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You've likely seen Psycho, The Silence of the Lambs, and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Maybe you've even read the books that inspired the first two films. Now it's time to meet the man who inspired the Bates Motel owner, Buffalo Bill, and the chainsaw-wielding villain. The one and only Ed Gein!

The initial installments of the series in question focused on Jeffrey Dahmer – a name with strong recognition. This was followed by the Menendez brothers – a more niche story for enthusiasts of the genre. Now the spotlight turns to the Plainfield Ghoul. While he may lack the household name status of other notorious killers, and only killed two people, his postmortem violations and macabre artistry with the deceased have left a lasting mark. To this day, any media featuring dismembered remains, flayed skin, or items crafted from human tissue likely draws inspiration to Gein's exploits from many decades past.

A Dismissive Approach

Is my tone too casual? It's clearly the intended style of the creators. Rarely have I seen a drama that dwells so eagerly on the worst depredations an individual – and mankind – can commit. This includes a substantial narrative strand devoted to the horrors of the Third Reich, presented with little to no justification.

Structural and Stylistic Strengths

Structurally and stylistically, the series excels. The pacing is flawless, and the clever interweaving of different timelines is handled masterfully. We see Charlie Hunnam as Gein committing his crimes – the homicides, tomb violations, and assembling his collection. In parallel, the present-day narrative follows Alfred Hitchcock, Robert Bloch, and Anthony Perkins as they develop Psycho from Bloch's Gein-inspired novel. The blending of the real – Gein's religious mother and his fixation with female doppelgangers – and fictionalized scenes – fetishistic depictions of Ilse Koch and Nazi party scenes – is handled with technical skill.

The Glaring Omission

The missing element, in a truly unacceptable way, is any moral dimension or meaningful analysis to offset the protracted, admiring visuals of his immoral deeds. The series portrays his rich inner world and positions him as a man at the mercy of his controlling parent and a morbidly fascinated girlfriend. The underlying suggestion seems to be: How could a mentally ill man resist? During a key moment, the novelist theorizes that without seeing certain images, Gein would have remained a small-town simpleton.

A Departure from Precedent

One might contend that a show from this stable – known for glossy, high-camp style – is the wrong place for deep psychological exploration. However, earlier series like the OJ Simpson trial drama offered sharp analysis on the press and the legal system. The Assassination of Gianni Versace explored fame and culture. The Clinton scandal series examined systemic sexism. So it can be done, and the producer has succeeded before.

The Final Verdict

Yet not in this case. This installment feels like an exploitation of an underexploited true crime story. It demands sympathy for the man behind the masks without offering genuine insight into how he became a monster. Aside from the reductive "devout parent" reasoning, there is little effort to comprehend the origins or avert similar tragedies. It is nothing but voyeuristic pandering to the lowest curiosities of the audience. The Nazi scenes do have lovely lighting, admittedly.