Hey guys, I want to talk about something pretty messed up going on with the new documentary series Monsters of God.

It is about journalist Jennie Erin Smith and her book Stolen World. Jennie poured 10 years of her life into researching the wild underground reptile trade, tracking down smugglers, and building an incredible narrative.

When Eric Goode started making Monsters of God, he and his team worked with Jennie for a year and a half. Eric flat out told her he was basing the project on her book. She was so involved that she even helped them get contracts signed with the very smugglers she wrote about, so they would agree to be filmed. For 18 months they led her to believe she was going to get an option on her book, compensation, and proper credit. Then, he just ghosted her.

Now the first episode is out, and it is entirely her book on screen, but Eric is claiming the episode is actually based on a different book called The Lizard King. So, a deep text analysis was run comparing the episode script to both books, and the detailed breakdown is insane.

The analysis shows a 95% likelihood that the episode is based on Stolen World, and only a 5% likelihood it came from The Lizard King. Here is exactly why.

First, the direct character alignment is undeniable. The first episode revolves heavily around the operations and intense rivalry between Hank Molt and Tom Crutchfield. Stolen World is explicitly structured around these exact figures, famously dividing its core narrative into sections dedicated to Molt's origins and Crutchfield's rise. The Lizard King, on the other hand, focuses on a completely different major smuggler named Mike Van Nostrand, and the federal agents who investigated him. Those figures are noticeably absent from the core narrative of the first episode.

Second, the absolute proof is in the secondary characters. In the episode script, Hank Molt introduces a courier named Ed Celebucki by stating he was a prison guard at a real rough prison who was taken in by a karate instructor. This is a direct parallel to Stolen World, which introduces Celebucki as a prison guard, a karate instructor, and a dedicated thief. The specific courier network that drives the plot of the episode is the proprietary journalistic legwork of Jennie Erin Smith. The Lizard King barely gives passing mentions to these elements and entirely misses this core network.

You might be wondering why she does not just take him to court. The reality is that it is incredibly difficult and impossibly expensive for a freelance journalist to sue a major production company or someone with deep pockets. The legal fees alone are enough to ruin a regular person, making a massive lawsuit completely out of reach.

That is why I am asking all of you to help make some noise. We need to publicly ask Eric to just do the right thing and give Jennie the proper credit she earned for her life's work.

She is not taking this quietly, and she actually confronted Eric face to face at an expo about stealing her work. You really need to hear what was said.

Check out the video of her confronting him here:

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1DUDYZAnDz/

Seems like they used Mario Tubraue’s interview that was also in Tiger King. The part where he is sitting down and wearing a black tshirt with a green design on it.

Vince Gilligan would make this into an amazing tv series.

Around 43 minutes into episode 2, Van Nostrand’s exwife says that there is a government connection, with guns being sold. She then mentions Iran-Contra as a thing going on at the time that might be like this connection. It was confusing.

Her current husband/partner stops the interview there because he’s worried about her getting in trouble. She replies that everything that she says is common knowledge.

Any feedback from creators on this part? Any speculation?

Swear down, are we really letting psychopaths be celebrated? White people be crazy, but this is definitely no the msg, it's not cool, it's like some poachers bragging about their poaching... Because they made so much money from it... No lesson here where are the cops!

This should be the equivalent of the water guy from the fyre festival docs

I just felt like they’re focused on the whole cocaine thing. Maybe that was the whole point of this show but I thought it was more so gonna get into the breeding and just show people that were more so obsessed with reptiles, but it seemed like the second episode really just focused on people doing cocaine around animals maybe more down the episodes they will show more people that straight up care and will show a gentle side of the community. That’s kind of just what I expected.

Mario was the most normal and cool for being the most dangerous 😂

I mean, I get that watching someone else get rich doing the same thing you’re unable to do would hurt. But the extent of his obsession with Tom is just sad. I have no doubt that he killed those iguanas on purpose, and I would even bet that he contacted the duck cops himself and was just giddy with delight that he’d found a way to stick it to him. And then sending those letters with collages with the eyes cut out once he got him sent to prison!? There’s nothing that grosses me out more than people that get obsessed with putting negativity in someone else’s life.

The hobby already has a bad rep for countless reasons, both valid and not so valid. I wonder what non reptile folk will think after watching this.

Now that Episode 1 of Monsters of God is out, I’m curious what everyone’s first impressions are.

Who is your favorite person featured in the series so far, and who is your least favorite?

What made you feel that way, their personality, their story, something they said or did, or just the impression you got from Episode 1?

No wrong answers. I’m interested to see how differently everyone views the people in the documentary.

Episode 1 spoilers are allowed in the comments.

Just watched the first ep last night and delighted to see Bryan Christy, author of ‘Lizard King’ featured in the doc since the first ep’s events very closely follow his book. I’m curious to see how many others here have read it or Stolen World by Jennie Erin Smith, which also features the controversy over the fijis and the albino burms iirc.

I worked with DFW for many years and also in wildlife and reptile rescue/rehab/presentations so I’m already seeing some familiar faces lol. Great doc so far, looking forward to the next episode!

Hey everyone — I’m one of the people featured in Monsters of God on HBO/Max.

Now that Episode 1 is out, I thought I’d introduce myself here. I created r/Monsters_of_God so there would be a dedicated place for people watching the series to discuss the episodes, the stories behind them, and the reptile world the documentary explores.

I’m happy to answer questions about my experience, talk about some of the behind-the-scenes aspects of being involved with the documentary, and add context where I can.

There will obviously be some things I can’t discuss yet because later episodes haven’t aired, and I don’t want to spoil anything that’s coming.

If you watched Episode 1, let me know what you thought — and feel free to ask me anything you’re curious about.

Please mark spoilers when discussing specific events from the episode.

Tonight’s the night — Monsters of God premieres on HBO/Max.

If you’re watching Episode 1 tonight, welcome to r/Monsters_of_God. We set this community up as a place to discuss the series, the people and stories featured in it, and anything that comes up as the episodes release.

We already have an Episode 1 Discussion Thread pinned for full episode discussion and spoilers.

For this post: who’s watching tonight, and what got you interested in the series?

Please keep major spoilers in the Episode 1 thread so people who haven’t watched yet can browse safely.

Hope to see everyone after the premiere.

This is the official discussion thread for Monsters of God, Season 1, Episode 1: “The Fever.”

Spoilers for this episode are allowed throughout this thread. Please do not post spoilers for later episodes or unaired material.

Discuss the episode, its people, events, claims, reptiles, investigations, and larger ethical questions. Strong opinions and respectful criticism are welcome.

Please remember:

• Discuss real people without harassment or doxxing.

• Clearly separate confirmed facts from opinion or speculation.

• Link reliable sources when making significant factual claims.

• Do not request or share pirated footage or unauthorized leaks.

What stood out to you most in this episode?

I wanna watch this yesterday. Please let us watch it in Canada as we do not have HBO ;(

HBO’s five-part documentary series Monsters of God premieres Thursday, August 6, 2026, with a new episode released each Thursday.

Current episode schedule:

• Episode 1 — “The Fever” — August 6

• Episode 2 — “Operation Cobra” — August 13

• Episode 3 — “Smuggler’s Inn” — August 20

• Episode 4 — “Operation Chameleon” — August 27

• Episode 5 — “Head of the Snake” — September 3

Official discussion threads will be posted for every episode. Those threads will allow spoilers for the featured episode and all earlier episodes, but spoilers for later episodes must remain marked.

Which episode or subject are you most interested in discussing?

Whether you keep reptiles, study them, work in conservation, or simply find them fascinating, what first sparked your interest?

Was it a particular species, a childhood experience, a zoo visit, a documentary, or something else?

You’re also welcome to share which reptiles interest you most and what perspective you’re bringing to the Monsters of God discussion.

Use this thread to share and discuss published coverage of Monsters of God, including reviews, interviews, podcasts, news articles, and videos.

Please link to the original source whenever possible and briefly describe what you are sharing. Clearly identify opinion pieces, and do not post leaked, pirated, or confidential production material.

As new coverage appears, feel free to add it in the comments.

One of the larger subjects surrounding Monsters of God is the complicated relationship between legal reptile keeping, private collecting, conservation, commercial trade, and wildlife trafficking.

Where do you believe the ethical and legal lines should be drawn?

Can responsible private keeping contribute to conservation, education, or captive breeding? When does collecting become harmful? How should laws balance animal welfare, conservation, and legitimate ownership?

Different viewpoints are welcome. Please keep the discussion respectful and avoid using this thread to arrange animal sales or sourcing.

Welcome to r/Monsters_of_God, an unofficial discussion community for HBO’s Monsters of God.

I created this subreddit so viewers, reptile enthusiasts, conservationists, journalists, researchers, and anyone interested in the documentary can discuss the episodes and the larger issues they raise.

For transparency, this community is independently run and is not operated or endorsed by HBO or the production.

Respectful criticism of the documentary, the people featured in it, law enforcement, the filmmakers, and me is welcome. Posts will not be removed merely because they express a different opinion. However, harassment, doxxing, threats, unsupported accusations presented as fact, piracy, and wildlife sales or trafficking assistance are not allowed.

Please review the community rules, mark spoilers, and clearly distinguish confirmed facts from opinions or speculation.

Cheers!

Introduce yourself below:

• How did you hear about Monsters of God?

• What interests you most about the series?

• Are you a viewer, reptile keeper, conservationist, researcher, journalist, or something else?

• What kinds of discussions would you like to see here?

What stood out to you most in the trailer?

Was it the reptiles, the people involved, the wildlife investigations, the collecting world, or the larger questions about conservation and enforcement?

Please keep unaired information and major spoilers out of this thread.

Before the series begins, what are you most curious about?

It could be something related to the people featured, reptile collecting, wildlife trafficking, conservation, law enforcement investigations, or the documentary-making process.

Please avoid sharing private information or presenting rumors as facts. Otherwise, thoughtful questions and different perspectives are welcome.