From Jeffrey Dahmer to the Menendez brothers to Ed Gein, Ryan Murphy’s “Monster” series on Netflix is all about famous killers. This time, the series follows its first female protagonist — Lizzie Borden, who was tried and acquitted of the 1892 hatchet murders of her father and stepmother in Massachusetts.
Borden was the prime suspect and went to trial for the murders, which captivated the country. The court proceedings only heightened public fervor, as people were split over whether Borden was responsible. The proceedings were highlighted by Borden fainting in court when she was shown the skeletal remains of her parents as evidence. Ultimately, partly due to a lack of physical evidence, Borden was acquitted after the prosecution was unable to prove her guilt beyond reasonable doubt. No one else was ever charged and the case remains unsolved.
Borden went on to become a fixture in true-crime lore, and the subject of folk rhymes, books, and movies. Now that she’s at the center of the latest “Monster” season, there’s even more interest in Borden. Including the big question: Did Borden do it? And did she do it alone?
Warning: Spoilers ahead for “Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story.”
In ‘Monster,’ Borden is in a sexual relationship with her maid, Bridget Sullivan, who assists in the murders
In “Monster,” Borden (played by Ella Beatty) is motivated to kill her father, Andrew (Charlie Hunnam), and stepmother, Abby (Rebecca Hall) after years of verbal and physical abuse. She’s assisted in the crimes by the family maid, Irish immigrant Bridget Sullivan (Vicky Krieps).
On top of that, Lizzie and Bridget are lovers.
When we first meet Lizzie in the show, she’s a reserved young woman who is having trouble meeting men. Enter Bridget, who’s more worldly than Lizzie and her parents, and more liberal in her thinking. Lizzie is drawn to her, and eventually the two begin a sexual relationship.
It also helps that the two share common enemies. Both hate Andrew and Abby, and they begin plotting to kill them. First, they try to off the two by poisoning their dinner, but their attempt only sickens rather than kills them.
Later in the series, Lizzie and Bridget are depicted killing Abby and Andrew with hatchets. The two then cover for one another when the police investigate. Bridget later flees the country while Lizzie goes to trial.
There is no factual evidence that Lizzie and Bridget were lovers in real life
There are some parts of the story that are true: Bridget Sullivan was indeed a real person and a live-in maid for the Bordens. She was also the only other person known to have been on the property aside from Lizzie at the time of the murders.
The rest, though, is speculation. Historians have speculated on Borden’s sexuality over the years, partly because she never married, and also because of the close relationship she had with the actress Nance O’Neil after her acquittal.
The theory that Lizzie and Bridget were in a relationship was first established in Evan Hunter’s 1984 novel “Lizzie,” a fictional account of the Borden murders.
“Monster” seems to be running with this theory, though there’s no evidence that the two were ever in a relationship.
In fact, it’s possible Borden didn’t have much of an eye for her maid at all.
“Lizzie never bothered to call her by her real name,” Cara Robertson, author of “The Trial of Lizzie Borden,” told the BBC. Instead, the author claims, Borden called her Maggie, the name of the previous maid.
“Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story” is now streaming on Netflix.
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