The episode reaches back to , illustrating the instability of the Dahmer household:
: In a pivotal scene, Jeffrey pleads with his father "Please don't go" as Lionel leaves during a fight, marking the beginning of the abandonment issues that would later define his adult crimes.
Critics highlighted the performance of , noting his ability to capture Dahmer's "weird dead robot" persona. While the episode moves at a slower pace than the first, reviewers from sites like Decider and IMDb praised it for moving beyond sensationalism to offer a sobering inquiry into the societal and institutional failures that allowed Dahmer to continue his spree. "Monster" Please Don't Go (TV Episode 2022) - IMDb
: Despite the boy being dazed, bleeding, and clearly underage, officers John Balcerzak and Joseph Gabrish dismiss the situation as a "domestic spat" between adult gay lovers. Influenced by homophobia and racial bias, they hand the boy back to Dahmer, who murders him shortly after they leave. Critical Reception
: Unable to maintain real human connections, Jeffrey steals a half-shirtless mannequin from a store. He treats it as a "motionless lover" that can never leave him, a chilling attempts to curb his homicidal urges through a surrogate that remains at his will. The 1991 Konerak Sinthasomphone Incident
: Jeffrey picks up 14-year-old Konerak Sinthasomphone after offering him $100 to pose for photos.