Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story episode 4 recap and review: “Kill or Be Killed”

As a long-time fan of true crime documentaries and dramas, I must say that this latest episode of “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” has truly captivated me. The intricate details unfolding the brothers’ past and the reasons behind their infamous actions have left me both shocked and saddened.

After understanding why Erik and Lyle took their parents’ lives in Netflix’s series Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, episode 4 delves into past conflicts and arguments within the family. Erik’s lawyer, Leslie, hears Lyle’s perspective, while we witness additional events that culminated in José and Kitty’s demise. The fourth episode is titled “Kill or Be Killed,” suggesting it reflects the brothers’ state of mind during the killings.

Major spoilers for Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story episode 4 are below.

Trigger Warning: This episode explicitly references child sexual abuse.

In the beginning of episode 4 of “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story“, there’s a brief scene showing Erik and Lyle encountering legal trouble due to past burglaries. The specific target of their theft and the reasons behind it remain unclear, but these details will be revealed later on.

Leslie talks to Lyle who reminisces about a burglary incident. He mentions that as part of their punishment, they both visited a psychologist, where they first met Dr. Oziel. Together with Lyle’s attorney, Leslie queries him about sexual abuse allegations, and surprisingly, he doesn’t deny them but admits to abusing Erik and being abused by their father. Although defensive, he expresses reluctance to tarnish his father’s image, claiming that his dad was a kind person and they shared a strong bond. This leaves Leslie puzzled as he can’t reconcile these actions with the murder of his father. Lyle explains that his father pushed him to excel in everything, and we are shown flashbacks illustrating this.

The story from Lyle’s perspective

Lyle reflects on instances where his father encouraged him during tennis matches and also struck him for subpar schoolwork. He exerted power over the women Lyle dated, and was fixated on getting Lyle into an Ivy League institution. This obsession reached a peak when Lyle was caught plagiarizing at Princeton, prompting his father to attempt to block the expulsion by citing the substantial amount of money they had paid the school. Despite his persistent protests, it was decided that Lyle would serve a one-year suspension. The family later relocated to California when Lyle’s father landed a prominent job, which coincided with Lyle beginning to lose his hair. He subsequently took on a position as a trainee in his father’s company and received assistance from him in addressing his hair loss.

Once, Erik and Craig display the pilfered cash to Lyle, explaining that since numerous families are on holiday, it’s more convenient than begging for funds from their father. The scene switches to them being apprehended by the police, who scrutinize all the stolen items. In the vehicle, their father scolds the brothers and informs them they’ve been disinherited.

Leslie inquires from Lyle why neither of the brothers ever disclosed the sexual abuse to Dr. Oziel, to which Lyle responds by stating he was unaware that his father continued abusing Erik. She persists with her questioning, asking why they didn’t reveal it to anyone. Lyle admits that he confided in his college roommate Donovan and his cousin as well. He proceeds to describe the start of the abuse, its nature, and how it progressed each year, starting when he was only six years old. When he shared his ordeal with his cousin, she attempted to inform Kitty. However, Lyle claims that either Kitty didn’t believe her or simply didn’t care. This is when Lyle started abusing Erik, and he expresses deep shame about this. He clarifies that he felt compelled to make his father’s actions seem normal, despite knowing they were not.

Years of abuse

When I turned eight, my father started abusing me, and I begged him to stop. To my confusion, he listened, but only because he shifted his attention to Erik. I confronted him numerous times about the abuse, and during our most recent encounter, I threatened to expose his actions. Despite this, he didn’t seem worried by me, instead telling me that we all make choices, and he’s made his. Leslie questions what he meant, but I think it’s clear – I believe he meant he would harm us.

At a gathering with colleagues, journalist Dominick shares his work-in-progress piece for Vanity Fair, creatively named “Nightmare on Elm Drive,” where the Menendez family resided. He confidently asserts to his companions that the murders were prearranged, backed by his reliable sources. Quickly, scenes show interviews with individuals such as Craig, Judalon, Peter, and even a prison guard. Dominick hints to his friends that the brothers didn’t kill their parents for monetary gain; instead, there seems to be something deeper at play, perhaps an emotion more intense than mere hate.

Leslie reads Dominick’s article, which makes her upset, so she goes to discuss it with Donovan. He’s hesitant about testifying, but Leslie explains that it might be unavoidable. Donovan then shares details of his relationship with Lyle at school and verifies that he told him about the abuse from his father. This conversation with Lyle took place four months before the murders occurred.

Kitty knew all along

In a subsequent conversation with Lyle, Leslie inquires about the reasons that ultimately prompted the siblings to act. A memory surfaces, depicting José angrily pounding on Erik’s door, and upon entering, he scolds his son for revealing the family secret to Lyle. “You’ve ruined our family,” he exclaims. In shock, Erik exits his room and encounters his mother, who confirms that she was aware of the situation all along. Her explanation for not intervening is that she desired to preserve the family unity. The brothers come to understand at this point that their mother would always stand by their father’s side, no matter what transpired.

Erik enters Lyle’s room to rouse him, revealing that their mother is aware of something serious, potentially leaving little time before their parents attempt to harm them. Lyle confides in Leslie about their mom’s affinity for firearms and a chilling remark she made to Erik suggesting she intended to take someone’s life. At first, they assumed she was referring to one of José’s lovers, but now they ponder if it was actually a threat against them. They share the belief that Kitty owned a handgun equipped with a silencer, leading them to purchase firearms just days before the tragic events unfolded.

During a reminiscence of that weekend, the brothers are taken aback as Kitty informs them that their Saturday fishing trip was rescheduled from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., causing them to speculate if their parents required darkness for some reason. On the boat, Lyle expresses his apologies to Erik for various reasons, and Erik reassures him it wasn’t his fault. Leaving the dock intact, they avoid their parents and decide to visit a shooting range instead to hone their skills.

Read More

• PSP PREDICTION. PSP cryptocurrency
• GBP MYR PREDICTION
• USD ISK PREDICTION
• UNIBOT PREDICTION. UNIBOT cryptocurrency
• JPY VND PREDICTION
• GENE PREDICTION. GENE cryptocurrency
• NFAI PREDICTION. NFAI cryptocurrency
• GNO PREDICTION. GNO cryptocurrency
• CWAR PREDICTION. CWAR cryptocurrency
• EUR HUF PREDICTION

2024-09-20 00:28