‘Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story’ Rules Netflix, but Ryan Murphy’s Anthology May Be Losing Its Bite

Ryan Murphy’s true crime franchise is back in the spotlight with ‘Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story,’ the 4th chapter of Netflix’s divisive anthology series. Ella Beatty stars as the legendary figure who was acquitted of murdering her father and stepmother with an axe, and the season follows the franchise’s familiar mix of history and heavy dramatization.

The new season started strong. The show pulled in 12.1 million views for the week of September 14 to 20, enough to take first place on Netflix’s Top 10 Shows list, even though all 8 episodes didn’t arrive until September 17. That opening was about level with ‘Monster: The Ed Gein Story,’ which also debuted with 12.2 million views, and just behind the 12.3 million posted by ‘Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story’.

Week 2 looked even better on the surface. Viewership for the anthology’s latest season rose 20% from its premiere week to reach 14.5 million views, and the series held No. 1 on the Global Top 10 English list while ranking in the top 10 in 92 countries, up from 89 in its first week. It also claimed the top spot in 36 countries, compared with 16 in week 1.

There is a catch hiding in those strong numbers. In its latest Top 10 analysis, What’s on Netflix pointed out that the Lizzie Borden season is now running behind every earlier installment of the franchise, despite leading the chart for a second week.

The outlet’s week-by-week comparison shows how wide the gap has become. ‘Dahmer’ went from 22 million views in week 1 to 33.6 million in week 2, while ‘Monster: The Ed Gein Story’ climbed from 12.2 million to 20.7 million. ‘Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story’ rose from 12.3 million to 19.5 million, which leaves the Borden season’s 14.5 million well behind the pack.

Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story holds the #1 spot on Netflix this week with 14.5M views! 🪓📉 BUT despite the massive numbers, the Ryan Murphy anthology is starting to show signs of viewership fatigue, trailing behind Dahmer, Menendez, and Ed Gein. https://t.co/Nq8eVlnnji

— What’s on Netflix (@whatonnetflix) September 29, 2026

In total, the new season has collected 26.6 million views across its first 2 weeks, with 95.9 million hours watched in week 2 alone. That is a solid result for almost any other show, but next to its own franchise, the second-week bump looks modest rather than explosive.

The reviews may help explain the slower momentum. The season holds a Metacritic score of 47 based on 15 critics’ reviews, indicating mixed or average reception, while Metacritic audiences rated it 4.2 out of 10 as of September 22.

Critics have pointed to the strained connection drawn between Borden and Wuornos and a lack of nuance, while others have praised the season’s comic tone, acting, and visual style. For a franchise that has often been criticized for taking liberties with real cases, that split reaction is not new.

Watch the all-new trailer for 'Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story.'

Ryan Murphy’s anthology series premieres September 17 on Netflix. pic.twitter.com/dCITShdjjf

— Rotten Tomatoes 🍅 (@RottenTomatoes) August 20, 2026

Even with signs of fatigue, the Monster brand is still a major asset for Netflix. Variety reported that Netflix puts the franchise’s combined audience at nearly 170 million views across its seasons, which few streaming properties can match.

The Borden season has also been a hit beyond the show itself. Its opening-credits theme by Brandy has earned more than 1.3 million streams globally across all streaming platforms. Netflix has also treated ‘Monster’ as a renewable resource by greenlighting new installments before earlier ones aired, and the Borden season’s quick chart win makes a 5th chapter feel close to inevitable, even without an announcement.

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