Although the viewership numbers were solid, Monster Season 3 struggled to capture the appeal of the previous installment. The Netflix crime drama premiered in September 2022 with The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, garnering a massive fan base that ensured its return for Season 2 despite being conceived as a limited series. For its second outing, the true crime thriller reimagined The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story. It arrived on Netflix in September 2024 to lukewarm reviews, but was successful enough to earn the series a third entry. Released in October 2025, the critical response to Monster: The Ed Gein Story has been underwhelming.
It’s believed among fans and critics that the new season sacrificed factual accuracy to elevate entertainment value. For a true crime show, Monster Season 3 fictionalized Gein’s story to a great extent, blurring the lines between facts and fiction. From the show, viewers unfamiliar with the Butcher of Plainfield are likely to conclude he was a schizophrenic necrophiliac who practiced cannibalism and invaded graves for his depraved desires. This is not true. The Plainfield Ghoul robbed graves, stole body parts, and used human skin to fashion suits and masks. His crimes were heinous, but the Netflix docudrama isn’t an accurate portrayal of Ed Gein (Charlie Hunnam).
1. Ed Gein Never Confessed To Killing His Brother
@netflix The next chapter in Netflix’s #Monster anthology is here to haunt you. Monster: The Ed Gein Story drops in one week.
Ed Gein’s brother, Henry Gein (Hudson Oz), is one of the serial killer’s victims in Monster Season 3. The docudrama depicts Henry as Ed’s first victim. They fell out after Henry decided to leave their family home to get away from their mother and marry the woman he loves. Ed attacks the older Gein with a wood, kills him, and stages a fire to cover up the crime. While Henry’s death in 1944 revolves around a mysterious fire incident at his family’s farm, Ed never confessed to the crime. The authorities concluded he died from asphyxiation, ruling his death an accident.
2. He Was Cleared Of All Suspicion In Evelyn Hartley’s Disappearance
@charliehunnam.tribute Tracing the cultural impact of Ed Gein’s crimes Repost : @netflix #CharlieHunnam #Monster #theEdGeinStory #RyanMurphy #Netflix
The character portrayed by Addison Rae mysteriously disappeared in October 1953. When Ed was arrested four years later for the murders around his hometown, he became a suspect for Hartley’s disappearance because he was around where the teenager was last seen. He denied having a hand in the crime and even took lie detector tests to back up his claims. Ed Gein was later absolved of any involvement in Hartley’s disappearance, but Monster Season 3 tied him to the crime. The series depiction of how Gein kidnapped and murdered Hartley is speculative. The case hasn’t been solved.
3. Ed Gein Confessed To Killing Only Two Women
@netflix spooky season vibes. Monster: The #EdGein Story is now playing.
Throughout its eight episodes, Monster Season 3 depicted ED Gein committing several murders. Apart from his brother and Evelyn Hartley, the series showed Gein killing a nurse and two hunters. That wasn’t the case in real life. He was suspected of killing at least nine people, but Gein confessed to only two murders, which the authorities confirmed. He was arrested for killing a hardware store owner named Bernice Worden in 1957, after which he admitted to another murder — the death of tavern owner Mary Hogan in 1954. He faced trial for only Worden’s death and was ultimately found not guilty due to insanity.
4. He Didn’t Engage In Sexual Acts With Corpses
@netflix Monster: The Ed Gein Story is now playing. #EdGein
Monster Season 3 portrayed Ed Gein as a necrophiliac, but there’s no evidence of this in real life. The serial killer denied he was sexually attracted to corpses, pointing out that the women he exhumed from their graves reeked. He used the remains to make disturbing items, including a woman’s suit, which he wore to feel closer to his late mother. Also, there’s no proof he practiced cannibalism or tricked his neighbors into consuming human flesh.
5. Ed Gein Didn’t Help Catch Ted Bundy
In Monster: The Ed Gein Story’s finale, two FIB agents approached the Butcher of Plainfield for insights that led to Ted Bundy’s capture. The episode portrayed Gein as a killer who inspired other notorious killers like Jerry Brudos and Richard Speck. None of these threads is based on facts. Gein didn’t help the authorities capture the Campus Killer, nor was he admired by other killers. In fact, nothing validates the notion that he was acquainted with other serial killers who admired and wrote him letters. Check out Dexter Resurrection’s most satisfying kills.
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