“Main driving theme”: Devil in Disguise’s showrunner explains how the show highlights prejudice in 1970s Chicago

Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy is a limited scripted series on Peacock, based on the harrowing true story of notorious 1970s Chicago serial killer John Wayne Gacy. Gacy posed as a friendly neighbor and community volunteer, preyed on defenseless young men and boys. It recreates the dark world of Gacy’s crimes, revealing how he was enabled by a system that failed him, the broader societies that oppressed the communities he preyed on, and more.

Striking the right balance between suspense, historical knowledge, and emotional resonance, Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy offers a careful insight into the horrific crimes committed by Gacy. Not only does the series show the visceral brutality of his crimes, but it also depicts the cultural climate that enabled these crimes.

Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy, through jailbreaking the lens of societal and institutional neglect, introduces a complex narrative on both the deranged killer and the structures that ultimately shielded him. They’ve created a way into that period that enables audiences to see how bias and neglect led to one of the most notorious serial murderer cases in U.S. history.

Showrunner explains how Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy highlights prejudice

Patrick Macmanus, boss and EP of Devil in Disguise, said systemic neglect and prejudice are what the series is really about. In an exclusive with TVinsider, he described:

“It is honestly sort of the main driving theme of the show. Number one, the shows I’ve worked with before have all been driven by some semblance of systemic failure. It’s something that I am just interested in exploring. This one was absolutely the systemic failure of the police to be able to find and stop Gacy, specifically the Chicago Police Department.”

He conceded that they did not have the advantage of good communication at that time, but there was certainly prejudice that was a significant factor in allowing Gacy’s crimes to continue. He added:

“Now, part of it was because of communications issues at the time that they were facing, that’s absolutely true. But a large part of it was the fact that they were blinded and clouded by prejudice. That is a fact,”

Macmanus made it clear it was not an attack on the police, adding:

“If you look on the flip side of the coin, you’re watching a whole other story of police who are in that pit every single day for months, trying to unearth and uncover and name every victim that was in John Wayne Gacy’s house. So we are lauding the police as much as we are critiquing and analyzing the failures of the system.”

Devil in Disguise also investigates how Gacy’s victims and their families were affected by the crimes on a more intimate level. The series interweaves fictionalized storytelling with historical narrative to give voice to those caught up, keeping the victims’ stories at the heart of the narrative.

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Michael Chernus plays John Wayne Gacy, capturing the serial killer’s beguiling charm and terrifying darkness. Detective Rafael Tovar (Gabriel Luna) probes relentlessly for answers, and Chris Sullivan, James Badge Dale, and Marin Ireland take on the roles of the rest of the pack of investigators and families caught up in the calamity.

The series is an adaptation of the 2021 docuseries John Wayne Gacy: Devil in Disguise, which detailed Gacy’s criminal actions from 1972 to 1978. Gacy lived a double life as a successful contractor and family man, while sexually assaulting and killing at least 33 young men and boys; the majority of his victims were buried beneath his home. The probe uncovered both systemic failures and societal biases, as authorities often dismissed victims due to their financial instability or alternative lifestyles.

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