Overview

• Netflix released the eight-episode season on Oct. 3, and coverage reports it reached No. 1 in the UK with about 12.2 million views in its first three days.
• Hunnam says the portrayal is a sincere examination of Gein and rejects claims of sensationalism, emphasizing that nothing was done for shock value.
• Ian Brennan, who co-created the season with Ryan Murphy, says the production aims to avoid exploitation and to tell the full story even when it is difficult to watch.
• Critical write-ups, including a detailed Guardian review, argue the show invents or distorts historical details and leans on lurid material while framing itself as cultural analysis.
• Reception remains polarized, with reports citing low Rotten Tomatoes scores for critics and audiences, as Hunnam points to extensive research that included locating an obscure, unreleased tape.