Episode 7 of *Monster: The Ed Gein Story* unfolds in 1958, a time when Frank is struggling to come to terms with the death of his mother, Bernice. Sheriff Arthur is deeply concerned for Frank, who has begun to drown his sorrows in alcohol. In a candid moment with Arthur, Frank reveals that he has initiated a lawsuit against the Gein Estate, intending to seize the property from Ed as his last-ditch effort. The courts had already deemed Ed mentally unfit to stand trial or face any form of punishment, leaving Frank with few options.
Determined to recoup some value, Frank organizes an auction for the items salvaged from Ed’s house. However, fate seems to conspire against him as the house goes up in flames a few days later. Left with little else, Adeline presides over an auction for the sole remaining item belonging to Ed—his car.
Meanwhile, Ed is living what some might call his best life within the confines of the mental institution. The nurse, affectionately known as Salty, hands Ed his share of $300 from the auction proceeds. With this money, Ed requests Salty to purchase three Ham Radios, along with some satin bras and panties. He sends one of the Ham Radios to Ilse, inviting her to engage in a chat.
During their radio call, Ed and Ilse delve into the details of their lives, sharing stories of how they were both transformed into perceived monsters. Ilse recounts her motivations, explaining that her actions were driven by a desire to avenge her people. Ed, on the other hand, admits that while he cannot recall the specifics of the killings, he feels guilty for some of the crimes he stands accused of. Their conversation concludes with Ilse advising Ed to disregard those who label him a monster.
In stark contrast, Ilse’s own reality in prison is far from comforting. Plagued by loneliness, she eventually succumbs to despair, ending her life by hanging from the ceiling. Simultaneously, Ed is immersed in his own world, listening to the music of trans singer Christine Jorgensen while clad in a bra and panties. He decides to send the third Ham Radio to Christine, initiating another call.
In their exchange, Ed expresses his admiration for Christine and wonders aloud if he, too, might be a transsexual like her. He recounts a harrowing memory from his youth when his mother caught him masturbating and subsequently forbade him from any self-touching. This, he explains, instilled in him a desire to mutilate his own genitals, akin to what Christine had done. Ed further discloses that he had crafted a lady-suit for himself, complete with female genitalia, which allowed him to feel more aligned with his true self.
Christine is left reeling, her shock palpable at the comments she's just heard. With a tremor in her voice, she vehemently declares that Ed bears no resemblance to her whatsoever. In a moment of raw emotion, she labels Ed a gynephiliac—a man who finds erotic pleasure in women's bodies. She accuses him of seeing this as his ultimate means to penetrate a woman's world, a privilege he was denied in his youth. Christine's words strike a chord deep within Ed, hitting him with a force that leaves him reeling. He laments that nothing makes sense anymore, and with that, the two abruptly end their call.
Meanwhile, at the mental institution, a new nurse named Roz makes her entrance. Her first act is to forbid Ed from indulging in his crossdressing, a prohibition that sends him into a tailspin of frustration. As he grapples with this newfound restriction, Ed begins to hear voices whispering in his ear, urging him to commit a heinous act against Roz. One fateful night, Ed's mind becomes a stage for a macabre hallucination, where he envisions himself taking Roz's life. When he awakens the next morning, a twisted sense of elation washes over him.
Yet, reality comes crashing back when Ed spots Roz standing outside his dorm room. The sight of her sends him spiraling into a breakdown. His therapist, sensing the turmoil, summons Ed to his office. There, Ed unburdens himself, recounting his supposed conversations with Ilse, Christine, and the malevolent voices in his head that urge him to kill.
The doctor, with a measured tone, drops a bombshell: the ham radio Ed claims to have used to communicate with Ilse and Christine is nothing more than a non-functional relic. He then reveals the chilling diagnosis—Ed has schizophrenia, and in both instances, he was merely talking to himself. The doctor posits that this could be the underlying cause of Ed's heinous acts against Bernice, Mary, or the other women he unearthed and mutilated.
In an attempt to bring some semblance of calm to Ed's fractured mind, the doctor prescribes medication. As the episode draws to a close, Ed is seen taking a pill from Roz's hand and, in a moment of unexpected tenderness, embracing her.
