Echoes in modern TV horror

Gein’s influence ripples across shows like American Horror Story: Asylum, Dexter - which stars Michael C. Hall (pictured) - and Bates Motel. Each borrows aspects of his psychology—loneliness, fixation, identity fracture—to create believable monsters. AHS even referenced his skin masks directly. Screenwriters have long acknowledged that “Gein changed the rules,” turning domestic settings into spaces of terror. His imprint remains one of television’s most enduring shadows.