Overview
- Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy premiered Oct. 16 on Peacock as an eight-episode drama starring Michael Chernus, focusing on the 1978 investigation and its victims.
- The series avoids onscreen murders and often titles episodes after victims, with companion resources provided in partnership with groups including GLAAD and the National Sexual Violence Resource Center.
- Critics note the show’s ethical restraint and victim-centric framing, though some reviews describe the execution as sanitized and tonally bland.
- Netflix’s Monster: The Ed Gein Story, released Oct. 3, remains a hit yet faces sustained criticism for graphic depictions, invented scenes, and a jarring Mindhunter-style homage.
- Contextual anchors in coverage reiterate Gacy’s record: 33 murders tied to a 1980 conviction, remains recovered from his home and waterways, and a 1994 execution by lethal injection reported to have taken 18 minutes.