Spoilers are present for Monster: The Ed Gein Story episode 4.
The fourth episode continues the chilling narrative following Ed Gein, who recently added another name to his growing list of victims by murdering a babysitter named Evelyn. This episode picks up with Adeline, who finds herself increasingly close to uncovering Ed’s terrifying secrets. She inadvertently steps into Augusta’s room, where she is confronted by a shocking discovery: a corpse seated in an old rocking chair.
As Adeline bravely navigates the horror, she turns the chair around only to face the lifeless body. In the barn, Ed is busy wrapping Evelyn’s corpse in white cloth when he hears Adeline’s terrified screams. In a panic, she races back to her home, locking the door just in time, but Ed quickly finds an alternate route inside.
When Ed confronts her in her bedroom, Adeline demands to know the truth behind the corpse. Ed reveals the grim reality: it is not his mother’s body, but the remains of another woman he has exhumed. Surprisingly, rather than expressing disgust, Adeline shows curiosity and even asks Ed how he felt during the act, claiming that death does not disturb her. This unexpected reaction adds an unsettling twist to their dynamic.
The episode also features Ed’s dark interactions with Bernice Worden, a hardware store owner. After a conversation at the store, Ed persuades Bernice to join him for lunch, leading to a date that extends to a more intimate encounter at her home. However, haunted by memories of his mother, Ed experiences a hallucination where Augusta denigrates Bernice, causing deep conflict within him.
The next day, after hesitating about the relationship with Bernice, Ed decides to end it. Following a heated argument in her shop, he tragically escalates the situation, purchasing a gun and fatally shooting her in a shocking act of violence. He then mutilates her body, hanging it upside down in his barn, a move that deeply fascinates Adeline when she witnesses it.
In a meta twist, this episode also hints at the inspiration behind The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, portraying a filmmaker named Tobe who becomes fixated on Ed’s horrific acts, believing that classic horror films have merely scratched the surface of true terror.
Monster: The Ed Gein Story continues to delve deep into the complexities of human psychology intertwined with horror, and it is now available for streaming on Netflix. This dark exploration of fear and fascination keeps viewers engrossed, illustrating how true crime can inspire terrifying art.