While contemporary television boasts no shortage of influential creators, few have left a mark as indelible as Ryan Murphy. Since launching his TV career with the teen dramedy “Popular” in 1999, Murphy has continually shaped pop culture with genre-defining hits like “Glee,” “American Horror Story,” “Pose,” and more.
In recent years, Murphy has turned his focus to the chilling anthology series “Monster,” which premiered on Netflix in 2022 with “Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story,” anchored by Evan Peters’ haunting performance. The follow-up, “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story,” continued the trend of dramatizing infamous criminal cases. Now, even as the third season is still in development, the streamer has confirmed the subject of the fourth installment: Lizzie Borden.
Lizzie Borden Confirmed as the Focus of ‘Monster’ Season 4
According to Variety, the fourth part of “Monster” will center on the case of Lizzie Borden. The announcement comes as a surprise, considering that the third season, titled “The Original Monster” and focused on Ed Gein, only began production earlier this year, around February.
Source: Investigation Discovery
Since it’s now clear which historical figure Murphy and his team will explore in the near future, it’s worth revisiting Borden’s story. She became one of the most infamous women in American legal history following the deaths of her father, Andrew Borden, and her stepmother, Abby Borden, on August 4, 1892, in Fall River, Massachusetts. At the time, Lizzie was 32 and lived with her family in a household described as emotionally distant and highly controlled.
She was arrested after both victims were found fatally struck with a hatchet in their home. With no signs of forced entry, attention quickly turned to Lizzie, whose inconsistent statements and suspicious actions—including the destruction of a dress days later—added to public intrigue.
Despite growing speculation, Lizzie Borden was acquitted in 1893 after a trial that dominated national headlines. The jury, composed entirely of men, took less than two hours to return a not-guilty verdict. The case drew interest not only because of the brutality of the crime, but also because of the social dynamics it exposed, including prevailing attitudes toward women, class, and the limitations of forensic investigation at the time.
Lizzie stayed in Fall River after the trial, but her life was marked by social isolation. Though she was never convicted, many continued to view her with suspicion. She passed away in 1927, never having spoken publicly about what really happened. The case remains officially unsolved, and Borden’s name continues to appear in books, films, and popular lore—often accompanied by the haunting rhyme that turned her story into legend.
Casting for the upcoming season has not yet been announced. However, given Ryan Murphy’s pattern of working with a trusted group of performers, fans are already speculating about potential leads. Names like Sarah Paulson, Emma Roberts, and Jessica Lange have started circulating among viewers familiar with Murphy’s previous collaborations.
According to Variety, filming for the Lizzie Borden season is expected to begin in the fall. As with past entries in the “Monster” anthology, the creative team appears committed to reexamining controversial figures from American history through a psychological and cultural lens. Whether Borden will be portrayed as misunderstood, maligned, or something else entirely remains to be seen.
