Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story on Netflix: All 8 Episodes, First-Week Views and Season 5 Status

Quick answer: yes, it's out. All eight episodes of Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story have been on Netflix since Thursday, Sept. 17, and the season opened at No. 1 worldwide with 12.1 million views in four days.

Ryan Murphy's Monster anthology spent three seasons on real men accused of terrible things. The fourth moves to Fall River, Massachusetts, and to the most famous acquittal of the 19th century. It unlocked at 12 a.m. PT, which is 3 a.m. ET, the usual hour for Netflix originals, and TVmaze lists all eight episodes on that one date. There is nothing more to wait for this season.

How did the Lizzie Borden season do in its first week?

Netflix's weekly Top 10 for Sept. 14–20 put it first across every show and film on the service, counting only four days (Thursday to Sunday). What's on Netflix tallied it in the Top 10 of 89 countries. The more interesting part is how flat the anthology's openings have become:

Three seasons within 200,000 views of each other suggests a loyal base that turns up for any subject, not a breakout. Reviews were cooler than the audience: What's on Netflix quoted 42% from critics on Rotten Tomatoes and 57% from viewers in the first week. The second-week number arrives with Netflix's next Top 10 on Tuesday, Sept. 29.

What time did it unlock in each time zone?

It shared that 3 a.m. slot with Stranger Things: Tales From '85 season 2, which also dropped complete that Thursday. Every episode is available at any hour now.

Is it weekly, or are all 8 episodes out?

All eight are out. What's on Netflix and the show's Wikipedia entry both list eight episodes on Sept. 17, and every earlier Monster season was released the same way. Ian Brennan wrote all eight; Max Winkler directed six of them, and Sarah Adina Smith directed episodes 4 and 6.

The anthology's release pattern, the best clue to a fifth season's timing:

Three of the four seasons opened in the third week of September. That's no accident; it puts the show right ahead of Halloween viewing.

Who plays Lizzie Borden, and who else is in the cast?

Ella Beatty has the title role. The rest of the cast listed by Netflix and What's on Netflix:

The case itself is a matter of public record: Andrew and Abby Borden were killed in their Fall River home in August 1892, and Lizzie was tried and acquitted the next year. What's on Netflix describes this season's take as feminist and darkly comic. We'll leave the rest for the episodes.

Has Netflix announced Monster season 5?

No. Netflix hasn't named a fifth subject or confirmed another season. Worth remembering, though: What's on Netflix reported that season 4 was renewed without a public announcement, so news of a fifth could arrive with little warning.

Where to watch it

Only on Netflix, on any plan, including Standard with ads. The current price of each tier is on our streaming prices page.

FAQ

Is Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story the most-watched show on Netflix right now? It was for Sept. 14–20, with 12.1 million views. Whether it holds the top spot for its first full week is known once Netflix posts the Sept. 21–27 chart.

How long is the whole season? Eight episodes, all written by Ian Brennan, so it works as a weekend binge. There is no weekly schedule to follow.

What else came out that week? Prime Video's Reacher spin-off dropped complete the day before; here's the Neagley page. For what's new now, see our Sept. 21–27 list, where Survivor 51 is the headline.

Why 3 a.m. ET? Netflix sets its clock to midnight in California. Our Netflix release-times explainer covers the exceptions, like live events.

Where do I find more true crime on TV this week? Our sister site keeps a weekly true-crime TV guide. For other clock pages, see Release Times or the Netflix archive, including Physical 100: Italy's batch schedule.

Sources

• Netflix Tudum — Monster season 4 cast and release date
• What's on Netflix — Monster season 4: everything to know
• Wikipedia — episode credits and cast
• What's on Netflix — 12.1M debut views and prior-season comparison (Sept. 22)
• The Hollywood Reporter — release date and first look

Episode listings via TVmaze. Netflix links are not affiliate links.

By the Streaming On Air desk · Updated 10:45 p.m. ET, Sept. 25