Well, we’ve made it to the end of the story. The final chapter of Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story. Considering that the penultimate episode of the season wrapped with Lizzie being found not guilty for the deaths of her parents, the finale of the season presented the writers with a unique opportunity for exploring where to end Lizzie’s story.
Trigger warning: This article mentions the topic of sexual assault.
Our final chapter begins not with Lizzie, but with Aileen Wuornos as she sits down for an interview and professes her innocence. She claims to have killed the men in self-defense.
We cut to the courtroom as Aileen is asked about catching a ride with Richard Mallory. She recalls a vehicle passing her and opening the door to ask the man inside if he stopped for her. She mentioned heading to Daytona, as he informed her he was heading in the same direction. Once in the car, he asked how much she charged, so she went through her rates before telling her he didn’t have enough money. Aileen recalls saying no way, as she would need to call this off if he didn’t have cash.
The attorney then asks her to explain what happened after he wrapped the cord around her neck. She tells the jury she was to do everything he told her to do or he’d kill her right now, and f-ck her right after just like all the other sluts he’d done. Then he told her it didn’t matter to him as her body would still be warm for his huge cock. She recalls how he was choking her as he asked her if she wanted to die, to which she nodded no before he replied, “Are you going to listen to everything I have to say?”
She notes that’s when Richard began having anal sex with her, doing this in a very violent manner. When the lawyer asks if she said anything, she tells them she was crying through it, which seemed to only turn him on more. Aileen continues to talk them through how he put rubbing alcohol up her rectum area, which hurt really bad as she recalls the experience through tears. She then explains how he then put some into her vagina before going back to the car and pulling open her nostrils and squirting rubbing alcohol down her nose as he tells her he’s saving her eyes for the grand finale. That’s when she had to fight for her life.
The camera moves to the judge as he sentences her to death for the murders of Troy Burres, Charles Humphreys, and David Spears. After the verdict, she tells the judge, “May your wife and kids be raped," as she flips him off as she is escorted outside of the court and complains about being taken to several more courthouses to issue additional death sentences.
In the interview, Aileen sits down and is told that Richard Mallory was convicted of assault with attempt to rape in 1957. He spent ten years in an institute for criminal sexual deviance. Aileen goes on about how he was a deviant his whole life as we jump ahead to Aileen’s death row meal. She requested KFC, but she doesn’t have much of an appetite now. She’s ready to die and become just another woman put to death for something a man would have gotten away with. Aileen tells the reporter that’s what she’ll ask her Lord about when she meets him tomorrow.
We watch as Aileen’s story ends very differently from Lizzie's, as Aileen is strapped to the table to be put to death. She asks for “Carnival” by Natalie Merchant to be played as she prepares to be given the injection and is put to death.
Lizzie Borden begins a new chapter at Maplecroft
After we see how Aileen’s story comes to an end, we return to Lizzie’s story and are taken to the year 1908. She’s fulfilled her dream of creating a home where no living creature feels fear, which she calls Maplecroft. The home has everything she ever dreamed of, including animals of all kinds, a sprawling cherry tree orchard, and even electricity and indoor plumbing.
Following a brief tour of Maplecroft to show Nance around, the conversation shifts to Emma, and we learn that she is living there as well, but she’s far from living her best life and has developed an addiction to laudanum. As Nance and Lizzie catch up, Nance talks about all of her amazing travels, which were made possibe by Lizzie’s patronage. While she’s loved every minute, she’s not meant for the stage, as she has dreams of starring in motion pictures, which is where Lizzie comes in.
She’s set to move to Fort Lee, New Jersey, but she’ll need to be perceived in a certain way. She must show up with an air about her that expresses stardom and wealth; she needs quite a bit more money. She assures Lizzie she’ll see a return on her investment and asks for her help in also convincing her wealthy friends to buy in on her career as well.
Over dinner we learn that Lizzie now has over 200 animals as she comes to the defense of Emma, who proposes a toast. Emma rises and takes a cheap shot at Nance before turning her attention to why she’s here. She admits she tried to leave, but it turns out the surname Gorden robbed her of marriage prospects, which led her to turning to drinking and the demon Poppy. She recalls the promise she made to protect Lizzie, and it’s a promise she fulfilled; however, Lizzie has become a shut-in, never leaving her mansion and animals.
Lizzie is still haunted by her past
The mood never quite rebounds after Emma's toast.
Lizzie moves to the parlor, and one guest presses her for answers on who killed her mother and father. Lizzie presents the three strong theories that make the most sense: the same Portugeuse who murdered Bertha Manchester; her uncle, who happened to return just in time for his brother-in-law and wife to be murdered only to disappear; and then there is the rumor her father had a bastard son, who showed up to murder them both. Lizzie points out how none of these theories have any evidence, which means they’ll always remain theories. She suggests that it was a random act of violence with an axe.
We see a woman walking through the woods and entering the basement of her home before Lizzie noticed a light flashing in her parlor and takes her leave. Lizzie heads down to the basement area and is greeted by Maggie, who pulls her into an embrace as the pair share a passionate kiss.
415 days have passed since Maggie left for Montana, where she bought a plot of land for herself. She tried to put down some roots, but all she owned was her loneliness. She ends up marrying an older man and admits she doesn’t feel like she has a life anymore, as Lizzie reminds her her life is here with her. Maggie remarks that one or two days a year is not a life.
Maggie pulls out the old book they used to read about Elizabetta to finally finish the story. We watch as Elizabetta is taken into custody and thrown into a dark dungeon-like cell where she is shackled before the men close the doorway, brick by brick, to trap her inside. Her body is eventually recovered after it rotted away, and Lizzie sees the similarities of how she too is walled in as Maggie tells her she must leave at dawn.
After Maggie leaves, we jump a few years ahead to 1911 to find Lizzie alone in her room surrounded by cats brushing her hair before grabbing a pad. We learn it’s All Hallows' Eve as a group of trick-or-treaters arrive at her doorstep seeking a treat. She asks the kids what their costumes are, and as one girl quips about being Lizzie, prompting Lizzie to slap the young girl, causing quite a scene.
Lizzie heads into town to request the bookstore stop selling books about her, to which the store owner refuses. As she walks through, she hears a group of girls jumping rope to a rope-skipping song before returning home.
Emma congratulates her sister on becoming the boogeyman now as she packs her bags to leave. This place is not a cage but a tomb, and she will not die here, even if it means breaking the promise she made to their mother. Before she leaves, she tells her sister her hopes for her to one day tell her truth, even if that moment doesn’t occur until her deathbed.
We jump to Maggie on her farm, following her through her daily chores before she heads inside to find her husband waiting for her as he presses her on where she got the money to buy this land, build this house, and where she came from, but Maggie refuses to answer. He wakes up from his sleep to find Maggie standing over his bed with an axe as she admits she was about to kill him, but now all she can think is why she married him. She tells him to admit he’s afraid of strong women, and she’ll walk away from everything. He manages to get the words out as she raises the axe and drives it into the bed before taking off her wedding ring and throwing it at him.
Monster season 4 ending explained
Maggie arrives to the surprise of Lizzie, who is going by Lizbeth now. Maggie walks through the door and makes it clear to her that she is going to stay. As they lie in bed, Lizzie admits she has never told anyone, and sometimes it feels like she’s still that young girl who did something she can’t admit to anyone. She asks Maggie if she regrets it, but Maggie quickly answers with a no as she turns the question back around. Lizzie recognizes that she can’t change it but wishes she could make peace with it, to which Maggie points out that she must make peace in order to move on.
Taking Maggie’s advice, Lizzie makes her way through the woods, where she asks the Lord for his forgiveness. She admits she did a terrible thing, and she has deep regrets. All she can do now is ask for his forgiveness and for theirs so that she can make something of her life. She asks for a sign that he’s listening and will grant his grace as she senses her stepmother and father’s hands on her shoulders.
When Lizzie returns, Maggie asks if she’s okay, to which she replies, "Let's make it mean something.”
The pair joins the suffrage efforts pushing for women’s rights to vote, donating to the cause and actively participating in suffrage efforts. During one event, a reporter asks Lizzie what her father would say about this as Lizzie tells the man that her father would likely have a lot to say, but the one thing she knows is her mother and stepmother would have been alongside them in this fight.
One day a telegram comes through for Lizzie, and the look on her face suggests that it’s bad news; however, that couldn’t be further from the case. Lizzie walks into a room filled with suffragettes and informs them, "It passed,” which brings news of celebration to the entire room as Lizzie puts on music for the group to enjoy.
The music transitions into another turn as we cut back to Aileen as she awakens on the table to bright lights. She sits up and finds Lizzie and Maggie both there waiting for her, a smile coming to her face as she asks them what they’re doing here. Lizzie informs her they’re there to help take her to the next place. Aileen questions where they’re going as she asks them if she should be scared, admitting she has done some bad things.
Maggie assures her there is no reason to be scared, as she’s going somewhere safe. Lizzie echoes this, telling her that all has been forgiven and all is understood at last. Aileen thanks the pair as Lizzie tells her it’s time. Aileen steps off the table as Maggie opens a door to a bright, blinding white light. We then cut to the doctor calling the time of death as the curtains in the gallery draw to a close, and with it the season ends.
If you or someone you know needs to reach out about sexual abuse or assault, RAINN is available 24/7 at 800-656-HOPE (4673), or online at RAINN.org.
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