monster will focus on convicted murderer and suspected serial killer Ed Gein. The season is scheduled to begin production in October 2024. On October 4, it was confirmed that the season would be titled The Original Monster, exploring Ed Gein's life as the first "celebrity serial killer" and examining how true crime evolved into a pop culture phenomenon.

### Casting

On October 2, 2020, Richard Jenkins was announced to be starring in the first season as Lionel Dahmer. On March 31, 2021, Michael Learned, Peters, Penelope Ann Miller and Niecy Nash were all announced to be joining the series as Catherine Dahmer, Jeffrey Dahmer, Joyce Dahmer and Glenda Cleveland, respectively. Shaun J. Brown and Colin Ford were announced to have been cast in undisclosed roles.
On June 29, 2023, Deadline reported that Cooper Koch and Nicholas Alexander Chavez were cast as Erik and Lyle Menendez, respectively, for the second season. On January 15, 2024, it was announced that Javier Bardem and Chloë Sevigny had joined the cast as José and Kitty, respectively. That same day, Nathan Lane was cast as Dominick Dunne. On February 1, 2024, Ari Graynor joined as Leslie Abramson. Leslie Grossman was added that same month as Judalon Smyth.
On September 16, 2024, it was announced that Charlie Hunnam had been cast as Gein for the third season. Gein had previously been portrayed by Shane Kerwin in the first season. On October 15, it was announced that Laurie Metcalf, Tom Hollander and Olivia Williams had joined the cast, as Augusta Gein, Alfred Hitchcock and Olivia Williams, respectively.

### Filming

Principal photography for the first season took place in Los Angeles, California, as well as in San Pedro and Altadena.
Production for the second season was initially set for September 2023, but was postponed due to the SAG-AFTRA and WAG strikes. Principal photography commenced in March 2024 and wrapped in July 2024, also in Los Angeles.
On October 5, 2024, it was reported that principal photography for the third season was scheduled to begin on October 31. On November 23, it was reported that filming had begun earlier that month.

### Soundtrack

The soundtrack for the first season was composed and performed by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis. The soundtrack album was released the same day as the series. Julia and Thomas Newman composed the soundtrack for the second season. The official soundtrack album was released on various streaming platforms on September 13, 2024, prior to the release of the season.

## Release

The first season, Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, was released on September 21, 2022. The second season, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, was released on September 19, 2024.

## Reception
### Audience viewership

The series rose to the number one spot on Netflix in the first week of its release for the first season. In the second week of its release, Netflix announced that Dahmer was its ninth most popular English-language TV show of all time, with 56 million households having viewed all 10 episodes. The season remained number-one for weeks and became Netflix's second most-viewed English Netflix series of all time, and the fourth highest across any language with 701.37 million hours viewed in 21 days. In 60 days it became the third Netflix series to pass 1 billion views. Dahmer debuted at number-one on the Nielsen Top 10 streaming chart by garnering more than 3.6 billion minutes of viewing for the week of September 19–25, placing it 10th on the all-time list for single-week viewership. The following week, it jumped to No. 7 on the all-time list with 4.4 billion minutes viewed. The season topped Nielsen's streaming chart for the third consecutive week with 2.3 billion viewing minutes.
Under Netflix's new streaming metrics, the second season debuted at the number-one spot on the platform globally, garnering 12.3 million views (or 97.5 million hours viewed) within just four days of its release. On its second week, it remained the most-watched series on Netflix after earning 19.5 million views (or 153.8 million hours viewed).

### Critical response

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 57% approval rating for the first season, with an average rating of 6.3/10, based on 30 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus says: "While Monster is seemingly self-aware of the peril in glorifying Jeffrey Dahmer, creator Ryan Murphy's salacious style nevertheless tilts this horror story into the realm of queasy exploitation." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 46 out of 100 based on 9 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".
For the second season, the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 47% approval rating, with an average rating of 5.0/10, based on 30 critic reviews. The website's consensus says: "Well-acted but off-puttingly sordid, Monsters leaves viewers feeling guilty without enough pleasure to compensate." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 47 out of 100 based on 12 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews. The season received praise for its performances (particularly those of Bardem and Koch) and the fifth episode but criticized its runtime, inconsistent tone, and the incestuous portrayal of the Menendez brothers. Erik Menendez denounced the season for its inaccuracies and Lyle's characterization.

### Accolades

Accolades received by Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story :
| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result |
| Hollywood Music in Media Awards | November 16, 2022 | Best Music Supervision – Television | Amanda Krieg Thomas | Nominated |
| People's Choice Awards | December 6, 2022 | The Bingeworthy Show of 2022 | Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story | Won |
| Golden Globe Awards | January 10, 2023 | Best Limited Series, Anthology Series, or a Motion Picture Made for Television | Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story | Nominated |
| Golden Globe Awards | January 10, 2023 | Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film | Evan Peters | Won |
| Golden Globe Awards | January 10, 2023 | Best Supporting Actress – Miniseries or Television Film | Niecy Nash | Nominated |
| Golden Globe Awards | January 10, 2023 | Best Supporting Actor – Miniseries or Television Film | Richard Jenkins | Nominated |
| Golden Globe Awards | January 6, 2025 | Best Limited Series, Anthology Series, or a Motion Picture Made for Television | Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story | Nominated |
| Golden Globe Awards | January 6, 2025 | Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film | Cooper Koch | Nominated |
| Golden Globe Awards | January 6, 2025 | Best Supporting Actor – Miniseries or Television Film | Javier Bardem | Nominated |
| Critics' Choice Television Awards | January 15, 2023 | Best Supporting Actress in a Limited Series or Movie Made for Television | Niecy Nash | Won |
| Producers Guild of America Awards | February 25, 2023 | Outstanding Producer of Limited or Anthology Series Television | Ryan Murphy, Ian Brennan, Alexis Martin Woodall, Eric Kovtun, Evan Peters, Janet Mock, Scott Robertson, Sara Stelwagen, Tanase Popa, David McMillan, Todd Nenninger, Lou Eyrich, Todd Kubrak, Reilly Smith, Regis Kimble, Richard Jenkins, and Mathew Hart | Nominated |
| NAACP Image Awards | February 25, 2023 | Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special | Niecy Nash | Won |
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | February 26, 2023 | Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie | Evan Peters | Nominated |
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | February 26, 2023 | Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie | Niecy Nash | Nominated |
| Satellite Awards | March 3, 2023 | Best Miniseries or Limited Series | Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story | Nominated |
| Satellite Awards | March 3, 2023 | Best Actor in a Miniseries, Limited Series, or Motion Picture Made for Television | Evan Peters | Won |
| Satellite Awards | March 3, 2023 | Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Miniseries, Limited Series, or Motion Picture Made for Television | Richard Jenkins | Nominated |
| Cinema Audio Society Awards | March 4, 2023 | Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for Television Movie or Limited Series | Amanda Beggs, Laura Wiest, Joe Barnett, Jamie Hardt, Judah Getz and Jacob McNaughton (for episode "Lionel") | Nominated |
| Critics' Choice Super Awards | March 16, 2023 | Best Horror Series | Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story | Nominated |
| Critics' Choice Super Awards | March 16, 2023 | Best Actor in a Horror Series, Limited Series or Made-for-TV Movie | Evan Peters | Won |
| Critics' Choice Super Awards | March 16, 2023 | Best Actress in a Horror Series, Limited Series or Made-for-TV Movie | Niecy Nash | Nominated |
| British Academy Television Awards | May 14, 2023 | Best International Programme | Ryan Murphy, Ian Brennan, Alexis Martin Woodall, David McMillan, Reilly Smith, Carl Franklin | Won |
| Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | January 6–7, 2024 | Outstanding Casting for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie | Robert J. Ulrich, Eric Dawson, Carol Kritzer | Nominated |
| Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | January 6–7, 2024 | Outstanding Period and/or Character Hairstyling | Shay Sanford-Fong, Maggie Hayes Jackson, Michael S. Ward, Havanna Pratt (for "Lionel") | Nominated |
| Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | January 6–7, 2024 | Outstanding Period and/or Character Makeup (Non-Prosthetic) | Gigi Williams, Michelle Audrina Kim (for "Bad Meat") | Nominated |
| Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | January 6–7, 2024 | Outstanding Period Costumes for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie | Rudy Mance, Monica Chamberlain, Desmond Smith, Suzy Freeman (for "Please Don't Go") | Nominated |
| Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | January 6–7, 2024 | Outstanding Picture Editing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie | Stephanie Filo (for "The Good Boy Box") | Nominated |
| Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | January 6–7, 2024 | Outstanding Sound Editing for a Limited or Anthology Series, Movie or Special | Gary Megregian, Borja Sau, Bruce Tanis, David Klotz, Sam Munoz, Noel Vought (for "God Of Forgiveness, God Of Vengeance") | Nominated |
| Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | January 6–7, 2024 | Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie | Laura Wiest, Jamie Hardt, Joe Barnett, Amanda Beggs (for "Lionel") | Nominated |
| Astra TV Awards | January 8, 2024 | Best Streaming Limited or Anthology Series | Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story | Nominated |
| Astra TV Awards | January 8, 2024 | Best Actor in a Streaming Limited or Anthology Series or Movie | Evan Peters | Won |
| Astra TV Awards | January 8, 2024 | Best Supporting Actor in a Streaming Limited or Anthology Series or Movie | Kieran Tamondong | Nominated |
| Astra TV Awards | January 8, 2024 | Best Supporting Actor in a Streaming Limited or Anthology Series or Movie | Richard Jenkins | Nominated |
| Astra TV Awards | January 8, 2024 | Best Supporting Actress in a Streaming Limited or Anthology Series or Movie | Niecy Nash | Won |
| Astra TV Awards | January 8, 2024 | Best Directing in a Streaming Limited or Anthology Series or Movie | Paris Barclay (for "God of Forgiveness, God of Vengeance") | Nominated |
| Astra Creative Arts TV Awards | January 8, 2024 | Best Casting in a Limited Series or TV Movie | Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story | Nominated |
| Primetime Emmy Awards | January 15, 2024 | Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series | Ryan Murphy, Ian Brennan, Alexis Martin Woodall, Eric Kovtun, Evan Peters, Janet Mock, Scott Robertson, Sara Stelwagen, Tanase Popa, David McMillan, Todd Nenninger, Lou Eyrich, Todd Kubrak, Reilly Smith, Regis Kimble, Richard Jenkins, and Mathew Hart | Nominated |
| Primetime Emmy Awards | January 15, 2024 | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie | Evan Peters | Nominated |
| Primetime Emmy Awards | January 15, 2024 | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie | Richard Jenkins | Nominated |
| Primetime Emmy Awards | January 15, 2024 | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie | Niecy Nash | Won |
| Primetime Emmy Awards | January 15, 2024 | Outstanding Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie | Carl Franklin (for "Bad Meat") | Nominated |
| Primetime Emmy Awards | January 15, 2024 | Outstanding Directing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie | Paris Barclay (for "Silenced") | Nominated |

### Controversies

On September 23, 2022, Netflix removed the first season's "LGBTQ" tag after backlash on social media. The season also received backlash from the families of Dahmer's victims, accusing Netflix of profiting off their traumatic experiences and "retraumatizing [the families] all over again". Production assistant Kim Alsup alleged racial mistreatment while on set.
Initially, Erik Menendez issued a statement denouncing the second season, claiming, "I believed we had moved beyond the lies and ruinous character portrayals of Lyle, creating a caricature of Lyle rooted in horrible and blatant lies rampant in the show." Menendez called the portrayal of him and Lyle as "disheartening slander". He also called out the series' creator and co-writer Ryan Murphy, stating, "[he] cannot be this naive and inaccurate about the facts of our lives so as to do this without bad intent." However, a few months later, the brothers expressed gratitude for how it brought attention to their case and the childhood trauma they endured. Lyle Menendez stated that the series "opened a lot of people’s eyes", and both brothers acknowledged that it helped shift public understanding of their story. Lyle also defined Cooper Koch's performance as "pretty extraordinary".
The second season also received backlash for its incestuous depiction of the Menendez brothers. Viewers have also accused it of sensationalizing the brothers' abuse and turning it into a "fictitious incestuous relationship." Trial expert and journalist Robert Rand, author of The Menendez Murders, labeled the incest allegations as "fantasy" and pointed out that there was no credible evidence to support such claims. He explained that while some rumors circulated during the trial, they were baseless, and the series distorted the brothers' relationship for dramatic effect.