I like to think of myself as being a pretty big true crime fan. I’ve read all kinds of books, fallen down multiple rabbit holes, and even written about the best true crime shows on TV and streaming. I feel like I know a lot about the likes of the late O.J. Simpson and his murder case and the Menéndez Brothers’ murder trial. Or at least that's what I thought until I watched Mastermind: To Think Like a Killer, a new Hulu show about American research and nurse Dr. Ann Burgess.
When preparing for an interview with the docuseries’ director, Abby Fuller, I found myself both captivated by the story but also ashamed by how little I actually knew about Lyle and Erik Menéndez’s case. I had long assumed it to be about two rich kids killing their parents so they could live a life of luxury. Instead of being a straightforward cold-blooded murder inspired by greed and rage, the case, as revealed in Mastermind, was a more complex story of trauma, abuse, and the way we stigmatize victims.
It was eye-opening to see a different side of one of the biggest cases of the 20th century, one that was even turned into a Law & Order spinoff series a few years back. And I wasn't alone, as Fuller revealed in our chat that her perspective changed through her work with Dr. Burgess on the docuseries:
I really didn't understand that case until we started to talk to Dr. Burgess about it. And I think the stigma in the ‘90s of already we're not believing victims. So this idea that Dr. Burgess says that any man or boy, the kind of the prevailing belief was that you should enjoy any sort of sexual activity is kind of like the undercurrent of the belief system.
During the Menéndez Brothers’ first trial, the defense used what is referred to throughout Mastermind as the “abuse excuse,” in which they argued that they murdered their parents because they feared for their lives after suffering years of abuse, resulting in a hung jury. And while the second trial, which didn’t allow for the “abuse excuse” defense, resulted in Lyle and Erik Menéndez being sentenced to life in prison, Fuller said the argument made a massive impact:
And so coming forward was so stigmatized at that time for men who are victims of sexual assault. And I think that [Dr. Burgess] stepping forward and talking about that in such a high-profile public case that was being televised really kind of cracked something open for the culture to say that you know what, maybe there's an opportunity for more boys and young men to come forward who previously felt like they were unable to because of the stigma.
A chunk of the third and final episode of Mastermind: To Think Like a Killer is dedicated to Dr. Ann Burgess and the role she played in the Menéndez Brothers’ trial, but the docuseries also dives into so many other aspects of her life and the strides she continues to make in criminal psychology. And who knows, you may be like me and have your entire perspective changed as a result.
All three episodes of Mastermind: To Think Like a Killer are streaming for anyone with a Hulu subscription, which also gives you access to some of the best shows on the 2024 TV schedule.
