Questions We Still Have After Netflix's Monsters The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story

7 Questions We Still Have After Netflix’s Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re breaking down the lingering questions and unresolved mysteries that stuck with us after watching Ryan Murphy’s chilling true-crime miniseries “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menéndez Story.”

Why Was It Implied That Lyle & Erik Had a Relationship?

After “Monsters” premiered on Netflix, one question was on every viewer’s mind: did the Menéndez brothers actually engage in an illicit romantic and physical relationship? A few scenes certainly imply that, particularly one set at a party early on. However, by all accounts, it would seem that this was fabricated for “Monsters.” So why did showrunners Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan decide to leave it in? Lyle Menéndez actor Nicholas Chavez declined to speculate, feeling that the question was best left for Murphy and Brennan. Cooper Koch, who plays Erik Menéndez, gave a more robust explanation, sharing that he believed Erik, and that he didn’t “think it was intended by the show to make or break that truth.”

Who Was Norma Novelli?

As the Netflix show accurately depicts, Lyle and Erik were subject to a massive media frenzy following their imprisonment. This wasn’t necessarily a bad thing for them — despite the overwhelming attention their actions generated, the brothers had, and continue to have, fans, supporters, and even financial backers. Lyle begins a friendly phone relationship with a woman named Norma. This isn’t a tribute to Norma Bates of the “Psycho” franchise: Norma Novelli really existed, and did indeed write a book based on her correspondence with the elder Menéndez brother. With that having been said, Novelli didn’t get Lyle’s consent, and the book failed to make much of an impact on the trial.

Why Was Lyle Going Bald?

Perhaps one of the most heartbreaking “Monsters” reveals occurs when Kitty Menéndez, engaged in a heated argument with Lyle, walks over to her son and rips his hairpiece off. According to Lyle’s court testimony, this actually occurred, and due to the chemical solvent required to attach the toupée, was incredibly painful for him. One thing that’s unclear, though, is precisely why this was happening. “Monsters” seems to imply that Lyle’s premature hair loss was the result of his high stress levels, brought on by José’s verbal, physical, and emotional abuse. However, it should be noted that this is fictionalized speculation, and that his genes could simply be to blame.

What Did the Last Scene Mean?

The events of “Monsters” conclude with Erik and Lyle being shipped off to separate prisons following their 1996 sentencing; the two brothers wouldn’t meet face-to-face again until 2018. However, that isn’t the true final scene of the show. That would be “Monsters’” brief coda, which flashes the viewer back to the family’s fateful shark fishing trip. The audience is made privy to a previously unheard conversation between their parents, in which the two discuss their plans for the future. Cut to the Menéndez boys, where we see them make their final decision. Were Lyle and Erik simply in it for the money? On a quest for revenge? It’s somewhat unclear what Murphy and Brennan are implying.

How Many of the Events Depicted On the Show Actually Occurred?

For obvious reasons, no one will ever be able to answer this question in a way that satisfies everybody. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be a “Monster” season focusing on the Menéndez brothers! Keeping that in mind, it’s still tantalizing to speculate, and the show continually keeps its audience in a state of limbo, questioning who we should believe and why. Although Lyle and Erik claimed several harrowing instances of abuse, little in the way of proof physically exists — otherwise, the boys surely would’ve been exonerated. However, new misconduct claims unearthed in 2023 against José Menéndez may prove to be encouraging for those who believe they should go free.

Was José Really Abused By His Mother?

Javier Bardem’s portrayal of José Menéndez was acclaimed by critics and audiences alike, making José feel, at once, like a towering, larger-than-life supervillain, and a very real abuser. However, the show focuses heavily on the idea of intergenerational trauma, and how it’s insidiously passed down. A shockingly raw scene later on in the season depicts Bardem’s character calling his mother, confronting her about the abuse he appears to have suffered at her hands. Crucially, José reveals that his mother had also confided in him about her own childhood abuse. As one of the show’s themes is the slipperiness of the truth, and José is obviously no longer alive, it’s almost completely unlikely that we’ll ever know the answer.

Why Did They Do It?

Ah, the million-dollar question. As with the veracity of the brothers’ claims, it’s likely never going to be truly clear as to whether or not Lyle and Erik took their parents’ lives for fear that they would lose their own, or if they were simply vindictive over having been edited out of their father’s will. Of course, it goes without saying that the truth is not nearly so black-and-white, and that all we really have to go on are court records, testimonies, and the brothers’ own account of the evening of August 20th, 1989. The real-life Menéndez brothers have consistently maintained that the decision to go through with their plan was spurred by years of horrific abuse.

Which “Monsters” moment shocked you the most? Let us know in the comments below!