Lizzie Borden Story's Fourth Episode Introduces Aileen Wuornos, Explores Themes of Violence and Independence

Episode four of FX's 'Monster: The Lizzie Borden Story,' titled 'R.I.P. (Rest in Pestilence) Abby Borden,' draws significant parallels between Lizzie Borden and serial killer Aileen Wuornos, exploring themes of sexual violence, emotional abuse, and female independence.

The episode opens with the introduction of Aileen Wuornos, portrayed by Sarah Paulson. Wuornos is depicted as a sex worker who, after experiencing a brutal rape and abandonment, retaliates by murdering her assailant. In this act, she envisions herself as Lizzie Borden, enacting a violent revenge.

Wuornos appears to view Borden as a feminist icon, adopting her name as an alias and having her girlfriend read from a biography of Borden. The narrative highlights the show's artificiality by romantically framing the interaction between Wuornos and her girlfriend, even as Wuornos expresses anger towards the fictionalized depiction of the Borden family's treatment of their daughter.

Concurrently, the episode flashes back to Lizzie Borden's time, where she reads accounts of Elizabeth Báthory, a 16th-century countess accused of murdering young women. Lizzie is drawn to Báthory's story, particularly the idea of committing crimes and evading punishment, though the historical accounts suggest Báthory faced confinement.

The narrative structure is presented as a chain of unreliable interpretations: Wuornos reads inaccurate stories about Borden, who in turn is shown reading inaccurate stories about Báthory. The episode questions the pursuit of a singular