Blame It On The Rain – The episode opens with Erik Menendez (Cooper Koch) and Lyle Menendez (Nicholas Alexander Chavez) in a limo en route to their parents’ memorial. Lyle points out another TCBY and expresses his desire to have a Mr. Buffalo across from every TCBY. He assures Erik that they will be rolling in money before getting frustrated and ordering the chauffeur (Kamy D. Bruder) to switch to KIIS-FM. Erik urges him to relax. Calmer, Lyle says music will be a big part of the Mr. Buffalo experience. Seeing Lyle wearing Jose Menendez’s (Javier Bardem), Erik breaks down sobbing. Lyle comforts him and assures him that they would be proud of them. He demands the chauffeur pull over and if necessary run over the people. When Erik and Lyle emerge from the limo, they are greeted by the media. Peter Hoffman (Jeff Perry) is none too thrilled when they don’t enter through the loading dock. Mistaking Lyle for Erik, a CBS 2 reporter (Leanne Suter) asks if Jose and Kitty Menendez (Chloe Sevigny) were murdered by the mafia. Lyle says they aren’t sure. A KTLA reporter (Jake Reiner) asks if they are concerned about the mafia. Looking at the camera, he dares the mafia to come after them. Peter insists on 24-7 security for them. When everyone is seated, Mara Casey (Marzi Eisenberg) voices concern about Erik doing the eulogy. Lyle assures her that Erik is a great actor. Erik recalls how his mother treated birds that collided with their front window. He weeps throughout his eulogy. Marta Cano (Marlene Forte) expresses pity for Erik and Lyle. Lyle is much calmer and honors his parents with “Girl I’m Gonna Miss You” by Milli Vanilli. The attendees can be seen whispering throughout the song.

1989 – Erik forces himself to endure a strenuous workout. He breaks down sobbing in the shower. While eating, he watches the news. Detective Les Zoeller (Jason Butler Harner) vows to find Jose and Kitty’s killer and see that they get the death penalty. Imagining he hears gunfire, Erik goes to the den. While looking around, he hears a woman screaming. He places a gun under his chin and fires. He suddenly wakes up on the sofa. Erik calls Dr. Jerome Oziel (Dallas Roberts) to request his last appointment to ensure no one sees him. Oziel reluctantly agrees to see him at 4pm. Upon leaving, Erik jumps when he encounters Lyle and Jamie Pisarcik (Jade Pettyjohn). Lyle teases him about his reaction. Erik tells them that he has some things to do. Lyle says they bought Halloween candy for the kids. Oziel is rehearsing when he arrives in the lobby. Erik admits to feeling suicidal and asks if their therapy session is kept confidential. As Oziel starts to explain the laws, Erik suggests they go for a walk. While walking around, Erik describes his nightmares of his parents’ murder in great detail. He is there when they are repeatedly shot and his mother refuses to die immediately. Oziel why he wants to take his own life.

A Yoda trick-or-treater (Jaja Carral) asks Lyle what he is supposed to be. Lyle says he is Tom Cruise from Cocktail. A cowboy trick-or-treater (Ethan Bell) asks if the parents got shot there. Getting eye level with the boy, Lyle threatens to shove a candy bar up his butt if he doesn’t leave. The boy runs away. Back at the therapy session, Erik boasts of Jose’s accomplishments and considers writing a memoir of him. He claims Jose was hard on them because he wanted them to be president someday. Distraught, he says they killed their parents. Back in his office, Oziel asks Kyle to describe in detail what happened. After confirming there are no recording devices, Erik claims to have gotten the idea from the Billionaire Boys Club film. In a flashback, Lyle walks in while Erik is watching the movie. From there, they plan how to eliminate the controlling force in their lives. Erik wanted to get on with it but Lyle insisted on planning it out. They eventually agreed to execute their plan on the weekend when there were no servants in the house. Back in the present, Oziel explains the commonality of parricide and familicide before trying to get a motive out of Erik. In a flashback, Jose becomes irate when Erik loses a tennis match. He tosses his tennis racket over the fence and fires his coach (Max Hawksford) whom he paid $25k. Jose blows up at Erik on several occasions. Back in the present, Erik tells Oziel that Jose’s affair drove Kitty to drug addiction and made her suicidal. He felt her life held no value and they put her out of her misery.

Erik recalls Princeton expelled Lyle for plagiarism. During an intense argument, Lyle dares Jose to hit him. In another argument, Kitty and Jose refuse to let Lyle marry his girlfriend because he is 20. Lyle reminds them that they got married young. Irate, Kitty sarcastically says look at her happy marriage before jerking the toupee from his scalp. Lyle breaks down sobbing. Jose kisses his injured scalp. Lyle grabs his toupee and leaves. Erik goes to find Lyle and demands to know why no one told him about the toupee. Lyle says Jamie has no idea and starts to batter the toupee. Back in the present, Erik says it was difficult to see Lyle who he idolized in such a vulnerable state. In a flashback, Lyle claims Jose forces him to wear a toupee. Back in the present, Erik says from that moment on, he would choose Lyle over his parents. The deal to kill their parents was sealed and they go gun shopping. In a flashback, the gun store clerk (Lorraine Lerner) informs them of the two-week waiting period which she attributes to Jerry Brown. At an Orange County gun shop, an old man (Jim Cody Williams) refuses to sell them a gun because Lyle’s driver’s license is expired. The Big 5 clerk (Sarah Summers) accepts Erik’s fake driver’s license and they walk away with two guns.

On Sunday, an anxious Erik and Lyle pull into their parents’ driveway. With their guns loaded, they enter the house, barge into the den, and repeatedly shoot Jose before turning their guns on Kitty. After reloading his gun, Lyle returns to the house. Erik hears a gunshot from outside the house. He goes back in and helps Lyle collect the spent shells. A short time later, they clean up and change clothes. They drive out to a secluded area. Lyle waits beside the car while Erik buries the guns. At an AMC, the clerk (Shelby Lee Parks) refuses to sell them tickets for the 9:50pm showing of Batman. They purchase two tickets for the 10:55pm showing but decide to go to Taste of L.A. instead. When Perry doesn’t show up, Erik suggests they leave. Lyle insists they make themselves seen before attracting the wine rep’s attention (Ashley Sutton). They later return home and contact the police, pretending to be hysterical about Jose and Kitty’s murder. Back in the present, Erik gets frustrated because the therapy session didn’t make him feel better. He convinces Oziel to say he isn’t a bad person. Distraught, Erik says the nightmares of his parents’ murder won’t stop until he takes his own life. He imagines shooting himself in a car and a restaurant. After an argument with a trick-or-treater (Grayson Thorne Kilpatrick), Lyle returns to the house. He receives a call from Oziel asking him to come to his office because Erik has told him everything. Irate, Lyle demands to speak to Erik but Oziel refuses. When the call ends, Oziel utilizes an excuse to call Judalon Smyth (Leslie Grossman) who is still upset over their recent split. He says Erik confessed and Lyle will be there soon.

While stopped at a red light, Lyle imagines seeing him and Erik holding an injured Kitty and Jose at gunpoint as they cross the street. He speeds through the red light. Judalon is in the lobby when Lyle arrives. Impatient, he barges into Oziel’s office. He tries to keep up the façade but Erik says they killed their parents. While eavesdropping, Judalon hits the doorknob. Lyle opens the door as she is leaving. Oziel denies knowing her and ensures him that the office is soundproof. Lyle blurts out that they killed their parents. Fearing he is armed, Oziel says their confessions are confidential. Lyle accuses Erik of making it up. Erik argues that it is true. Lyle removes a Snickers from his pocket, takes a bite, and tosses it on the floor. He suggests they would kill Oziel as well. Oziel says they tell him everything and if they are caught, he can tell the court that they were afraid of their controlling father. Lyle refuses to talk and he and Erik leave. Finding a parking ticket attached to his windshield, Lyle wads it up and tosses it on the ground. Erik apologizes. Lyle assures him that it is all right but they will need to kill Oziel. The episode ends.

 

Monsters The Lyle And Erik Menendez Story Review

So far, the series has brought nothing new to the table. The Menendez case has been scoured through time and time again. If new evidence was found, it would have been revealed in previous publications. It’s doubtful any researcher would sit on anything that could push the case back into the headlines.

The murder scene matched the crime scene photos fairly well. However, the CGI recreation of the shooting was over-the-top. One shot removes Kitty’s finger down to the proximal phalange. The awe factor just wasn’t there. If anything, it was cringeworthy and of poor taste.

Nicholas Alexander Chavez and Cooper Koch’s performances are outstanding but their chemistry is awkward at best. It’s worth mentioning that Jose was a Cuban immigrant. His character is played by Javier Bardem, a Spaniard.

Like every murder duo, one is violent and the other is the follower. The series appears to be a push for Lyle and Erik’s freedom, the nudity included.

The episode deserves a 5 out of 10. Get more of Monsters the Lyle and Erik Menendez Story recaps here. Join our newly established forum to see what others are saying. Support our site by donating. Learn about our advertising packages here.