Viewers are wondering why Lyle Menendez seemingly has screws on his head in the latest season of Netflix's Monsters.
Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story is the second season of the crime drama anthology Monster, garnering major viewership on Netflix.
This season focuses on the 1989 murders of José (Javier Bardem) and Kitty Menendez (Chloë Sevigny), killed by their sons Lyle (Nicholas Alexander Chavez) and Erik (Cooper Koch).
While prosecutors argued Kyle and Erik Menendez were motivated by greed after a spending spree, the brothers maintain that they acted out of fear after years of abuse, leading to their conviction and life sentences without parole.
Why Did Lyle Menendez Have Screws on His Head?
In Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, Lyle Menendez's toupee plays a significant role, reflecting real-life events from the brothers' infamous trial.
The show depicts Lyle's mother, Kitty, ripping the toupee from his head, mirroring testimony during the trial.
Fans also noticed that Lyle looks to be depicted with screws or bolts in his head to represent a controversial hair system from the '80s and '90s, which used surgically implanted screws to secure toupees.
This was likely added for dramatic effect, as there's no evidence that Lyle used this system in real life.
According to trial records, Lyle’s toupee was glued or taped on, not affixed with screws. The scene appears to be a creative choice by Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan to emphasize the lengths Lyle went to to maintain his appearance.
While this creative choice seems harmless, the showrunners have been under fire for how the series portrays the brothers. Erik has criticized Netflix's portrayal of the Menendez case calling it dishonest and regressive, particularly in its depiction of male SA and his brother Lyle.
The screws shown in the series on Lyle's head seem to be based on the cranial implant hairpiece retainer system, which is a method for securing a hairpiece using a surgical implant.
The system involves a fixation assembly that includes a cranial implant with a threaded portion, an attachment adapter extending outward, and a releasable connector. The hairpiece attaches to this implant, providing a secure and durable way to wear a hairpiece.
In real life, Lyle began losing his hair in his teens or early 20s and wore the toupee at his father's suggestion, believing it was necessary for a future in politics.
In the series, the cranial implant isn't addressed beyond the appearance on his bald head, but the toupee is shown to need to be washed and to use the correct adhesive to stay on.
While not proven, some believe Lyle may have had Trichotillomania, a mental health disorder characterized by repeated, uncontrollable urges to pull out hair, leading to visible hair loss and significant emotional distress.
This wouldn't come as a shock to those who believe the alleged abuse Lyle and Erik suffered from their father as children growing up.
Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story is now streaming on Netflix.
