Season 1 – The Shards

Play trailer

1:00

Aug 2026

Crime

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

55%

Tomatometer

58 Reviews

47%

Popcornmeter

100+ Ratings

FX's "The Shards" is a seductive drama series based on the acclaimed bestselling novel of the same name. Set against the vivid backdrop of 1980s Los Angeles, the series follows Bret, an aspiring writer and observant teenager at an elite prep school, and his glamorous social circle as they navigate identity, sex, jealousy, obsession and the dangers beneath American adolescence. Their privileged world of wealth, beauty, parties and excess begins to unravel with the arrival of Robert Mallory, a mysterious and magnetic new student whose appearance coincides with the terror of The Trawler, a serial killer targeting teenagers across the city.

Watch on Disney+

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

The combination of Ryan Murphy and Bret Easton Ellis should elicit magnanimously pulpy TV, but instead The Shards relegates itself to obtuse style with mildly entertaining substance.

Read Critics Reviews

Geordie Gray

The Australian

Aug 19, 2026

It is excessive, tremendous, stupid fun.

Go to Full Review

Wenlei Ma

The Nightly (AU)

Aug 19, 2026

What should have been a hedonistic adventure through the underworld of 1980s Los Angeles privilege and deviance is strangely dull and impactless.

Go to Full Review

Leo Lasdun

The New Yorker

Aug 13, 2026

Murphy obviously wasn’t interested in making a direct adaptation of Ellis’s novel, and most of the time it’s unclear what, exactly, he did want to do with the material.

Go to Full Review

LaNeysha Campbell

But Why Tho?

5 days ago

6/10

The Shards Season 1 has a glossy, stylish aesthetic that captures the flair of the '80s, and its graphic horror and psychological themes make the show watchable, but it is not a must-watch by any means.

Go to Full Review

David Opie

Metro Weekly (Washington, DC)

Aug 31, 2026

4/5

Far from dull, this extremely cinematic spin on "the age of serial killers" shines throughout, as sharp and luxurious as it is trashy and depraved.

Go to Full Review

Ty'Kira Smalls

Common Sense Media

Aug 15, 2026

3/5

This series is a seductive spiral into insanity, padded with (self)-obsession and synthwave.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Victor K

@Paukd15900 9 hrs ago

The beginning felt a little contrived but it def gets better as the season progresses, it sort of is a serial killer whodunit set in Beverly Hills in the early 80s. Character development happens later in the season. Only issue is the characters are in their late 20s to mid 30s playing teenagers so it looks a little odd but love the aesthetic and music.

Taij N

@couchsinker 1 day ago

Love!! Every episode is different yet amazing

R T

@RT44902894 2 days ago

A little corny at times, but it has kept my attention

Julia N

@RT19899798 3 days ago

Igby is a wonderful Bret his blonde girlfriend also fits. What doesn’t is the bones older woman who plays Susan, it feels rapey/ terrible acting. The sets are cool but if the lighting had more smoke/ more neon in their faces that would help feeling that era.

Joseph R

@RT62070091 3 days ago

Love the show especially the 80’s aesthetic. Pure escapism from one of my favorite producers!!

Ed M

@EdM360 3 days ago

Talk about unlikeable characters. Yuk.

Read all reviews

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Kaia Gerber

Actor

Wes Bentley

Actor

Evan Rachel Wood

Actor

Homer Gere

Actor

Graham Campbell

Thom Wright

Igby Rigney

Actor

Episode 1

Aired Aug 5, 2026

Pilot

It's the summer of 1981 in Los Angeles; a series of crimes coincides with the arrival of a new student in Bret's orbit.

Details

Episode 2

Aired Aug 5, 2026

Don't You Want Me

Bret digs deeper into Robert's murky past and uncovers some evidence.

Details

Episode 3

Aired Aug 12, 2026

Help Me! Rhonda

A beloved student's sudden disappearance causes chaos for the senior class.

Details

Episode 4

Aired Aug 12, 2026

Robert's Party

Susan's welcome party for Robert is overshadowed by a violent incident.

Details

Episode 5

Aired Aug 19, 2026

Murder on the Dance Floor

A televised dance competition culminates with a horrifying showstopper; written for television by Ryan Murphy and Charles Rogers; directed by Ryan Murphy.

Details

Episode 6

Aired Aug 26, 2026

Homecoming Part One

"Troubled" Debbie is galvanized by a new extracurricular.

Details

Episode 7

Aired Aug 26, 2026

Homecoming Part Two

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

Details

Episode 8

Aired Sep 2, 2026

Hamlet

Something turns rotten in the state of California, as two blackmail plots reveal two devastating secrets. Written for Television by Lenore Zion & Charles Rogers & Juli Weiner. Directed by Max Minghella.

Details

Episode 9

Aired Sep 9, 2026

Stairway to Heaven

With the city on lockdown, Debbie hosts a Halloween party that will change everything.

Details

Episode 10

Aired Sep 2, 2026

Episode 110

In the 1980s Los Angeles, aspiring writer Bret and his elite prep school circle navigate identity, desire and obsession as a magnetic new student arrives amid a serial killer's reign of terror.

Details

The Shards: Season 1 Trailer - This Season On