Outside of this harrowing detail, incest between Lyle and Erik has not been included in the discussions of the case, which has caused some viewers to question its inclusion in the series. Many have shared their objections to this controversial plot point on social media, accusing the show creators of sensationalising the story for entertainment value, rather than doing justice to the complex reality of the case. It’s become such a talking point that the term ‘Menendez brothers gay’ has been trending on Google for two days.
But others have suggested that hinting at inappropriate contact between the brothers is a way of highlighting how years of trauma at their father’s hand could lead to a disturbing approach to sexual relationships. While that could be a worthy point to explore in a purely fictional story, in a real-life-based drama, this detail instead lands as unnecessary conjecture, included to make the story more shocking and discussion-worthy, rather than a beneficial detail to provide deeper context or emotional heft. By drawing the viewers’ attention to a scandalous connection between Lyle and Erik, the series runs the risk of detracting from the horrific abuse, only to make the story more “captivating” – and it’s a dangerous path for true crime shows to take.
Miles Crist/Netflix
Though there is a wealth of options for true crime programming, show creators shouldn’t feel compelled to highlight layers of speculative trauma, to make their story stand out. Not only is there a responsibility to stay true to the roots of the information, it is also important not to trauma-mine real people’s lives purely for entertainment, and to feed viewers’ increasing appetites for greater shocks. This genre of show shouldn’t need to add further drama to make the stories important or noteworthy – the stories themselves should be enough.
In one of the standout moments of the series, the fifth episode “The Hurt Man” features Erik giving a lengthy account of the abuse he’d been subjected to. This is a story that deserves to be handled with care and with consideration for victims of abuse – the Menendez brothers, as well as the countless numbers of others who have experienced similar. As much as true crime series may feel as if they need to go to extreme lengths to be unique, some of the most powerful moments can come from sticking more closely to reality.
At the time of writing, Netflix nor Ryan Murphy have publicly commented on the response to the series, and social media users continue to share their mixed reactions to the series. It’s likely to shoot up the Netflix charts over the next few days – and before we know it, there’ll be another true crime series that everyone is talking about. Though we can hope the next true crime sensation won’t need to exaggerate trauma to get their point across, it’s doubtful this’ll be the case.
