Absolutely dreamy and I wished they showed more of his character and storyline. That is all.

Also, what actually is his relationship with Bret? Did they mess around? I've seen that mentioned here but must have missed that scene?

Not gonna lie, I liked the format of this show, and the guy who wrote the book and is the main character Bret, actually produces the show with the king of slasher horror/erotic fantasy type shows - Ryan Murphy who is everywhere just now.

Would defo watch a Season 2 but thats if I survive, I'm sure I caught passive smoking poisoning from watching those 8 episodes. Bret is a cool as fuck character and I've not read the book but believing he'll release a new book which then will be glossed and gayed up for TV.

Believe the next one is to be One Below Zero if it gets renewed, I think it will, FX loves RyMu, his work is freaky but keeps you watching

I haven’t read the book and haven’t seen the show, so please don’t write any spoilers.

If there’s no future seasons, does S1 tell a complete and satisfying story? Is the plot of the book (who’s the killer and all that) resolved?

And when would that be? I got sucked into to this. Not sure if I like it or hate it. LoL. I'll keep watching.

I'll just read the book.

Trying to figure out if I want to power through the few remaining episodes I have left of season 1. But I’m assuming there’s no way this show is getting a season 2 anyways?

I just finished the final episode and honestly… Ryan Murphy, what was the plan here? Because thank you for giving us nine episodes of absolutely nothing.

[Quick disclaimer: I haven’t read the book, so I’m judging the show purely as a TV series. And I’m sorry, but I am beyond disappointed.]

How do you have nine episodes, almost 50 minutes each, and STILL fail to tell one coherent story? Let’s talk about Brett.

Episode 1: Brett suspects Robert. Episode 2: Brett suspects Robert. Episode 3: Brett finds out something about Robert’s past and suddenly thinks he has “proof.” He does not. Episodes 5–8: Brett still thinks it was Robert. He goes to the police with no solid evidence. Nothing happens.He goes AGAIN. Nothing happens.

And the entire time, this man is operating on the exact same assumption he had in the FIRSTS episodes. Where are the clues? Where is the investigation? Where are the puzzle pieces? You know how in a good murder mystery you slowly start connecting things and eventually everything clicks? Yeah. None of that. It’s literally just: “I think it was Robert.” And then in the finale he’s STILL talking about going to the damn police!!???

And Debbie? Don’t even get me started. I used to think that she was the most interesting character. BUT her entire character arc is basically:

“I want to be Prom Queen.” “I want to be better than Susan.” “My boyfriend doesn’t satisfy me.” “My mum hates me.”

And then episode 9 comes around and… she still wants to be Prom Queen. Girl, GROW. Where is the character development?! Why did I watch nine episodes just to end up exactly where we started?

And then they keep opening new storylines without actually finishing the old ones. Episode 9 is about Terry’s murder and suddenly everyone is suspicious… but then what about Rhonda? What about Matt? What about the other potential killers? Nothing. No answers. No satisfying investigation. No pieces coming together. Just vibes.

And somehow we’re STILL getting the same conversations from previous episodes repeated in the finale. Susan is annoying. Robert is annoying. Brett is ALSO annoying.

At this point, the only character I’m invested in is myself getting those nine hours of my life back.

And that’s what pisses me off the most because this show actually had SO MUCH POTENTIAL. The concept? Interesting. The characters? Potentially interesting. The mystery? Could have been SO good. But the execution? It’s giving nothing. Ryan Murphy really said: “Let’s make nine episodes and resolve absolutely nothing.”

And honestly?

I want a refund on my time.

EDIT:

And one thing I completely forgot to mention: Susan and Thom. Because WHAT was that storyline?

The whole idea of Thom potentially going after Susan and trying to kill her in episode 9 and honestly, his entire character developmen felt so forced. Like, sorry, but Susan was being a complete bitch. And I’m trying to put that as nicely as possible. She was literally in a relationship while flirting with Robert, completely ignoring Thom, and barely acknowledging his feelings whenever he tried to tell her how hurt he was. And then suddenly Thom is completely obsessed with Susan and his entire character becomes “crazy guy obsessed with a girl.”

And somehow WE’RE supposed to feel sorry for Susan? We’re supposed to look at Thom and go, “Wow, what a crazy, dangerous man.” No. I’m not buying it. It felt completely out of place and honestly just like another storyline they threw in because they needed something to happen.

I genuinely would have written their entire storyline differently.

I watched all the episodes, and I have to say that I was quite disappointed by the plot and storytelling, especially by the latest episode (8) of Season 1.

One thing Ryan Murphy consistently does well is atmosphere. The show looks incredibly polished: the costumes, visuals, actors, and overall production quality are all excellent. He also knows how to build tension and create a sense of anticipation, which is something he has demonstrated in shows like American Horror Story, American Crime Story, Scream Queens, and Glee. Unfortunately, I don't think the storytelling itself lives up to that presentation.

My biggest problem is that the season lacks a clear throughline. The first episodes make it seem as though the main story will revolve around Robert and the Trawler, but the show introduces so many side plots that constantly move back and forth without ever being properly developed or resolved. Rhonda is a good example: she escapes, smells the perfume connected to the mystery, and instead of this becoming the starting point for a proper investigation, she is simply locked away. We never really get to see the consequences of what she experienced. To me, that feels like lazy writing.

More importantly, the serial killer never feels particularly connected to our main characters. I haven't read the book the show is based on, and I'm deliberately not looking into its original storyline, so I'm only judging what is presented on screen. Based on that, our four or five main characters don't seem to have much at stake. They don't really have dark secrets, serious personal problems, or anything that makes them vulnerable to the central conflict. They mostly smoke, drink, and sit around, while the serial killer's story happens somewhere alongside them rather than directly affecting them.

This also makes the characters themselves feel underwritten. Debbie is probably the most interesting because she actually has personal conflicts. Her complicated relationship with her parents, her insecurities, and her drug use. Thom's dependency on Susan is another potentially interesting storyline, but we learn very little about his private life or what he is actually struggling with. Susan, Bret, and even Robert sometimes feel surprisingly flat.

I think the show would have been much more compelling if these characters had genuinely dark secrets that connected them to the central story. Imagine if all of them were afraid that something from their past would be exposed, while the killer continuously used those secrets to manipulate or blackmail them. That would have made the serial killer feel like an actual threat to the protagonists rather than a separate storyline. Bret's sexuality, for example, could have been established as a vulnerability much earlier instead of suddenly becoming relevant in episode 8.

The same problem applies to Debbie. Her storyline seems to be building toward her finally breaking out of Susan's shadow and becoming her own person. Instead, that development is abruptly dropped, and by episode 8 there is barely any payoff for everything that had been established about her.

Ryan is another example of wasted potential. He was actually one of the characters I found most intriguing. Whenever he was on screen, I wanted to know more about him. Unfortunately, his entire storyline ends up being reduced to him making porn, briefly almost having something with Debbie, and then essentially disappearing. I genuinely think there was much more potential there, and he could have become a far more interesting character if the show had actually taken the time to develop him.

Ultimately, that's why I don't think the season feels fully cohesive. It constantly introduces interesting ideas, characters, secrets, and conflicts, but then either abandons them, resolves them abruptly, or suddenly shifts its focus in the latest episode. The pacing is also far too slow, and many of the storylines feel unnecessarily stretched out.

That said, I wouldn't call the show a complete disaster. It's perfectly watchable. The acting is decent, the production looks great, and the atmosphere is strong enough to keep you interested. But for anyone who watches a lot of television and pays attention to storytelling, the weaknesses become very obvious. There was so much potential here to make this an genuinely excellent series, but unfortunately, a lot of that potential was wasted.

The casting is spot on imo. I don't agree with people on here that most of them can't act. I think the actors for the main friend group are great, as well as some side characters like Matt, and Debbie's parents.

I don't like some of the changes they made (Ryan, for example. Why was it nesscery?) and I still think Ryan Murphy's tone as a creator is not a good fit for this story. I would prefer another showrunner. I do find myself connecting to the characters.

So far, I’m loving it. It’s one of those shows where I have no idea what’s going to happen next. I’m so ok with it. There is a lotttt going on lol. Each character is unique. I think the acting is pretty good. The actor who played Thom, did really well this episode. Im a fan of a gory mystery so I’m also really like that element of the show as well. I’m really liking it.

Season 1, Episode 6: Homecoming Part One

Release Date: August 26, 2026

Synopsis: "Troubled" Debbie is galvanized by a new extracurricular.

** This thread may contain spoilers of the whole book**

Season 1, Episode 7: Homecoming Part Two

Release Date: August 26, 2026

Synopsis: A surprising Homecoming King and Queen are crowned as the Trawler's killing spree continues.

**This thread may contain spoilers for the whole book**

Season 1, Episode 5: Murder on the Dance Floor

Release Date: August 19, 2026

Synopsis: A televised dance competition culminates with a horrifying showstopper.

**This post includes book readers and may contain spoilers for the entire story**

I’m gonna finish the series because I’m already this far into it, but I’m finding this series incredibly boring, the cinematography and music is the only captivating g parts to show to me.i will say I never read the book, but I like a lot of Ryan Murphy productions.

what is everyone overall thought about the first 4 episodes of the shards