The Shards

The Shards is an FX television drama series executive produced by Ryan Murphy and co-created by Bret Easton Ellis, adapting Ellis's 2023 semi-autobiographical novel. Set in 1981 Los Angeles, the retro thriller follows a group of wealthy high school prep students at the Buckley school whose lives are upended by the arrival of a mysterious classmate and a wave of violence orchestrated by a serial killer known as The Trawler.

The nine-episode inaugural season stars 23-year-old Igby Rigney as a fictionalized 17-year-old version of Bret Easton Ellis, alongside Wes Bentley as Terry and Hayes Warner as Debbie. The series features a dark retro soundtrack curated from a massive personal playlist provided by Ellis, blending mainstream 1980s hits with period-accurate deep cuts to recreate the atmospheric tone of Southern California.

During its debut broadcast, the production addressed complex character dynamics and dark plot points while executive producer Brad Simpson revealed that Ellis maintained a hands-off creative role, watching weekly broadcasts from home as a regular viewer. Following the dramatic conclusion of its final episode, discussion centered on the narrative arc and whether FX would renew the series for a second season.