The Shards Review: Ryan Murphy’s Thriller Drowns in Excess

Ryan Murphy has never been the kind of creator audiences feel neutral about. His name is attached to some of television’s biggest modern hits, including “Glee,” “American Horror Story,” and “Pose,” but his work also has a reputation for making baffling creative turns. One recurring complaint is that Murphy-backed shows can start strong, only to stumble badly by the ending. Since the final episode of “The Shards” was not made available for review ahead of the premiere, it is hard to say whether this series will avoid that familiar trap. Based on what was provided, though, confidence is limited.

“The Shards” adapts Bret Easton Ellis’ 2023 novel of the same name, a semi-autobiographical story that began life as a podcast before being published in book form. The novel has maintained a solid four-star rating on Goodreads, even as some critical responses elsewhere have been less enthusiastic. I have not read Ellis’ book, so this review is based entirely on the screen adaptation. What emerges is a lurid, stylish, and often entertaining drama about wealthy, self-absorbed teenagers — which, frankly, is more or less what a viewer might expect from this material.

Set in Los Angeles in 1981, “The Shards” follows a tight circle of privileged teens living with little adult oversight and easy access to drugs, sex, parties, and all the recklessness that comes with them. Bret Ellis, played by Igby Rigney, spends most of his time with his girlfriend Debbie Schaffer (Hayes Warner) and their friends Thom Wright (Graham Campbell) and Susan Reynolds (Kaia Gerber). Beneath the polished surface, however, Bret is hiding several truths. He is in love with Susan, who is already in a serious relationship with Thom, and he is also secretly hooking up with men, a part of his life no one around him knows about.

When the four friends are introduced, they are about to begin their senior year of high school, and chaos quickly takes over. This is early-’80s Los Angeles, an era shadowed by notorious serial killers, and the teens soon have one of their own to fear: the Trawler. This is not a spoiler, since it unfolds in the first episode, but viewers who are especially sensitive to violence involving animals may want to proceed with caution — or avoid the show altogether. The tension escalates further with the arrival of Robert Mallory (Homer Gere), a magnetic and unsettling new student whose presence throws the group off balance. As the murders intensify, the questions pile up: Who is the Trawler’s next target? Does Robert understand more about the killings than he admits? And what exactly is he concealing?

Calling “The Shards” camp does not feel quite right, even though Ryan Murphy productions have often invited that label and, at times, seemed to embrace it as a signature style. This series appears too self-serious to fully qualify. Its bigger problem is that there is simply too much happening at once. The source novel runs more than 600 pages, and that density is obvious in the adaptation’s crowded collection of storylines. One moment, the show is deep in the gruesome terror of the Trawler murders; the next, it pivots to a subplot about who will be crowned homecoming queen. Many of these individual threads are watchable on their own, but together they do not always form a smooth or coherent narrative.

To the cast’s credit, they don’t get caught up in that mess. Igby Rigney plays a believable, pretentious teenager who’s simultaneously “smart for his age” but also appropriately naive for a high schooler. Hayes Warner also does a great job in her acting debut, as the spoiled yet always-coming-in-second Debbie, who you can’t help but root for. But my favorite of the bunch has to be Jordan Roth as Steven Reinhardt, the long-suffering assistant to Debbie’s skeezy dad Terry (Wes Bentley). Steven’s sharp wit and devilish humor are so fun to watch, and Roth absolutely nails it. And finally, I’d be remiss to leave out Evan Rachel Wood as Debbie’s mother Liz — another iconic role for an iconic actress. I also have to give credit to the soundtrack, which is killer and does a great job of capturing the early-’80s atmosphere.

At the end of the day, this is a fun show that really tries to sell you on the mystery and drama at hand. Do we need another TV series about attractive, rich, white teens who go through something terrible? Probably not. On the other hand, “The Shards” has enough suspense and a solid enough cast to keep you engaged. If you’re a fan of other recent Ryan Murphy thrillers, this will be an entertaining show to binge-watch over a weekend. But ultimately, the messy script and overloaded plot keep it from reaching the heights of his better work.

“The Shards” premieres with its first two episodes at 9 p.m. on August 5 on FX and Hulu.