With the release of the latest chapter in Ryan Murphy’s Monster series on Netflix today (17 September), attention will now be turning to a potential further season of the show. The anthology’s newest instalment focuses on Lizzie Borden (Ella Beatty), who was tried and acquitted of the murder of her father and stepmother in 1892.
The story follows the “gruesome unsolved murders” that “don’t just shock the world” but “give birth to an icon who refuses to live imprisoned in a cage, choosing instead to forge her own legend: shocking, monstrous, and gloriously free”, according to the synopsis.
Alongside Beatty, the new season features Vicky Krieps, Rebecca Hall, Billie Lourd, Jessica Barden, and Charlie Hunnam – the latter of whom is back after playing Ed Gein last season.
Netflix
Related: Best streaming services
Following on from season four, many will be wondering where the show – each season of which focuses on a different real-life homicide case – will go next… that’s if it is renewed.
As things stand, Netflix hasn’t officially confirmed whether season five will go ahead, or who the subject will be.
We’ve already speculated over some potential cases, including those of Andrei Chikatilo, Kenneth Bianchi and Angelo Buono Jr, ‘The Golden State Killer’ Joseph DeAngelo, the ‘Double Initial Killer’ Joseph Naso, and the ‘BTK’ killer Dennis Rader.
Showrunner Ian Brennan has talked of the potential of tackling the case of Rader, telling People recently: “We’ve talked about BTK (Dennis Rader). [He] is a fascinating one…,” before suggesting: “Ted Bundy, Green River Killer… We’ve toyed with Luigi Mangione, who is fascinating.”
Netflix
Related: Monster: Lizzie Borden true story explained – what’s real and what’s not?
Admitting there are a “million” to choose from, he added: “It’s all tricky because most murderers just aren’t that interesting. It’s horrific, and you don’t want to watch it.
“That’s what’s so tricky about the show is finding a subject matter that you can spend 10 hours with. It’s one thing to watch a movie about something, to spend 90 minutes in the head of someone, but six or seven hours is a whole other thing.”
Further explaining that they want to choose subjects that make viewers “lean in”, Brennan shared: “That’s the most curious part of this process is trying to land on something that Ryan [Murphy] and I both find worth the effort and worth the time.
“It’s so interesting how few stories really fit this anthology. I continue to be fascinated by that fact. It’s really, really tricky to find something that you want to explore deeper.”
Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story is streaming now on Netflix.
Visit our Streaming Guide now to see at a glance where you can view ALL your favourite shows and movies.
The new edition of Legends, a 100-page celebration of Dolly Parton’s life, is here. Buy Dolly in newsagents or online.
Sam is a freelance reporter and sub-editor who has a particular interest in movies, TV and music. After completing a journalism Masters at City University, London, Sam joined Digital Spy as a reporter, and has also freelanced for publications such as NME and Screen International. Sam, who also has a degree in Film, can wax lyrical about everything from Lord of the Rings to Love Is Blind, and is equally in his element crossing every ‘t’ and dotting every ‘i’ as a sub-editor.