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In 1980, during a “very special episode” of Siskel & Ebert, Roger Ebert made a provocative claim about the emerging genre of “slasher” horror films: “these films hate women.”

Whether that’s true—and why—is a little more complicated. Dr. Lisa Wade, founder of the blog Sociological Images, helps me break down the complexity of the role of women in horror movies. We’ll discuss what these films say about our sense of morality and justice. And we’ll travel all the way back to 18th century London, to meet Tom Nero, arguably the horror genre’s original serial villain.

Next Week: “Series in Decline”