Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story Recap & Ending Explained What Happens to Lizzie After the Murders

Avatar photoValentina Kraljik
Monster lizzie borden story
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Ryan Murphy’s ‘Monster’ anthology has established itself by transforming America’s most infamous true-crime stories into deep character explorations, transitioning from Jeffrey Dahmer to the Menendez brothers and Ed Gein over three previous seasons. Each episode has focused on the psychology behind the violence rather than merely recounting the crimes.

The fourth season takes this approach in a fresh direction. ‘Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story’ is the franchise’s first season centered on a female protagonist, dramatizing one of America’s oldest and most perplexing unsolved murder mysteries: the 1892 ax murders of Andrew and Abby Borden in Fall River, Massachusetts.

As the eight-episode season culminates, Lizzie’s meticulously managed life unravels, and the anger that has been building for years finally explodes into violence. The murders become the pivotal event around which her entire narrative revolves, forcing both Lizzie and her maid Maggie to confront consequences neither anticipated.

Indeed, the show adheres closely to historical facts regarding Lizzie’s trial. She is acquitted, with the case largely influenced by her public persona as a respectable Victorian woman, as the prosecution struggled to persuade the jury that someone of her social standing could commit such brutal acts.

This dynamic creates a central irony of the season. The very society that restricted Lizzie’s autonomy also found it hard to accept that she could commit extreme violence. The actual evidence against her was primarily circumstantial, leading to her acquittal by an all-male jury, leaving the murders unresolved even today.

However, legal freedom does not equate to a normal life for Lizzie. After the trial, she and her sister Emma inherit their father’s estate and acquire a large home in Fall River, which they name Maplecroft. Lizzie also begins using the name Lizbeth as she seeks to forge a new identity.

This new residence symbolizes both liberation and isolation. Lizzie finally gains the independence and comfort she lacked under her father’s authority, yet she cannot escape the shadow of the Borden murders, and the public narrative surrounding her grows far larger than her own existence. The finale, titled “Carnival,” directly addresses this tension, with Netflix describing it as the moment when the burden of Lizzie’s “monstrous legacy” threatens to engulf her.

A significant emotional core of the season lies in the relationship between Lizzie and Maggie, a fictional element that the show employs to delve into Lizzie’s yearning for affection and independence beyond her family’s stringent expectations. It’s important to note that historical records do not indicate any romantic connection between the real Lizzie Borden and Bridget Sullivan, making this a notable creative divergence from the documented case.

Creator Ian Brennan has expressed that centering the anthology on a female killer felt overdue, stating to TV Insider that once Lizzie’s story was introduced during development, it felt instinctively right and practically wrote itself as the writers began their work. Ella Beatty, who portrays Lizzie, echoed this sentiment in comments shared with Netflix’s Tudum, describing the season’s focus on female rage and repression as “strikingly relevant” and calling the role a dream opportunity to explore the psychology behind an American crime that feels “almost mythic” in scale.

Director and executive producer Max Winkler further elaborated on this concept, explaining that the show does not presume anyone is inherently evil but rather investigates the pressures that accumulate until someone reaches a breaking point. The season also incorporates Sarah Paulson’s Aileen Wuornos as a thematic parallel, rather than a historical one, using her as a later example of how society remembers women who commit extreme violence.

Ultimately, the conclusion is not about resolving the historical case. Lizzie sought freedom, and the murders represent the most drastic break from the constraints that defined her life. However, that freedom comes at a significant cost, as she remains legally free yet never fully escapes public suspicion, with her identity forever altered by the legend that enveloped her name.

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