Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story episode 3 recap and review: “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?”

As a seasoned legal professional with years of experience under my belt, I must say that this narrative is as intriguing as it is heart-wrenching. The Menendez brothers’ story unfolds like a tragic novel, filled with secrets and betrayals that echo the darkest corners of their home life.

Following their admission of guilt to psychologist Dr. Oziel, it was merely a question of when Erik and Lyle would be apprehended for the murder of their parents. The Netflix series Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story moves on in its third episode titled “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?” where the police secure a search warrant for Dr. Oziel’s house and scrutinize the session recordings. Predictably, it doesn’t take long before they apprehend the brothers.

Major spoilers for Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story are below.

Trigger Warning: This episode references child sexual abuse.

On March 8, 1990, I receive an urgent call from my wife Laurel, begging me to return home immediately, as the police are there. Upon my arrival, detectives inform me they suspect I have audio recordings connected to the Menendez murders, which catches me off guard. The only individual who could’ve implicated me – aside from Lyle and Erik themselves – is Judalon. A brief flashback scene ensues, showing her in conversation with Detective Zoeller, disclosing her knowledge about the case.

Lyle, unsure about the situation, steps outside to scout a location for his new eatery, but then receives a warning call. He hands some cash to his companions, hinting that they may need to post bail for him if he ends up in jail.

Lyle and Erik are arrested

The detectives review the tapes which provide sufficient proof to apprehend the brothers. Upon this discovery, Lyle and his companions find themselves surrounded by law enforcement officers on the street, resulting in Lyle’s arrest. Erik, however, was abroad for a tennis tournament when this occurred. He receives word of his brother’s detainment via phone call and is instructed to return home. As soon as Erik steps off the plane back in the U.S., he too is taken into custody. Now, both brothers find themselves behind bars, understandably struggling to cope with their situation.

Erik and Lyle seek assistance from their family’s hired lawyer, Robert Shapiro, as Erik worries about his safety in prison. He refuses food and personal hygiene, opting only for milk. Meanwhile, Lyle endures bullying, with an inmate removing his wig, further upsetting him. To use the jail phone, they require dimes, a scarcity despite their wealth. This leads to an amusing sequence of Lyle attempting to acquire dimes from relatives and other prisoners.

Among the prisoners, one who often seemed to eye Erik started giving him coins without any reason, which left him puzzled. Later, Erik overheard this individual discussing how he showers late when no one else is around, and Erik decided to adopt a similar strategy. Consequently, they both ended up showering together at the same time, standing close to each other, exchanging glances. Despite the obvious tension, the man departed before any incident occurred, assuring Erik that they would cross paths again. At the same time, Lyle was seen weeping in his cell.

Erik and Lyle consult with their attorney, who urges them for a moment of clarity. Lyle is firm about acquiring his hair-fixative and self-tanner, fearing they won’t appear presentable during the trial. However, Shapiro warns them that the real issue at hand could be facing capital punishment if they’re convicted. If they wish to have any chance of demonstrating their innocence, they must devise a new tactic.

There’s something the brothers aren’t saying

In a different phrasing, during their conversation, Erik attempts to discuss events preceding the murders, but Lyle cuts him off. Later, when they’re strolling back to their cell on their own, Erik suggests if they confess about an unspecified matter, the jury may have sympathy for them. However, Lyle rejects the idea again, stating they will never discuss this particular topic. This conversation hints that the brothers might have experienced more domestic abuse than they’ve disclosed publicly.

The Menendez family dismisses Shapiro, who then informs them that the brothers’ account appears inconsistent and implausible to him. He suspects their guilt and advises the family that the jury is unlikely to accept their version of events unless they devise a different narrative.

In the gym within the prison walls, I find myself working out alongside a man who has been catching my attention – his name is Tony. Curiosity gets the better of him, and he inquires about my sexual orientation. I clarify that I’m not gay, but when he asks if I enjoy being with men, I admit to having a fondness for his company. There seems to be a hint that my sexuality has been a complicated matter for me.

Afterward, a search is conducted on Erik’s cell, during which guards discover a letter hidden under his bed from Lyle. It transpires that Lyle had devised elaborate escape plans, which he intended to convey through this letter to his brother. Unfortunately for Lyle, these actions land him in trouble, resulting in his transfer to a different cell block, thus leaving Erik on his own.

Meet the new criminal defense attorney

The narrative of the series slightly changes as we introduce fresh characters involved in the case. A couple visit an adoption agency; one of them is defense attorney Leslie Abramson (played by Ari Graynor), who yearns for another child. She crosses paths with a journalist from Vanity Fair at a restaurant called Dominick Dunne (portrayed by Nathan Lane), and it transpires they share a past. In separate discussions, Dominick expresses his conviction that the Menendez brothers are guilty and there’s nothing to save them, while Leslie views things more in shades of gray rather than absolute black and white.

Leslie receives a phone call from the Menendez clan, prompting her to pay them a visit. She shares with them an instance from her past where she defended a client who, in self-defense after enduring abuse, ended up killing his father. This act of violence, it seems, leaves them impressed, and they subsequently hire Leslie to take on the case of Erik.

Leslie arranges a get-together with Erik, during which she confides that she and Lyle have committed several errors since the tragic murders. She is convinced they are responsible, and suspects there’s a hidden motive behind their actions. Referencing a part of the letter Lyle wrote to Erik, where it states “We hold the keys to our family’s past secrets,” Leslie expresses her curiosity about this statement and arranges a meeting between Erik and a psychiatrist for further discussion.

In a different rendition: Erik visits a psychologist but prefers not to discuss heavy topics. The physician advises him that it’s futile if he refuses to reveal the events leading up to this, and Erik ultimately chooses to confess. He admits that he and Lyle were responsible for his parents’ death, yet there was a motive behind their actions. Following their consultation, the psychiatrist urgently heads to a public phone to contact Leslie. He hands her his records, and Leslie pays another visit to Erik.

Erik opens up

Erik admits to being sexually abused as a child, telling Leslie that his father started with Lyle first, but when he told him to stop, he moved on to him. Erik describes the way he tried to cope with the abuse, which seems to horrify Leslie. This is a major discovery for the case, and it’s upsetting to see Erik talk about it in such a matter-of-fact manner. Of course, it’s hard for him to talk about, but I don’t know if he understands just how incredibly horrible it all is — or that it could be used as a self-defense argument.

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2024-09-19 21:28