Monster: The Ed Gein Story
Updated: 5/20/2026, 7:17:00 PM Wikipedia source
Monster: The Ed Gein Story is the third season of the American biographical crime drama anthology television series Monster, created by Ian Brennan for Netflix. The season focuses on convicted murderer, graverobber, and suspected serial killer Ed Gein, portrayed by Charlie Hunnam. The cast also includes Suzanna Son, Vicky Krieps, Laurie Metcalf, and Tom Hollander. The season incorporates meta commentary on the cultural obsession with true crime, exploring Gein's influence on Hollywood and pop culture. It is the third installment in the Monster anthology series, following Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story (2022) and Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story (2024). A season based on Ed Gein was announced to be in development on September 14, 2024. It is the first season not helmed by Murphy, with Brennan serving as the sole creator and writer. Upon its premiere on October 3, 2025, the season received negative reviews and was deemed inferior to its predecessors, with critics panning its meta commentary, subplots, runtime, excessive graphic violence, and factual inaccuracies. While critical responses to Hunnam's performance were divided, he ultimately received nominations for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film, the Actors Award for Outstanding Actor in a Miniseries or Movie, and the Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Actor in a Movie/Miniseries. A fourth season, based on parricide suspect Lizzie Borden, is currently in production.
Infobox
Showrunner
Ian Brennan
Starring
Charlie Hunnam Suzanna Son Vicky Krieps Laurie Metcalf Tom Hollander
No. of episodes
8
Original network
Netflix
Original release
October 3, 2025 (2025-10-03)
Tables
· Episodes
20
20
No.
overall
20
No. in
season
1
Title
"Mother!"
Directed by
Max Winkler
Written by
Ian Brennan
Original release date
October 3, 2025 (2025-10-03)
In 1944, Ed Gein lives on an isolated farm in Plainfield, Wisconsin, with his heavily religious mother Augusta, who condemns unmarried women as Jezebels. Despite that, Ed has a girlfriend in town, Adeline Watkins. She shows him photos of Holocaust victims and Ilse Koch, "the Bitch of Buchenwald", with whom Ed becomes obsessed. When his brother anno
In 1944, Ed Gein lives on an isolated farm in Plainfield, Wisconsin, with his heavily religious mother Augusta, who condemns unmarried women as Jezebels. Despite that, Ed has a girlfriend in town, Adeline Watkins. She shows him photos of Holocaust victims and Ilse Koch, "the Bitch of Buchenwald", with whom Ed becomes obsessed. When his brother anno
No.
overall
In 1944, Ed Gein lives on an isolated farm in Plainfield, Wisconsin, with his heavily religious mother Augusta, who condemns unmarried women as Jezebels. Despite that, Ed has a girlfriend in town, Adeline Watkins. She shows him photos of Holocaust victims and Ilse Koch, "the Bitch of Buchenwald", with whom Ed becomes obsessed. When his brother anno
21
21
No.
overall
21
No. in
season
2
Title
"Sick as Your Secrets"
Directed by
Max Winkler
Written by
Ian Brennan
Original release date
October 3, 2025 (2025-10-03)
Inspired by Koch who has turned the skin of concentration camp inmates into objects, Ed attempts the same. After a date with Adeline, he takes her home to show her a bowl made of a skull, where she also sees a chair upholstered with skin around a nipple. He introduces her to his "mother", the corpse sitting in a chair turned with the back to them.
Inspired by Koch who has turned the skin of concentration camp inmates into objects, Ed attempts the same. After a date with Adeline, he takes her home to show her a bowl made of a skull, where she also sees a chair upholstered with skin around a nipple. He introduces her to his "mother", the corpse sitting in a chair turned with the back to them.
No.
overall
Inspired by Koch who has turned the skin of concentration camp inmates into objects, Ed attempts the same. After a date with Adeline, he takes her home to show her a bowl made of a skull, where she also sees a chair upholstered with skin around a nipple. He introduces her to his "mother", the corpse sitting in a chair turned with the back to them.
22
22
No.
overall
22
No. in
season
3
Title
"The Babysitter"
Directed by
Max Winkler
Written by
Ian Brennan
Original release date
October 3, 2025 (2025-10-03)
Ed gets questioned by the Sheriff about when he last has seen Mary. After Adeline shows him photos of Christine Jorgensen, a trans woman who has undergone gender-affirming surgery, Ed snatches a ring from a corpse and taking Adeline to the graveyard at night proposes, which she accepts. When she initiates sex, he stops because according to his moth
Ed gets questioned by the Sheriff about when he last has seen Mary. After Adeline shows him photos of Christine Jorgensen, a trans woman who has undergone gender-affirming surgery, Ed snatches a ring from a corpse and taking Adeline to the graveyard at night proposes, which she accepts. When she initiates sex, he stops because according to his moth
No.
overall
Ed gets questioned by the Sheriff about when he last has seen Mary. After Adeline shows him photos of Christine Jorgensen, a trans woman who has undergone gender-affirming surgery, Ed snatches a ring from a corpse and taking Adeline to the graveyard at night proposes, which she accepts. When she initiates sex, he stops because according to his moth
23
23
No.
overall
23
No. in
season
4
Title
"Green"
Directed by
Ian Brennan
Written by
Ian Brennan
Original release date
October 3, 2025 (2025-10-03)
While Ed prepares Evelyn's body, Adeline discovers the corpse in the chair and runs back to her own home. There, she confronts him about the corpse and that he takes her underwear to wear it. He explains the corpse; she finds it macabre but is fascinated. At a hardware store, Ed sees the owner Bernice Worden crying and takes her out to a date. At h
While Ed prepares Evelyn's body, Adeline discovers the corpse in the chair and runs back to her own home. There, she confronts him about the corpse and that he takes her underwear to wear it. He explains the corpse; she finds it macabre but is fascinated. At a hardware store, Ed sees the owner Bernice Worden crying and takes her out to a date. At h
No.
overall
While Ed prepares Evelyn's body, Adeline discovers the corpse in the chair and runs back to her own home. There, she confronts him about the corpse and that he takes her underwear to wear it. He explains the corpse; she finds it macabre but is fascinated. At a hardware store, Ed sees the owner Bernice Worden crying and takes her out to a date. At h
24
24
No.
overall
24
No. in
season
5
Title
"Ice"
Directed by
Ian Brennan
Written by
Ian Brennan
Original release date
October 3, 2025 (2025-10-03)
Adeline begins an affair with a local farmhand, while refusing sex to Ed who wants to start a family. She plans to leave Wisconsin for New York City to pursue a photography career. Pressured by her mother to marry, she attends homemaking classes, hosted by Mrs. Eleanor Adams. Adeline mocks the women's conformity and later appears at Mrs. Adams's fu
Adeline begins an affair with a local farmhand, while refusing sex to Ed who wants to start a family. She plans to leave Wisconsin for New York City to pursue a photography career. Pressured by her mother to marry, she attends homemaking classes, hosted by Mrs. Eleanor Adams. Adeline mocks the women's conformity and later appears at Mrs. Adams's fu
No.
overall
Adeline begins an affair with a local farmhand, while refusing sex to Ed who wants to start a family. She plans to leave Wisconsin for New York City to pursue a photography career. Pressured by her mother to marry, she attends homemaking classes, hosted by Mrs. Eleanor Adams. Adeline mocks the women's conformity and later appears at Mrs. Adams's fu
25
25
No.
overall
25
No. in
season
6
Title
"Buxom Bird"
Directed by
Max Winkler
Written by
Ian Brennan
Original release date
October 3, 2025 (2025-10-03)
Sheriff Arthur Schley and his deputy Frank Worden, Bernice's son, who previously had asked his mother to host a Thanksgiving dinner, arrive at her hardware store, discovering bloodstains and a gift box addressed to Ed. At Ed's farmhouse they find the building in disarray, littered with human remains, and a human heart boiling on the stove. While Sc
Sheriff Arthur Schley and his deputy Frank Worden, Bernice's son, who previously had asked his mother to host a Thanksgiving dinner, arrive at her hardware store, discovering bloodstains and a gift box addressed to Ed. At Ed's farmhouse they find the building in disarray, littered with human remains, and a human heart boiling on the stove. While Sc
No.
overall
Sheriff Arthur Schley and his deputy Frank Worden, Bernice's son, who previously had asked his mother to host a Thanksgiving dinner, arrive at her hardware store, discovering bloodstains and a gift box addressed to Ed. At Ed's farmhouse they find the building in disarray, littered with human remains, and a human heart boiling on the stove. While Sc
26
26
No.
overall
26
No. in
season
7
Title
"Ham Radio"
Directed by
Max Winkler
Written by
Ian Brennan
Original release date
October 3, 2025 (2025-10-03)
In 1958, Frank Worden drinks to cope with Bernice's death and turns the Gein estate into an attraction, planning to auction the property as the only way to obtain compensation money. Days before the sale, Ed's house burns down, leaving only his car, which Adeline sells at auction. Now institutionalized, Ed receives $300 in proceeds and asks Nurse S
In 1958, Frank Worden drinks to cope with Bernice's death and turns the Gein estate into an attraction, planning to auction the property as the only way to obtain compensation money. Days before the sale, Ed's house burns down, leaving only his car, which Adeline sells at auction. Now institutionalized, Ed receives $300 in proceeds and asks Nurse S
No.
overall
In 1958, Frank Worden drinks to cope with Bernice's death and turns the Gein estate into an attraction, planning to auction the property as the only way to obtain compensation money. Days before the sale, Ed's house burns down, leaving only his car, which Adeline sells at auction. Now institutionalized, Ed receives $300 in proceeds and asks Nurse S
27
27
No.
overall
27
No. in
season
8
Title
"The Godfather"
Directed by
Max Winkler
Written by
Ian Brennan
Original release date
October 3, 2025 (2025-10-03)
In the 1970s, Ted Bundy abducts, sexually assaults and kills his victims, cutting off their heads. FBI special agents Robert Ressler and John E. Douglas interview serial killers like Jerry Brudos for offender profiling and Ed, after many have expressed admiration for him. He theorizes that Bundy seeks his mother in his victims and advises them on t
In the 1970s, Ted Bundy abducts, sexually assaults and kills his victims, cutting off their heads. FBI special agents Robert Ressler and John E. Douglas interview serial killers like Jerry Brudos for offender profiling and Ed, after many have expressed admiration for him. He theorizes that Bundy seeks his mother in his victims and advises them on t
No.
overall
In the 1970s, Ted Bundy abducts, sexually assaults and kills his victims, cutting off their heads. FBI special agents Robert Ressler and John E. Douglas interview serial killers like Jerry Brudos for offender profiling and Ed, after many have expressed admiration for him. He theorizes that Bundy seeks his mother in his victims and advises them on t
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | |
| 20 | 1 | "Mother!" | Max Winkler | Ian Brennan | October 3, 2025 (2025-10-03) | |
| In 1944, Ed Gein lives on an isolated farm in Plainfield, Wisconsin, with his heavily religious mother Augusta, who condemns unmarried women as Jezebels. Despite that, Ed has a girlfriend in town, Adeline Watkins. She shows him photos of Holocaust victims and Ilse Koch, "the Bitch of Buchenwald", with whom Ed becomes obsessed. When his brother anno | ||||||
| 21 | 2 | "Sick as Your Secrets" | Max Winkler | Ian Brennan | October 3, 2025 (2025-10-03) | |
| Inspired by Koch who has turned the skin of concentration camp inmates into objects, Ed attempts the same. After a date with Adeline, he takes her home to show her a bowl made of a skull, where she also sees a chair upholstered with skin around a nipple. He introduces her to his "mother", the corpse sitting in a chair turned with the back to them. | ||||||
| 22 | 3 | "The Babysitter" | Max Winkler | Ian Brennan | October 3, 2025 (2025-10-03) | |
| Ed gets questioned by the Sheriff about when he last has seen Mary. After Adeline shows him photos of Christine Jorgensen, a trans woman who has undergone gender-affirming surgery, Ed snatches a ring from a corpse and taking Adeline to the graveyard at night proposes, which she accepts. When she initiates sex, he stops because according to his moth | ||||||
| 23 | 4 | "Green" | Ian Brennan | Ian Brennan | October 3, 2025 (2025-10-03) | |
| While Ed prepares Evelyn's body, Adeline discovers the corpse in the chair and runs back to her own home. There, she confronts him about the corpse and that he takes her underwear to wear it. He explains the corpse; she finds it macabre but is fascinated. At a hardware store, Ed sees the owner Bernice Worden crying and takes her out to a date. At h | ||||||
| 24 | 5 | "Ice" | Ian Brennan | Ian Brennan | October 3, 2025 (2025-10-03) | |
| Adeline begins an affair with a local farmhand, while refusing sex to Ed who wants to start a family. She plans to leave Wisconsin for New York City to pursue a photography career. Pressured by her mother to marry, she attends homemaking classes, hosted by Mrs. Eleanor Adams. Adeline mocks the women's conformity and later appears at Mrs. Adams's fu | ||||||
| 25 | 6 | "Buxom Bird" | Max Winkler | Ian Brennan | October 3, 2025 (2025-10-03) | |
| Sheriff Arthur Schley and his deputy Frank Worden, Bernice's son, who previously had asked his mother to host a Thanksgiving dinner, arrive at her hardware store, discovering bloodstains and a gift box addressed to Ed. At Ed's farmhouse they find the building in disarray, littered with human remains, and a human heart boiling on the stove. While Sc | ||||||
| 26 | 7 | "Ham Radio" | Max Winkler | Ian Brennan | October 3, 2025 (2025-10-03) | |
| In 1958, Frank Worden drinks to cope with Bernice's death and turns the Gein estate into an attraction, planning to auction the property as the only way to obtain compensation money. Days before the sale, Ed's house burns down, leaving only his car, which Adeline sells at auction. Now institutionalized, Ed receives $300 in proceeds and asks Nurse S | ||||||
| 27 | 8 | "The Godfather" | Max Winkler | Ian Brennan | October 3, 2025 (2025-10-03) | |
| In the 1970s, Ted Bundy abducts, sexually assaults and kills his victims, cutting off their heads. FBI special agents Robert Ressler and John E. Douglas interview serial killers like Jerry Brudos for offender profiling and Ed, after many have expressed admiration for him. He theorizes that Bundy seeks his mother in his victims and advises them on t | ||||||
· Reception › Accolades
Critics' Choice Awards
Critics' Choice Awards
Award
Critics' Choice Awards
Date of ceremony
January 4, 2026
Category
Best Actor in a Movie/Miniseries
Recipient(s)
Charlie Hunnam
Result
Nominated
Golden Globe Awards
Golden Globe Awards
Award
Golden Globe Awards
Date of ceremony
January 11, 2026
Category
Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film
Recipient(s)
Nominated
Actor Awards
Actor Awards
Award
Actor Awards
Date of ceremony
March 1, 2026
Category
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie
Recipient(s)
Nominated
Art Directors Guild Awards
Art Directors Guild Awards
Award
Art Directors Guild Awards
Date of ceremony
February 28, 2026
Category
Excellence in Production Design for a Television Movie or Limited Series
Recipient(s)
Matthew Flood Ferguson
Result
Won
Make-Up Artists & Hair Stylists Guild
Make-Up Artists & Hair Stylists Guild
Award
Make-Up Artists & Hair Stylists Guild
Date of ceremony
February 14, 2026
Category
Best Period and/or Character Make-Up in a Television Series, Television Limited or Miniseries or Television New Media Series
Recipient(s)
Corey Castellano, Heather Koontz
Result
Nominated
Best Period and/or Character Hairstyling in a Television Series, Television Limited or Miniseries or Television New Media Series
Best Period and/or Character Hairstyling in a Television Series, Television Limited or Miniseries or Television New Media Series
Award
Best Period and/or Character Hairstyling in a Television Series, Television Limited or Miniseries or Television New Media Series
Date of ceremony
Barry Lee Moe, Erica Adams, George Guzman, Michele Arvizo, Randy Wilder
Category
Nominated
Best Special Makeup Effects in Television, Limited/Miniseries, or New Media Series
Best Special Makeup Effects in Television, Limited/Miniseries, or New Media Series
Award
Best Special Makeup Effects in Television, Limited/Miniseries, or New Media Series
Date of ceremony
Corey Castellano, Mark Nieman, David Leroy Anderson, David Snyder
Category
Nominated
American Society of Cinematographers Awards
American Society of Cinematographers Awards
Award
American Society of Cinematographers Awards
Date of ceremony
March 8, 2026
Category
Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Motion Picture, Limited Series, or Pilot Made for Television
Recipient(s)
Michael Bauman
(for "Buxum Bird")
Result
Nominated
Satellite Awards
Satellite Awards
Award
Satellite Awards
Date of ceremony
March 8, 2026
Category
Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film
Recipient(s)
Charlie Hunnam
Result
Nominated
| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
| Critics' Choice Awards | January 4, 2026 | Best Actor in a Movie/Miniseries | Charlie Hunnam | Nominated | |
| Golden Globe Awards | January 11, 2026 | Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film | Nominated | ||
| Actor Awards | March 1, 2026 | Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Miniseries or Television Movie | Nominated | ||
| Art Directors Guild Awards | February 28, 2026 | Excellence in Production Design for a Television Movie or Limited Series | Matthew Flood Ferguson | Won | |
| Make-Up Artists & Hair Stylists Guild | February 14, 2026 | Best Period and/or Character Make-Up in a Television Series, Television Limited or Miniseries or Television New Media Series | Corey Castellano, Heather Koontz | Nominated | |
| Best Period and/or Character Hairstyling in a Television Series, Television Limited or Miniseries or Television New Media Series | Barry Lee Moe, Erica Adams, George Guzman, Michele Arvizo, Randy Wilder | Nominated | |||
| Best Special Makeup Effects in Television, Limited/Miniseries, or New Media Series | Corey Castellano, Mark Nieman, David Leroy Anderson, David Snyder | Nominated | |||
| American Society of Cinematographers Awards | March 8, 2026 | Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Motion Picture, Limited Series, or Pilot Made for Television | Michael Bauman (for "Buxum Bird") | Nominated | |
| Satellite Awards | March 8, 2026 | Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film | Charlie Hunnam | Nominated |
References
- Varietyhttps://variety.com/2024/tv/news/monster-season-3-charlie-hunnam-ed-gein-1236147000/
- TVLinehttps://tvline.com/casting-news/monster-season-3-cast-charlie-hunnam-ed-gein-netflix-1235331518/
- Varietyhttps://variety.com/2025/tv/news/monster-the-ed-gein-story-netflix-release-date-first-look-1236499019/
- Colliderhttps://collider.com/ryan-murphy-monster-season-3-ed-gein-explained/
- Varietyhttps://variety.com/2024/tv/news/monster-season-3-cast-laurie-metcalf-tom-hollander-olivia-williams-1236178705/
- Monsterhttps://deadline.com/2025/02/monster-season-3-suzanna-son-netflix-ryan-murphy-1236293633/
- Netflix Tudumhttps://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/monster-the-ed-gein-story-release-date-cast-news
- ScreenRanthttps://screenrant.com/monster-season-3-title-halloween-filming-start-date-ryan-murphy-confirmed/
- Peoplehttps://people.com/monster-season-3-everything-to-know-8749678
- Reel Chicago Newshttps://reelchicago.com/article/third-season-of-netflix-monster-anthology-series-to-begin-filming-in-chicago/
- TheWraphttps://www.thewrap.com/monster-the-ed-gein-story-ratings-viewership-netflix/
- Deadlinehttps://deadline.com/2025/10/boots-ratings-pentagon-netflix-perfect-neighbor-diplomat-1236593436/
- Netflixhttps://www.netflix.com/tudum/top10/tv?week=2025-11-02
- Rotten Tomatoeshttps://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/monster_2022/s03
- Metacritichttps://www.metacritic.com/tv/monster-2022/season-3/
- Varietyhttps://variety.com/2025/tv/reviews/netflix-monster-the-ed-gein-story-review-graphic-unfocused-1236538063/
- The Hollywood Reporterhttps://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/monster-the-ed-gein-story-review-charlie-hunnam-netflix-1236393105/
- The Agehttps://www.theage.com.au/culture/tv-and-radio/worse-than-trash-this-netflix-true-crime-drama-is-repellent-20251005-p5n03u.html
- Vulturehttps://www.vulture.com/article/monster-ed-gein-story-ending-too-far-explained.html
- RogerEberthttps://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/monster-the-ed-gein-story-tv-review-2025