'Dahmer' ass e beonrouegend Meeschterstéck, awer d'Familljen vun den Affer soen et ass grausam

Even the most diehard true crime fan would say DAHMER - Monster: D'Jeffrey Dahmer Geschicht is so dark and disturbing that it’s difficult to watch. It’s also a brilliant masterpiece from co-creators, writers and executive producers Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan.

Since its September 21 premiere, the limited drama series debuted at the top of the English TV list with more than 196 million hours viewed, making it the most-watched title in its first week. It was also in the Top 10 in 92 countries.

The ten-episode series details not only Dahmer’s dastardly deeds but also delves into his childhood and personal life, and what the viewer sees is an intensely lonely man. Murphy and Brennan’s depiction is a disturbingly dark masterpiece that does an incredible job of humanizing his 17 innocent victims and their heartbroken families.

Though their stories are told in this new telling, many of the victims’ families are horrified that the series is out. Their rage has sparked backlash online, with claims they were not contacted about the show and that this new telling is traumatizing them all over again.

Dem Rita Isbell säi Brudder, Errol Lindsey, war en Affer, a si seet datt hir Famill net kontaktéiert gouf. Si huet viru kuerzem erkläert firwat si opgeregt ass iwwer hir Bildschiermbildung. "Ech gouf ni iwwer d'Show kontaktéiert. Ech fille wéi Netflix sollt froen ob mir et egal sinn oder wéi mir eis gefillt hunn et ze maachen. Si hu mech näischt gefrot. Si hunn et just gemaach. Awer ech sinn net Suen hongereg, an dat ass ëm wat dës Show geet, Netflix probéiert bezuelt ze kréien.

Si huet d'Szen diskutéiert mat enger Schauspillerin, déi hatt portraitéiert huet, wéi si hirem Affer Auswierkunge beim Dahmer senger 1992 Uerteel ginn huet. „Wann ech net besser wousst, hätt ech geduecht et wier ech. Hir Hoer war wéi meng; si hat déi selwecht Kleeder un. Dowéinst huet et gefillt, alles nach eng Kéier ze erliewen. Et huet all d'Emotiounen zréck bruecht, déi ech deemools gefillt hunn.

En aneren Isbell Familljemember, Eric, hat eng rezent viral Tweet dat erkläert de Péng seng Famill erlieft. "Si informéieren d'Familljen net wa se dat maachen. Et ass alles ëffentleche Rekord, sou datt se kee musse matdeelen (oder bezuelen!) Meng Famill huet erausfonnt wann all déi aner gemaach hunn. Also wa se soen, si maachen dat "mat Respekt fir d'Affer" oder "d'Dignitéit vun de Familljen ze honoréieren", kee kontaktéiert hinnen. Meng Koseng erwächen all puer Méint op dësem Punkt mat enger Rëtsch Uriff a Messagen, a si wëssen datt et eng aner Dahmer Show gëtt. Et ass grausam."

Between 1978 and 1991, Dahmer took the lives of his victims in the most gruesome ways, and what he did to their bodies postmortem…I’ll leave those details out, but they are graphically shown and described in the series.

This new telling doesn’t shy away from exposing Dahmer’s heinous acts and the tragic fact that he got away with these unconscionable crimes because he was white in an underserved, marginalized community. His victims were overlooked in a legal system riddled with systemic racism, homophobia and institutional failures that favored him and blatantly ignored those he targeted. These issues still exist today, and this series spotlights this for a younger generation.

One police officer who pulled him over for drunk driving after his first kill, when he had garbage bags filled with body parts, was more concerned with Dahmer’s future than actually finding out what he was transporting in the middle of the night. Law enforcement repeatedly ignored his neighbor when she called to report foul smells and odd noises. One of America’s most notorious serial killers was allowed to continue his murderous spree in plain sight for over a decade. Though some officers were fired, others were allowed to remain on the force.

John Balcerzak and his partner were two Milwaukee police officers fired from the MPD and later reinstated after returning 14-year-old Konerak Sinthasomphone to Dahmer in 1991. Balcerzak remained on the force until his retirement in 2017. This injustice is just one of many horrendous failures spotlighted in the series.

As disturbing and grotesque as the series is, the performances are phenomenal. Evan Peters is brilliant as Jeffrey Dahmer. Richard Jenkins flawlessly portrays his father, Lionel Dahmer, who tried to help his son but turned a blind eye to many red flags over the years. Molly Ringwald undergoes a stunning transformation as Dahmer’s stepmother, Shari. And last but certainly not least, Niecy Nash is spectacular as Glenda Cleveland, Dahmer’s frustrated neighbor who repeatedly called the police to report foul odors from his apartment and loud noises she determined were people getting killed. She was ignored time and again as Dahmer and his victims slipped through the cracks.

Netflix was contacted for comment but had not responded when this was published. The article will be updated with any comments received.