Dahmer Season 2 and 3 Explained

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re explaining the second and third seasons of “Dahmer.” For this video, we’ll be looking at how Netflix plans to continue this series after its first season. Are you excited or horrified about getting more of this series? Let us know in the comments. “Dahmer” has been one of Netflix’s most divisive original programs since “13 Reasons Why.” Some say that the series celebrates and glorifies Jeffrey Dahmer, making the families of his victims relive the trauma all over again. Others have commended the show for shining the spotlight on Dahmer’s victims and providing insight into an admittedly fascinating story that shouldn’t be forgotten. While the reception is all over the map, nobody can deny that “Dahmer” has been a hit for Netflix, becoming one of the ten most streamed programs in Nielsen history. 2022 has been a bumpy year for Netflix, losing a significant portion of its subscribers during its first two quarters, but showing a promising uptick during its third. “Dahmer,” along with “Stranger Things” Season 4, helped turn things around for Netflix. Too bad for the streaming giant that “Dahmer” was a one-and-done deal… or was it? In November 2022, news broke that Netflix ordered not just one, but two additional seasons. But wait, how can that work if the first season ended with Dahmer’s demise? Will subsequent seasons further explore society’s unrelenting obsession with Dahmer or go full meta and depict the behind-the-scenes story of the “Dahmer” miniseries? Or are they taking things in a fanfiction direction with Dahmer’s brain being put in a donor’s body? The answer is actually straightforward. The series will serve as an anthology under the umbrella title of “Monster,” each season centering on a different infamous figure. In retrospect, this should’ve been obvious since co-creator Ryan Murphy essentially resurrected the anthology series with “American Horror Story” and “American Crime Story.” In the case of “Dahmer,” though, we can understand how the title might’ve confused viewers. On Netflix’s interface and in the show’s title sequence, the word “Dahmer” is presented in big, bulging letters, overshadowing the “Monster” part. The season’s official title is, “Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story.” Um, did you really need “Dahmer” in the title twice? The show was originally just announced as “Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story,” which would’ve been a lot more self-explanatory. We suppose putting “Dahmer” front and center was more attention-grabbing, but the “Monster” brand name has flown over peoples’ heads. Since the title is already causing some brand confusion, it might help if a few cast members returned for Season 2. While the response to “Dahmer” has proven polarizing, most would agree that Evan Peters gave one of his best performances. Peters has been a staple of Ryan Murphy productions for over a decade, appearing on almost every season of “American Horror Story.” From a marketing perspective, it’d make sense to bring Peters back for more “Monster.” According to Murphy, though, Peters wants to take a break from portraying “sinister” characters and perhaps play someone normal in a rom-com. It’s been speculated that Peters could still sign up for another season, but maybe it’ll be a supporting role or he’ll get to play the hero. Being the co-creator and executive producer, one would assume that Murphy’s future involvement is a foregone conclusion. However, the $300 million contract that Murphy signed with Netflix in 2018 only lasts until 2023. Murphy-produced Netflix shows like “Hollywood” and “The Politician” weren’t exactly phenomenons, especially compared to “Glee” and other shows that he created at Fox. With “Dahmer” being such a massive hit, though, we imagine Netflix will want to extend their partnership with Murphy, assuming he doesn’t come across a more lucrative deal or wishes to pursue new opportunities. Even if he doesn’t write or direct any episodes, we’re confident that Murphy will continue to participate in some capacity. Co-creator Ian Brennan or another creative figure could take the reins, though. Netflix has yet to announce which monsters will take center stage in Seasons 2 and 3, although history has no shortage of offerings. If the creators desire to keep serial killers as the focus, John Wayne Gacy is an obvious choice. Maybe too obvious, though, since Dominic Burgess appeared as the Killer Clown in Season One and we know how his story ends. The problem with continuing the serial killer theme is that many of the high-profile ones have been prominently portrayed in film and television recently. It’s hard to imagine any depiction of the Zodiac Killer case exceeding David Fincher’s 2007 film. Netflix already tackled Ted Bundy in 2019’s “Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile” starring Zac Efron. With all of these true crime stories up for grabs, there’s bound to be repetition. Between Hulu and HBO, there will be two major miniseries about Candy Montgomery, one starring Jessica Biel and another with Elizabeth Olsen. Even other Ryan Murphy shows have run into this issue. Initially, the second season of “Feud” was going to revolve around Princess Diana and Prince Charles. Those plans were eventually scrapped. It’s been claimed that this wasn’t because of “The Crown,” which has followed the Charles/Diana drama since Season 4. However, we’d be surprised if that Netflix show didn’t at all factor into “Feud” shifting gears. If “Monster” continues to focus on household names like Dahmer, it may unintentionally wind up competing with a rival crime show. Seeing how “Monster” is a broad term, Seasons 2 and 3 don’t necessarily have to follow serial killers. The same logic applies to “American Crime Story.” After “The People v O. J. Simpson,” some expected Season 2 to be another courtroom drama. Instead, the showrunners went in a different direction with “The Assassination of Gianni Versace.” Andrew Cunanan actually could’ve been an interesting figure for “Monster” to cover if “American Crime Story” hadn’t done it already. Season 3 of “American Crime Story” cut murder out of the equation, focusing on President Bill Clinton’s impeachment. If that anthology series can explore a wide spectrum of American crimes, “Monster” doesn’t need to limit itself to one type of monster either. Monsters come in various forms. Future seasons could focus on dictators like Adolph Hitler, Saddam Hussein, or Joseph Stalin. Terrorists such as Osama Bin Laden also meet the monster criteria. Harvey Weinstein and Bill Cosby didn’t directly murder anyone, but their actions were monstrous, to say the least. “Monster” doesn’t have to apply to a single person either. It could extend to controversial companies like Theranos, which was depicted in “The Dropout,” or Purdue Pharma, which “Dopesick” took on. Be it a convicted murderer like Scott Peterson, someone who’s widely considered guilty in the court of public opinion like Casey Anthony, or an evil cult leader like Charles Manson, “Monster” can go in any number of devious directions. There currently isn’t a release date for “Monster” Season 2. “Dahmer” was first announced in 2020 before finally debuting in 2022. By that logic, we may have to wait until 2024 or even 2025 for Season 2. Since Netflix needs to keep churning out content, though, they could always fast-track Season 2 for late 2023. Being an anthology, it may be wise to shoot Seasons 2 and 3 simultaneously with separate crews covering different stories. That way, viewers won’t have to wait long between seasons. Whatever “Monster” has in store for us, we’re definitely intrigued. Afraid, but intrigued enough that we won’t cancel our Netflix subscriptions for now. Just don’t raise your prices again, Netflix. Then we’ll all know who the real monster is.