Diksha Sundriyal
Netflix’s ‘Monster: The Ed Gein Story’ delivers a heavily fictionalised version of the eponymous killer’s life and crimes. The later episodes of the series focus on his time in a mental health facility, where he is sent after being found mentally unsound for a criminal trial. As he is diagnosed and starts receiving proper treatment, he goes through a major change, which turns even his most ardent critics in his favour. One of those people is the nurse, Roz Mahoney. Her relationship with Gein takes quite a turn in a short span. However, that part of the story remains rooted in fiction. SPOILERS AHEAD.
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Nurse Roz Mahoney is an Entirely Fictional Addition to Ed Gein’s Story
While ‘Monster: The Ed Gein Story’ is inspired by a true story, it is not entirely factually correct. The show utilizes the skeleton of facts and proven details about Gein to construct a plot line that picks up on rumors and speculations, making it a more engaging drama. This means that certain characters in the show have been concocted to serve the plot, and Nurse Roz Mahoney is one of them. She comes into the picture when Ed is sent to the asylum to be treated for his mental illness. Initially, there is a different nurse who has a soft spot for him, and she helps him obtain items such as magazines, ladies’ undergarments, and a ham radio. However, she is demoted for this bias, among other things, and is replaced by Roz Mahoney.
Unlike the previous nurse, Roz does not like to befriend the patients. She sees Ed as nothing more than a killer and knows that he will likely kill again if given the chance. She is so strict that at one point, Ed fantasises so strongly about killing her that he thinks he has actually killed her. Then, he discovers he has schizophrenia, and when his treatment starts, he is so happy that he hugs Roz. This surprises her, and from here, she becomes more amicable towards him. Over the years, we see Roz develop a friendship with Ed, which was necessary for the story because the creators wanted to show the impact that good care can have on a person with a mental illness. Actor Charlie Hunnam, who plays Ed Gein, told Netflix Tudum that the intention for the later episodes was to explore “the nature of mental illness and how it affected Ed.”
They wanted the audience to consider the possibility of whether he would have done the things he did had he received proper treatment sooner. The show’s co-creator, Ryan Murphy, said that with Ed’s diagnosis and the care he received after he was arrested was an important aspect that needed to be covered because it showed how proper care “can actually help generations of people— and then what happens when that money is taken away.” He said: “We used to be a country that took care of our mentally unwell. There were systems in place. There were hospitals. There were sanitariums. We explore how that has degraded in our country.” Thus, with the fictional character of Roz Mahoney, the show’s creators were able to reflect on a critical point in Ed Gein’s story and give the audience some food for thought.
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