Every Netflix ‘Monster’ Season in Order: How to Watch the True-Crime Anthology
True-crime television has evolved from late-night procedural documentaries into high-budget, prestige dramatic spectacles that dominate modern streaming culture. Audiences across the globe remain endlessly fascinated by the darker corners of human psychology and the societal circumstances that produce historical atrocities. Streaming platforms have increasingly capitalized on this morbid curiosity, transforming harrowing real-life accounts into serialized events that generate impassioned social discourse.
Leading this cultural wave is television powerhouse Ryan Murphy, whose career has long navigated the boundary between lurid sensationalism and gripping biographical storytelling. Alongside frequent creative partner Ian Brennan, Murphy recognized that true-crime narratives could achieve massive cultural resonance if packaged as lavish period dramas anchored by transformative performances. The resulting anthology framework has consistently challenged viewers by interrogating not just individual murderers, but the systemic failures surrounding them.
What began in 2022 as an experimental limited drama about a Midwestern killer rapidly transformed into a recurring cultural juggernaut for Netflix. Following record-setting initial viewership numbers, Deadline reported that the streamer ordered two additional installments, officially establishing an ongoing anthology dedicated to historical figures whose crimes redefined society. For viewers looking to trace every chilling chapter chronologically by release date, here is every installment of the acclaimed franchise in order.
‘Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story’ (Season 1)
The groundbreaking franchise kicked off on September 21, 2022, with a 10-episode exploration of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, played with terrifying stillness by Evan Peters. Spanning the late 1970s to the early 1990s, the narrative focused heavily on the systemic police incompetence and institutional neglect that allowed Dahmer’s gruesome killings to persist across Milwaukee. Rather than solely glorifying the perpetrator, the writing gave significant agency and emotional resonance to his victims, most notably in the acclaimed sixth episode focusing on Tony Hughes.
Niecy Nash-Betts delivered a commanding performance as Glenda Cleveland, the vigilant neighbor whose repeated warnings were dismissed by local authorities. The inaugural season quickly became the second most-watched English-language television series in Netflix history at the time, surpassing 700 million hours viewed within its first month. Despite facing widespread ethical criticism regarding the exploitation of real-world trauma, the opening chapter earned four major Primetime Emmy nominations and cemented the franchise’s commercial power.
‘Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story’ (Season 2)
The anthology shifted its focus from lone serial predation to domestic patricide when its second chapter arrived on September 19, 2024. Over nine dramatic episodes, the series revisited the sensational 1989 shotgun killings of entertainment executive José Menendez and his wife Mary Louise “Kitty” Menendez in Beverly Hills. Nicholas Alexander Chavez and Cooper Koch stepped into the spotlight as Lyle and Erik Menendez, capturing the volatile dynamic between the two privileged brothers.
The production delved into allegations of severe childhood physical and sexual abuse, framing the murders through conflicting legal perspectives and sensational media coverage. Addressing pushback regarding the dramatic interpretation, Murphy stated to Variety that “it’s not like we’re making any of this stuff up. It’s all been presented before. What we’re doing is we’re the first to present it in one contained ecosystem”. Veteran performers Javier Bardem and Chloë Sevigny anchored the unsettling home environment that drove the narrative forward.
‘Monster: The Ed Gein Story’ (Season 3)
The franchise ventured deeper into classic American folklore on October 3, 2025, with an eight-episode season examining the chilling life of Ed Gein. Charlie Hunnam underwent a dramatic physical transformation to play the Wisconsin grave robber and murderer whose gruesome acts inspired legendary cinematic thrillers such as ‘Psycho’ and ‘The Texas Chain Saw Massacre’. The storyline explored rural isolation in 1950s Plainfield, emphasizing how an unhinged mind reshaped the landscape of Hollywood horror.
Laurie Metcalf portrayed Augusta Gein, the fanatically religious matriarch whose suffocating psychological influence shaped Eddie’s descent into depravity. The installment also incorporated unique meta elements by featuring Tom Hollander as director Alfred Hitchcock and Olivia Williams as Alma Reville. This stylistic shift examined how American society consumes real-life violence as entertainment, earning Hunnam major acting nominations across the award circuit.
‘Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story’ (Season 4)
The anthology traveled back to the late 19th century on September 17, 2026, marking its first season dedicated to a female figure accused of heinous bloodshed. The eight-episode narrative focused on the notorious 1892 axe murders of Andrew and Abby Borden in Fall River, Massachusetts. Rising star Ella Beatty led the cast as Lizzie Borden, bringing complex emotional vulnerability to a woman forever immortalized by nursery rhymes and courtroom intrigue.
In a fascinating casting move, Hunnam returned to the franchise in a supporting role to play the ill-fated family patriarch, Andrew Jackson Borden. Co-starring Vicky Krieps as maid Bridget Sullivan and Rebecca Hall as stepmother Abby, the production tackled Victorian gender expectations, familial abuse, and domestic claustrophobia. The fourth installment reaffirmed that Murphy and Brennan’s anthology remains committed to examining how society creates and judges monstrous behavior.
Which season of the ‘Monster’ franchise did you find the most compelling, and who should the series cover next?
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