In a lot of ways, this show is a spiritual prequel to The People v. O. J. Simpson (2016), the hit, Emmy-winning series about a Los Angeles murder trial that garnered a lot of media attention that was connected to Hollywood and that certainly inspired a lot of Hollywood interest. That 2016 program was part of an anthology called American Crime Story that was produced by Ryan Murphy, one of the most prolific TV show-makers working today. Literally, this show is part of another anthology that was originally titled Monster. This anthology follows some of the most heinous killers, often serial killers, of the 20th century. The first season was about Jeffrey Dahmer. However, unlike Dahmer or Ed Gein who will be the subject of the next season, the subjects here aren't serial killers, pulling off numerous murders. Yes, the crimes here are heinous, but there's a question of whether or not the subjects are as monstrous as Dahmer or Gein. This series gives them a sliver of sympathy that didn't exist for those aforementioned murderers.
That's why this series feels like it should be part of the American Crime Story anthology rather than this one. It's not only due to the nature of the criminals but also due to the direct connections the case in question here has to the 2016 series, and specifically to O. J. Simpson. Literally, a character in the 2016 series appears as a character here. Actually, two characters from that 2016 series appear here. Murphy and Ian Brennan, the co-creator, are clearly trying to recapture some of the magic from that 2016 series, which is arguably their most successful anthology.
Nicholas Alexander Chavez is an Emmy winner from ABC's General Hospital (1963). Here, he stars as Lyle Menéndez, the son of a Cuban immigrant who became a wealthy businessman. Lyle grew up in New Jersey but his family moved to Beverly Hills, California, while Lyle attended Princeton University. Lyle's father was filthy rich and Lyle was groomed to follow in his father's footsteps. However, on August 20, 1989, at the age of 21, Lyle killed his father and his mother using a shotgun at point blank range.
Cooper Koch (Swallowed and They/Them) co-stars as Erik Menéndez, the younger brother. Erik was really good at tennis and even attended a national championship. However, Erik aspired to be a model and work in the film or television industry as a writer and actor. All of that would be derailed when at the age of 18, he assisted his brother in the murders of his two parents in their mansion.
From the beginning, Erik seems more remorseful or more upset about the murders than Lyle. It pushes Erik to want to confess. Lyle and his brother are already in therapy, so Erik wants to go to his therapist to spill his guts. Arguably, this is the first mistake that will lead to their conviction. What's remarkable is that initially what the two brothers did could have been the perfect crime, but Erik along with Lyle keep making mistakes and shooting themselves in the foot. It's interesting to watch from a legal perspective how the two kept digging themselves into holes.
Many of the details have already been depicted, most recently in the limited series Law & Order True Crime (2017). Murphy and Brennan have decided to put their own spins on this story and take some liberties. One of the major liberties is the question of Erik's sexuality. It's not depicted in this series, but Barbara Walters famously asked Erik if he were gay, which he denied. Some believe questioning his sexuality stems from a homophobic or wrong-headed idea that came out during Lyle and Erik's trials.
If you know the history, then it won't be a surprise. If you don't know the history, the following could be a spoiler. However, it was revealed during the trial that Lyle and Erik killed their parents because of sexual abuse at the hands of their father and knowledge of their mother. Allegedly, the abuse started when the boys were in grade school and according to this series continued till high school. Erik was allegedly molested and raped, but because it was technically sex between two guys, there is an antiquated notion that it made either one or both gay.
One constant theme in this series is how the boys keep getting recorded on audiotape saying things they don't want recorded. At one point, Lyle tells Erik that their parents recorded Erik with his best friend Craig in which it seemed like the two were gay. It's not clear if Murphy and Brennan invented this specific recording, but the show depicts Erik engaging in same-sex activity while in jail, which was also likely invented for this series. Episode 5 is done as one, 30-minute-long, single take and it features Koch giving a lengthy monologue about him questioning his sexuality. Assuming Erik is one way because of his abuse is problematic, but, at the same time, this is a fictional character. Yes, it's based on a real person, but this is not a documentary. Murphy and Brennan are crafting a narrative that reflects the story they want to tell.
Their instincts are to go to the sensational, which is why Murphy and Brennan jump on another outrageous concept. It was revealed during the trial that Lyle molested Erik, as a result of him mimicking what his father did. Some people doubt the abuse from the father, but if it wasn't true, then it would be odd for Lyle to admit he molested his own brother. However, Murphy and Brennan run with this detail and suggest an incestuous relationship between the two.
It's floated as a theory from Dominick Dunne, played by Nathan Lane (The Gilded Age and Impeachment), so it's not given as much weight as Erik being gay. It is part of the structure of this series after the third episode of providing various opinions or perspectives of what happened within the Menéndez family. A lot of those opinions are how tough or abusive the parents were or how psychopathic the boys are. In that, Javier Bardem who plays their father, José, and Chloë Sevigny who plays their mother, Kitty, get put in the background. Sevigny probably gets the most short shrift. Bardem has some interesting moments that lay out how his character could be abusive, which are compelling.
Chavez and Koch get the biggest spotlight. It's interesting because as actors, a lot of the series is about them having to put on a performance and what it takes to be convincing not only in what one says but how one looks. At the same time, it's a balance of playing two boys possibly suffering from sexual abuse or just being greedy psychopaths. It's more intriguing than the Law & Order True Crime series. By far though, Koch gives the most incredible performance in Episode 5. If he is not nominated for an Emmy, something has gone incredibly wrong.
Rated TV-MA for language, nudity, sex and violence.
Running Time: 1 hr. / 9 eps.
Available on Netflix.