Infamous serial killer John Wayne Gacy’s story has returned to the screen with Peacock’s new drama Devil in Disguise, and the response is already making waves. The series initially opened with a flawless 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes, now standing at 95%, an early sign that it has struck the right chord with critics. Developed by Patrick McManus, known for The Girl from Plainville, this marks Peacock’s second deep dive into the serial killer’s life after its earlier six-part docuseries.
Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gaycy — Storyline & Cast
Michael Chernus, known from Severance, steps into the role of Gacy. The story starts with the Des Plaines police investigation into the disappearance of teenager Robert Piest, a case that exposed the killer’s hidden trail. It follows the slow unraveling of what lay beneath Gacy’s house, where dozens of bodies were buried, along with the emotional aftermath faced by victims’ families and the legal maneuvers of his defense team.
The limited series also stars Gabriel Luna as Det. Rafael Tovar, James Badge Dale as Joe Kozenczak, Michael Angarano as Sam Amirante, Chris Sullivan as Bill Kunkle, Marin Ireland as Elizabeth Piest, Augustus Prew as Jeffrey Rignall, Brandon McEwan as Phillip Paske, Cricket Brown as Kerry Piest, and Thom Nyhuus as Kenneth Piest.
Peacock’s Devil In Disguise vs Netflix’s Monster Franchise
Early reviews paint a sharp contrast between Devil in Disguise and Netflix’s Monster. While Monster became a massive ratings success, its critical reception remained uneven, with the Jeffrey Dahmer season holding only a 57% on Rotten Tomatoes. The Menendez Brothers’ season slipped further to 45%, and the third installment on Ed Gein dropped to a series low of 19%.
Yet despite the low scores, the Dahmer season still became Netflix’s second-most-watched English-language series ever, crossing 1 billion viewing hours in 60 days and pulling in billions of minutes of watch time in subsequent seasons.
Peacock Strengthens True-Crime Lineup
Meanwhile, Peacock has carved out a steady niche for true-crime stories. Along with this new series, it houses Dateline and the acclaimed A Friend of the Family. Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy stands out for its controlled storytelling, relying on performance and unseen horrors rather than sensationalism.
The network has already locked in a second season. The next chapter will center on Richard Ramirez, the Night Stalker, showing that Peacock sees real potential in turning this into a long-running franchise. With the critics’ response already surpassing that of Monster, Devil in Disguise may become a defining true-crime series for the platform.
All episodes of Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy are now available for streaming on Peacock.
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