Peacock’s Devil In Disguise fixes Monster’s biggest true crime problem: Here’s how

At a time when true crime series are dominating the world of entertainment, Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy comes as a breath of fresh air. It not only depicts the crime in a distinct light compared to the other series of the same genre, but also adds an element that completely changes the perspective of how people consume this genre.

Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy is a series that is undoubtedly worth watching. It brings in elements that will leave you thinking less about the criminal and more about the victims. When compared to the recent true crime series, Monster, which focuses on the story of serial killer Ed Gein, the main element that separates these two series is how Peacock’s Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy handles the voices of the victims.

Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy focuses on the victims

The striking feature that is putting Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy into a completely different light is how the series handles the storyline of the victims. If we take a look at true crime series, then we would understand how these series often focus mainly on the criminals. There is less focus on the victims whose lives were completely changed.

The victims are often reduced to just numbers and statistics, which completely changes the narrative. Though it cannot be denied that focusing on the criminal in a true crime series is not incorrect, however, completely ignoring the story of the victims and reducing them to just numbers does not do justice to their stories.

This is the main reason why Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy is creating such a commotion amongst the fandom with its distinct storyline. It focuses more on the story of the victims. Yes, Gacy’s story and how he manipulates the detectives by using his double life are depicted in the series, but it is not the only focus of the story. Throughout the series, we get a distinct attention to the lives of his victims and the terrifying loss that they have suffered.

Often, in true crime series, especially the ones that are being released recently, they dive into the gruesome details of the crimes. With the special effects that are available now, the details can be depicted with utmost perfection, which often creates an uneasy feeling amongst the viewers. For Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy, there are hardly any vivid details of the crime. Hence, the focus completely shifts to the victims.

Their lives and the hopes they had were completely shattered by Gacy’s activities. The series does this deliberately. It creates a shift from making the gruesome acts of the criminal the main event and preventing the victims from becoming just nameless props to the entire storyline.

Patrick Macmanus, in an interview, revealed that showing the gruesome violence that Gacy committed was not something that they wanted to show from the very beginning. He uses the word “distasteful” to indicate how showing the acts on screen would be. Hence, he chooses this completely new route, which focuses more on the lives of the victims rather than that of the killer.

The depiction of the systemic failures that can be seen while the investigations take place in the series also shows how crucial it is to focus on these elements. The social context that we see through social and homophobic prejudice that the victims go through is truly thought-provoking. It would be intriguing to see more true crime shows following this route of focusing on victims instead of reducing them to just numbers.

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