Blood on Their Hands

Still living with his grandmother, now working in a chocolate factory, Jeff continues to assault young men, and what's worse, he gets away with it.

What is so sickening to see, is that he wasn't totally anonymous, I always assumed that he'd cleverly slipped through the net, but that simply wasn't the case, it does appear very strongly to be the case that he used his privilege to full advantage, specifically targeting members of the gay community that were incredibly low down on the priority list. It's quite shocking..

The courtroom scene made my jaw drop, how many attacks could have been prevented if he took it seriously.

Peters impresses once again, I'm a huge fan of his, but his icy cold performance as Dahmer is quite something.

8/10.

He's amazing not just in his acting but his embodiment of the character. Nash and Learned are also brilliant. Performances are deserving of the rating. The drawback is the sensationalized depiction, not just the focus on the grotesque murders but with dark lighting, butcher shop meat and overall looking too much like American Horror Story instead of a based on real life. At ten episodes it's too long to tell this story unless it had more focus on the victims and their story, especially the Laotian family who had two brothers victimized by Dahmer. Development of victims story could have made this more interesting and less disturbing, but more importantly made this about telling the victims story. Sensationalize story wasn't necessary and missed an opportunity for original storytelling from the victims perspective and the impact Dahmer had on so many lives beyond just those he murdered. Dahmer's story is not even about sexuality which seems to be the focus. He was a very mentally disturbed person who craved power and control.

"Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story," in its fifth episode titled "Blood on Their Hands," directed by Jennifer Lynch, delivers a profound and unsettling continuation of the harrowing recounting of Jeffrey Dahmer's crimes and the systemic failures surrounding them. This episode deepens the series' examination of the interplay between individual monstrosity and institutional negligence, focusing on the aftermath of Dahmer's arrests and the devastating impact on victims' families, while underscoring societal complicity and the pervasive disregard for marginalized lives.

The episode unfolds in 1987, a pivotal year marked by Dahmer's escalation in both his methodical killings and the growing public awareness of his atrocities. It portrays Dahmer's chilling confession about bringing men to his grandmother's house, drugging and strangling them in the cellar, and lying alongside their bodies-a disturbing insight into his pathological need for control and intimacy with his victims even after death. This confessional sequence is powerfully haunting, rendered with a disturbing calmness by Evan Peters, whose performance continues to balance a chilling detachment with subtle glimpses of the fractured humanity beneath. One particularly poignant moment occurs when Peters' Dahmer forgets the name of one murdered victim, Steven Hicks, triggering a sharp, emotionally charged outburst from Detective Murphy, portrayed by Michael Beach. This clash underscores the racial dynamics at play-the trauma inflicted upon Black and brown communities overlooked by authorities, a recurring thematic element of the series that "Blood on Their Hands" confronts unflinchingly.

The storyline meticulously intertwines personal trauma with social critique, revealing the profound emotional toll the murders took on families like Glenda Cleveland's, whose portrayal captures both grief and resilience. The narrative vividly depicts Glenda's harrowing experiences, including her futile attempts to alert the police about the horrors she sensed in Dahmer's building, which is later deemed hazardous due to toxic chemicals used to dissolve remains. The series portrays the police response, or lack thereof, with stark criticism, highlighting repeated negligence that allowed Dahmer's crimes to continue unchecked. This institutional failure is dramatized through scenes of police officers dismissing evidence and community concerns, echoing broader societal neglect of marginalized victims based on race and socio-economic status.

Director Jennifer Lynch employs a restrained yet penetrating directorial style that emphasizes psychological tension over sensationalism. The cinematography continues with a muted color palette, using shadows and dim lighting to evoke the claustrophobic and ominous atmosphere surrounding Dahmer's world and the oppressive social structures that enabled him. Moments of silence and stillness are frequently employed, contrasting with jarring bursts of emotional intensity or revelation. This approach cultivates an unsettling mood that compels viewers to engage deeply with the material rather than observe passively.

The editing is deliberate and measured, balancing narrative progression with emotional depth, allowing scenes like Glenda's trauma and Dahmer's procedural interactions to resonate with gravity. The pacing slows at key moments to allow reflection, especially in sequences involving community reactions and the legal system's failings. The sound design reinforces the emotional weight, with ambient noises and diegetic sounds heightening the sense of pervasive unease and sorrow.

Evan Peters remains a cornerstone of the episode's power, delivering a nuanced portrayal that captures Dahmer's calculated cruelty and chilling ordinariness. His performance ensures the character avoids becoming a one-dimensional villain, instead presenting a complex and disturbing figure shaped by internal and external forces. Supporting cast members, including Michael Beach and Glenda Cleveland's actress, provide compelling counterpoints that embody the human cost of Dahmer's actions and the systemic indifference that prolonged his reign of terror.

Thematically, "Blood on Their Hands" extends the series' commitment to social critique, addressing issues of race, justice, and memory. The episode contextualizes Dahmer within the larger frames of political activism and public outrage, notably featuring figures like Jesse Jackson, who enters the narrative as an advocate for accountability in law enforcement. This inclusion highlights the episode's engagement with the political dimensions of true crime and the demand for systemic change. The episode also resonates culturally as a meditation on how marginalized communities are often ignored or erased in media and justice narratives, challenging viewers to reassess whose stories are valued and whose are silenced.

Within the broader landscape of true crime media and dramatization, the episode situates itself as a conscientious and provocative work. It consciously avoids glamorizing Dahmer, instead confronting the viewer with uncomfortable truths about societal failure, racial bias, and the human consequences of neglect. This positions the series, and specifically this episode, as part of a larger conversation about ethical storytelling in true crime, reflecting a postmodern awareness of the genre's complexities and responsibilities.

In relation to other works within the series and the true crime genre, "Blood on Their Hands" builds upon the foundation laid by prior episodes by deepening the interpersonal and institutional dimensions of the story. The episode's narrative layering and social focus are reminiscent of other Ryan Murphy projects that blend character-driven drama with pointed cultural critique, contributing to a lineage of socially engaged television that interrogates the relationship between crime, identity, and power.

While the episode's heavy thematic content and slower pacing may challenge some viewers seeking straightforward thriller dynamics, these artistic choices serve the narrative's aim to evoke reflection rather than mere spectacle. The emotional and moral complexities presented here demand patience and engagement, rewarding viewers with a richer understanding of the intersecting causes and effects surrounding Dahmer's crimes.

"Blood on Their Hands" is a haunting and incisive chapter in "Dahmer - Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story," blending meticulous direction, compelling performances, and a socially conscious script to offer a searing indictment of institutional failure and societal indifference. Jennifer Lynch's direction, coupled with Evan Peters' multifaceted portrayal, foregrounds the human and systemic dimensions of horror, compelling audiences to confront uncomfortable realities about justice, race, and memory. Far from sensationalizing the killer, the episode challenges viewers to reflect on the collective responsibility that facilitated his atrocities, making it a crucial installment that transcends entertainment to demand ethical reckoning and empathy.