Monster: The Ed Gein Story— Avoiding the Messy Morals of the Menendez Brothers!
Netflix's Monster Series: Navigating the Murky Waters of True Crime
Ryan Murphy's Monster series on Netflix has always been controversial! These true-crime dramatizations of famous cases tend to generate huge discussions about those involved, however there has been more issues than simply deciding on those "guilty" and "innocent". The first season—Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story— already caused plenty of drama. Then came season two—Monster: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story— a totally different beast; generating controversy which would have potentially impacted future seasons in different and problematic ways! And that leaves people wondering about season three.
Monster: The Menendez Brothers Story centered around that insanely complex 1989 case – the brothers killing their parents. But was it murder, or self-defense against serious parental abuse? This whole situation, a horribly unclear and morally ambiguous mess— caused massive debates! People were divided: the brothers or the parents?
Ed Gein: A Clear-Cut Villain For Monster Season 3
Season three, focusing on Ed Gein (played by Charlie Hunnam), thankfully avoids the "who's the real monster?" issue! Gein’s crimes were insane: murdering women (in the 1950s Midwest) and doing some disturbing stuff with their remains. He’s seriously notorious – the type inspiring tons of horror movie villains! (Think Norman Bates, Leatherface, even Buffalo Bill from The Silence of the Lambs!). He had those seriously warped motivations; he is not complex or otherwise worthy of being reexamined: He is purely, simply evil!
That straightforward "villain" aspect will give Monster season 3 a clearer narrative, especially those aspects regarding victim’s families – one aspect always used against Monster's approach to dramatization and telling stories! And that lack of moral ambiguity and makes Ed Gein very unlike the Menendez brothers, thus setting up this completely distinct narrative for future seasons.
The Lingering Controversy: Victims’ Families and the Ethics of Dramatization
Even though season three has that clear "monster", Monster will likely still face that critical issue related to families! Dahmer suffered similar criticisms— survivors criticized Murphy's production, expressing those feelings of their own past traumas getting aired unexpectedly and being re-experienced; some criticized the fact they hadn't even been consulted beforehand. This problem might plague Monster forever. It is really up to Murphy himself and those future collaborators in what creative direction these production companies choose for future projects!
So this key ethical debate continues: Will Murphy actually try reaching out to victims or the families involved? He hasn't with the Menendez brothers (except that single meeting with Cooper Koch). He likely won’t with Gein. Season three might skip the Menendez level of moral complexity and create an alternative story regarding victim’s rights! It remains up to see what creative direction would be chosen, whether ethical production would be improved, and ultimately— whether this ongoing and problematic debate is resolved to some degree. It remains entirely uncertain how ethical and moral future projects might ultimately attempt to mitigate those concerns about ethical sensitivity.
Conclusion: A Necessary Shift in Creative Focus
Monster season 3 makes a necessary change and addresses this problematic ongoing controversy which would’ve otherwise lingered longer without creative reassessment! While Ed Gein remains purely evil; eliminating the potential "who’s the monster?" debate is essential to maintaining narrative coherence and ethical treatment for any victims that have existed previously! This smart shift hopefully clears space for other, stronger narratives for this interesting but still ethically challenging franchise! It will likely continue having strong impacts within the creative industries for those making future projects and decisions! It might affect how that moral ambiguity and creative freedom remain in that complex yet challenging landscape within these specific production models. The challenge lies with ensuring that it addresses these ongoing controversies without diminishing its entertainment potential and other narrative value!
