First Episode, First Impression: Dahmer
I’m not going to lie, I was struggling on coming up with a topic for this week’s post. I just kept thinking that I don’t want to overdo the shows I’ve already spoke so much on or run out of references. So, I picked a new show. Unfortunately, as a newly-adjusted college student, I don’t have the time to watch an entire season in one day. This lent me to the idea of a possible new mini-series: First Episode, First Impression, where I watch the first episode of a crime drama series and fill you guys in on my initial opinions. But that’s enough rambling, let’s get into the juicy stuff… (no pun intended, although this show did prove to be awfully gory).
Dahmer. One of Netflix’s newest releases, inspiration for Tik Tok’s latest trends, and ten episodes of pure crazy. This series tells the story of Jeffrey Dahmer, an infamous serial killer, and how he ended up mentally-ill enough to gain that title. If you need a better background on Dahmer, the main character of this biographical/ horror/ thriller/crime movie, feel free to refer to the Crime Museum.
Since the whole point of this post is to deliver my first reaction, let me get to reacting. The first episode starts off rather quickly as we are thrown into the already gruesome life of Dahmer and his quite run-down apartment. The first encounter we have of him with another character is a conversation between him and his neighbor. His neighbor, Ms. Cleveland, inquires about the rather unbearable smell steaming from Dahmer’s room, which he assures her is just some old meat and dead fish. Now lady, if this isn’t a red flag already I don’t know what is.
Not to give too much away for anyone who hasn’t watched yet, BUT, the first episode quickly spirals and didn’t lose my attention once. With such intimate moments and a grand level of uncomfortable silence, I felt like even I was holding my breathe sometimes. The episode introduces what seems to be his last victim as he barely escapes. The runaway victim is almost arrested due to racial profiling instead of recieving the help he deserves. I found it incredibly intriguing that the show was able to include elements of systemic racism and allusion to corrupt police so soon in the series and with such a strong influence on the plot. I’ve also never watched a crime show where the offender is actually arrested in the first episode, so it was nice to see some originality.
MovieWeb does an immaculate job elaborating on this aspect of the series and also offers a better look into the future of the plot.
One thing that was so jarring to me as I watched “Episode One” was the skills of the actors. Evan Peters portrayed the role of a serial killer and sex offender a little too well. This may be due to the countless hours he spent observing the interviews with Jeffrey Dahmer as expanded on in the article written by Seventeen. The actor portraying Dahmer’s father, Richard Jenkins, also does an amazing job reflecting the stunned father of a now-known serial killer. He shows the true pressure to suppress his emotions and hold true to the “man of the family,” even after such a traumatic event.
So aside from all of my rambling, I’m rather impressed with this series based strictly off of the first episode. I do have to say though, this show is not for the weak-stomached. There is a lot of gruesome imagery and unfathomable attributes portrayed throughout the film. If you are able to fight through this aspect to absorb the show, based on true events, I highly recommend the watch. I hope to continue watching to give everyone an update in the soon future. Be sure to check out the trailer, and as always…happy binging.
(watch with caution, very gruesome, may be unsettling for viewers)
https://youtu.be/NVHHs-xllqo
I’ve seen a lot of people talk about the negative side effects of writing a serious piece of history like this as a fictional show- often leading to people treating awful people, like Dahmer, as some “misunderstood character” and forgetting that he was a real-life monster. What do you think about this? Do you think the lines are blurred?
I really liked your description and options of the show, and I love the overall layout of your blog! Personally, I didn’t watch this show because my friend told me it was really gross and disturbing, and it looks like you had the same thing to say about it! However, it was also helpful to hear elements of the show that you enjoyed, such as its fast pace and great acting.
I really liked your description and opinions of the show, and I love the overall layout of your blog! Personally, I didn’t watch this show because my friend told me it was really gross and disturbing, and it looks like you had the same thing to say about it! However, it was also helpful to hear elements of the show that you enjoyed, such as its fast pace and great acting.
I enjoyed hearing your thoughts on this show. Me and some of my friends got together to watch the series and man was it creepy. Evan Peters plays these types of roles beautifully and really freaked me out. While I do understand the negative backlash the show is getting, I still can appreciate the director’s vision for the project.