Warning! The following contains spoilers for Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story. Stream the episodes with a Netflix subscription and read at your own risk!
Another Ryan Murphy hit is available to stream on Netflix, but be warned: Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story features what may be the grossest scene you'll watch on the 2026 TV schedule. One may think they're ready for what's on the way if they've seen some of the best horror movies, but I promise, I didn't see this coming.
Murphy and co-creator Ian Brennan's take on Lizzie Borden is predictably risqué, violent, and full of needle drops. That much I expected when the show was announced. What I didn't see coming was a scene that, quite frankly, felt like I was watching a gross-out scene from Rick and Morty or Family Guy rather than a story about a prolific murderer.
What Happens In The NSFW Dinner Scene In Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story
As readers may be well aware, Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story is centered around the gruesome murders of Abby and Andrew Borden (Charlie Hunnam and Rebecca Hall, respectively). In the series, the housemaid "Maggie" (real name Bridget, played by Vicky Krieps) takes a liking to Lizzie (Ella Beatty) and despises her employers for how they treat their daughter. They hatch a plot to kill them and poison them with spoiled oysters.
The Bordens experience violent and outrageous food poisoning, and we see both Abby and Andrew projectile vomit all over their lovely dining room table. They also both have violent diarrhea, and it all goes down in a scene that goes on for way too long.
Unfortunately, for Lizzie and Maggie, the Bordens ultimately recover, though they decline to ever have oysters again. I'm happy to say the show only continues with gory scenes from there on out, but it's a lot to get over.
Did This Scene Actually Happen?
For those who watched Murder: The Lizzie Borden Story and wanted to know if this scene actually happened, the short answer is "kind of." While many of the events in this Netflix series are fictional or fabricated, The Wrap and others have reported that the Borden family did get gravely ill with food poisoning in the days leading up to the murder.
In the real event, however, this was due to a swordfish and mutton broth that had been sitting out for days. Abby even wondered if someone tried to poison the family, and as the trial gained attention, rumors started that the incident was an attempt by Lizzie to poison her parents. A pharmacist even testified to the claim in her trial, but the judge ultimately threw out the whole claim and deemed it irrelevant.
As far as best true crime stories go, Monster: The Lizzie Borden story loses points for taking creative liberties throughout much of it. That said, it's an entertaining story I recommend, provided people research the actual story afterward to see the parts that were almost entirely made up.
Stream the story right now, and be on the lookout for other great Netflix shows on the way. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for another season of Monster, though we haven't received word yet that it has been renewed.
