Netflix renewed Dahmer: An American Cannibal for two more seasons last week. So Ryan Murphy’s controversial production will continue, and that makes sense, but will it work?
The production has transformed into fiction the real case of serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, also known as The Cannibal of Milwaukee, responsible for the deaths of 17 men and boys between 1978 and 1991. The case became famous not only for the cannibalism practiced by Dahmer , but also due to the carelessness of the police, which allowed the murderer to continue the action.
The creators and producers have emphasized since the announcement of the series that its differential would be to follow this macabre story from the point of view of the victims of Jeffrey Dahmer. But this did not make “Dahmer” escape the controversy.
That’s because the families of the victims either disagree with Netflix re-exploiting their suffering for profit, or because, in some cases, they claim the stream never got in touch to at least communicate about the series. In addition, the production was accused of ill-treatment by a member of the team and saw an increase in articles related to the serial killer for Halloween.
Amid public complaints and threats of prosecution, “Dahmer: An American Cannibal” has risen to the position of the third most-watched series in Netflix history, behind only South Korean phenomenon “Round 6” and today’s top streaming production, “Stranger Things ” (in this case, season 4).
In the first 28 days of viewing, a period used by Netflix to evaluate the audience of its productions, “Dahmer” has amassed a whopping 856.2 million hours watched. From that perspective, it makes a lot of sense that the series won two new seasons.
On the other hand, many are wondering what will be done in the future of the series, after all the story of Jeffrey Dahmer and his victims had a beginning, a development and an end (not necessarily in that order). But it is the production title in Portuguese that can confuse people and explain the sequel. In English, the series is called “DAHMER – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, or “DAHMER – Monster: The Story of Jeffrey Dahmer”.
The word “Monster” in the title should rule the series going forward, and Jeffrey Dahmer’s story is over. A sequel involving this same story wouldn’t make sense, but “Dahmer” will follow the path of other Ryan Murphy productions and be an anthology series.
An anthology series tells different stories, with different characters in each episode or season. Ryan Murphy is best known for ‘American Horror Story’, in which each season tells a different, independent horror story. The same goes for “American Crime Story,” another true crime production from the producer, where each season focuses on a different story.
So with the reveal that the two new seasons will tell “the stories of other monstrous figures who have impacted society,” as per Netflix’s announcement, it makes sense that “Dahmer” continues. If the idea was to continue the story presented in the first season, my opinion would be different.
It remains to be seen what other cases will be adapted for fiction, information that has not yet been revealed and whether Netflix will be more careful with the people involved. Also, carrying the name “Dahmer” might not mean much if the product isn’t as good.
An example of this is “American Crime Story“, whose first season, “The People vs. OJ Simpson” was a smash hit, not followed by the sequel, “The Assassination of Gianni Versace,” which centered on the shocking murder of fashion designer Gianni Versace.
Anthologies like this one can often be seen as standalone miniseries. If “Dahmer” hadn’t had the success it has, we would never have thought about the possibility of the series having a sequel. This type of ploy seeks to extract the success of one production and pass it on to another, with several miniseries counting as one series. But this strategy only goes so far.
In Brazil it is perhaps more difficult to make people understand the relationship between one story and another, mainly for the simple fact that “Dahmer: An American Cannibal” has this title, without the word “Monster”. Would it make sense to call another story, about a different monstrous figure, “Dahmer”? We’ll see in the future how Netflix handles this issue.
Bottom line, it’s safe to say that a renewal makes sense, with Netflix looking to make even more money off of this story. But for that to work, the choice of stories to tell and the quality of the new casts and productions will be as important as starting a new miniseries, as most people have to see sequels that way.
The ideal would be that the production seeks in the future a more sensitive approach towards the potential families of the victims of the monsters portrayed in the series. But it is possible that, despite being ethically questionable, Netflix sees these controversies as another way to draw attention to productions like “Dahmer”.
“Dahmer: An American Cannibal” is available on Netflix. The sequels have yet to announce release dates.
The “Dahmer” post: renewal for two more seasons makes sense | The opinion first appeared in Olhar Digital.
Source: Olhar Digital
Emily Jhon is a product and service reviewer at Gossipify, known for her honest evaluations and thorough analysis. With a background in marketing and consumer research, she offers valuable insights to readers. She has been writing for Gossipify for several years and has a degree in Marketing and Consumer Research from the University of Oxford.
