Seismic Shifts – The episode opens with Judalon Smyth (Leslie Grossman) taking the stand. Sitting at the defense table, Erik Menendez (Cooper Koch) and Lyle Menendez (Nicholas Alexander Chavez) turn to look at her as she enters the courtroom. She claims to have met Dr. Jerome Oziel (Dallas Roberts) while duplicating seminar tapes. He offered one-on-one therapy sessions. Leslie Abramson (Ari Graynor) asks if they had a sexual relationship. Judalon says it turned to rape and hypnotism. Prosecutor Pam Bozanich (Milana Vayntrub) yells out objection. Judge Weisberg (Ross Mackenzie) sustains the objection. Judalon continues to accuse Oziel of abuse and kidnapping until he intervenes. Jill Lansing (Jess Weixler) utilizes her hand to hide her smirk. Judalon alleges Oziel prescribed her Prozac and Xanax and forced her to take an AIDS test. Oziel never fulfilled his promise to divorce. She tells the court that he practiced after his license was suspended. Bozanich repeatedly calls for an objection. Ignoring her, Judalon continues to slander Oziel. Smiling, Lyle tells Erik that she will win the trial for them. Leslie hands Judalon an IOU for 500 sex acts. She claims to have been shocked when her answering machine recorded them having sex. Leslie plays their recordings for the jury. Judalon believes Oziel utilized Erik and Lyle to pull her back in. In a flashback, Judalon races over to Oziel’s office armed with her neighbor’s gun. Back in the present, she denies hearing Erik or Lyle threaten Oziel, only wishing him luck. Oziel was more concerned about Erik and Lyle’s $14m investment into his company, Auto Max than his safety

In a flashback, Oziel pushed Judalon to the ground, straddled her, crammed her prescription pills into her mouth, and ordered her to swallow. She wakes up in the hospital and overhears Oziel telling the doctor that she did it before. Later, Oziel warns her against leaving him. In the present, she tells the jury that Oziel forced her to believe that Erik was coming for her. She breaks down while talking about him raping her twice. Leslie asks if Oziel’s clients have ever brought accusations against him. Bozanich argues that the question is irrelevant to the case. Leslie says it’s important to know if Oziel was illegally dispensing prescription drugs. Raising his voice, Weisberg strikes the question from the record. When Judalon denies wanting children who looked like Oziel, the courtroom feels with laughter. Leslie says no further questions. Weisberg dismisses court. While looking at the lights flickering, Erik feels something odd. En route to the LA County Jail, Lyle rambles their $14m inheritance and the estate. Erik reminds him of their legal fees. Lyle assures him that there will be a movie made about them. Erik seems uninterested.

January 16, 1994, Erik, Lyle, and the other inmates are awakened by an earthquake. The tremors continue until the power goes out. Frantic, an inmate yells for the gates to be opened. Leslie calls the jail to ensure it is still standing. Tim Rutten (Michael Gladis) warns her that he smells gas. Getting no answers, she ends the call. She later meets up with Jill who tells her that Lyle and Erik are safe and Weisberg wants to relocate the trial to downtown. En route to court, Lyle tells Erik that it is okay to cry. Erik assures him that he is okay. In the courtroom, Erik takes the stand. He struggles with the microphone. Leslie urges him to move back from the microphone. Lyle describes Erik as looking like a psycho. Frustrated, Erik asks to go to the restroom. After a short recess, Erik is back on the stand. He breaks down sobbing while talking about Jose Menendez (Javier Bardem) molesting him. He tells the court that there were three types of molestation – knees, nice sex, and rough sex. Bozanich accuses Erik of lying about Kitty Menendez (Chloe Sevigny) and Jose. Erik says his testimony is the truth. She tricks him into admitting they tried to acquire a handgun from Big 5 in 1989. En route back to the jail, Lyle scolds Erik for his confession. Erik argues that it was the truth. Lyle says he looks like a psycho. Irate, Erik claims Lyle forced him to kill their parents. Shocked, Lyle reminds him of his “Billionaire Boys Club” obsession. Erik denies being gay and accuses him of shooting Jose in the head and Kitty in the face. Lyle calmly says they deserved it for what they did to them.

The doctor (Erin Coker) tells Tim and Leslie that the delivery went well. A nurse (Christin Corpuz) hands them a 7-1/2-pound baby boy. Leslie takes her son. In the yard, Lyle shows an inmate (Adam Dunnells) a photo of his girlfriend, Timber Dawn. As he reaches for her letters, an aftershock occurs. Erik is terrified in his cell. Lyle spots for another inmate (Johnny James Fiore). Back in court, Erik congratulates Leslie on her new son. She raves about his beauty but insists they focus on the trial. During the closing arguments, Leslie tells the jury that Erik and Lyle cannot be convicted of more than manslaughter. Marta Cano (Marlene Forte) previously testified that Lyle and Erik knew the $5m life insurance payout wouldn’t go to them. Leslie tries to convince the jury that Lyle and Erik wanted guns to protect themselves. She slams the 15-day handgun waiting period. Andy Cano (Nathen Gurrola), Erik’s cousin, testified that Erik told him about Jose massaging his penis and Cousin AI (Luke Matthew Simon) said Jose forced Lyle and Erik to shower together. Cousin Diane (Sarah Garofalo) said Lyle and Erik were forced to fight to see who would have to sleep with Kitty. Coach Wadlington (Jordan Matlock) described Jose as the worst parent he had ever met. Leslie understands why Erik and Lyle never trusted adults. She expresses her desire to see Erik a free man. Later, Lyle tries to assure Erik that two female jurors won’t find them guilty. Erik warns of a possible mistrial. Erik argues that the trial cost taxpayers millions.

Dominick Dunne (Nathan Lane) complains about the wait. An aftershock occurs. He claims Erik is terrified of earthquakes and spends all his time working on a sci-fi novel and painting while on suicide watch. He tells Carrie (Tanya Clarke) and Joe (Vince Duvall) about Erik’s girlfriend, Tammy. Elsewhere, Leslie is terrified of the aftershocks. Tim comforts her. Dominick describes Lyle as a genius on the witness stand. In a flashback, Judalon asks Dominick for Graydon Carter’s phone number. Joe suggests the jury will come back with a first-degree voluntary manslaughter charge. Back in the courtroom, Weisberg says the jury is deadlocked but refuses to declare a mistrial. Leslie blames the male jurors.

Six Months Later – The former female jurors discuss their maternal instincts and suggest the male jurors don’t believe boys are sexually abused. Tina talks to Erik from the jail. She says they don’t believe justice was done. He asks to speak to Leslie alone. Depressed, he says the media is no longer on their side and he is now receiving hate mail. As tears run down his face, he says it is over. She tries to assure him that they will win their case. He abruptly ends the call. Juror 5 tells Leslie that the male jurors disliked her. At the jail, Jill informs Lyle that they don’t have a legal fund. He promises to pay her before telling her that Norma is helping him write a book. She warns him that the recordings are the book. He refuses to believe her. She reads several quotes from the recording in which Lyle says he has been working on his crying. He admits to overreacting on the night they killed Kitty and Jose. Jill warns him against taking the stand because of the recordings. She promises to find him a good public defender for the second trial.

Leslie tries to convince Erik to say Lyle delivered the blows that killed Jose. He claims people detest her for not doing a good job. He yells at her to shut up and says she cannot help him. While cleaning the cell block, OJ Simpson’s (Trae Ireland) high-speed chase is being shown on the TV. He stops to watch. Later, OJ is put in a cell across from Erik’s. OJ recognizes his name and asks where is Lyle. Erik says in another wing. OJ boasts of his being released soon because he is innocent, and Nicole hit him. Erik warns him to not trust Robert Shapiro. OJ says the people love him. Erik suggests they will turn their attention to him and forget about him and Lyle. He urges him to consider a plea bargain as the episode ends.

 

Monsters The Lyle And Erik Menendez Story Review

Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan’s dramatization of the Menendez trial is a three-ring circus. More emphasis is placed on Judalon and Oziel’s strange relationship and Dominick Dunne than the Menendez murders.

From the beginning, the story has never flowed properly. Poor editing and directing are only part of what is wrong with this series.

Although the series is dragged out beyond belief, it lacks the key details that could have made it a worthwhile watch. In addition to providing more about the Menendez brothers, at least five of the available documentaries take a more serious approach.

There is no payoff for investing nine hours to watch this series. It is time wasted that could have been spent watching something much more entertaining. The episode deserves a 4 out of 10.

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