The Shards Review
Director: Ryan Murphy
Date Created: 2026-08-07 01:55
3.5
The Shards Review: Created by Ryan Murphy and based on Bret Easton Ellis’ novel of the same name, the FX series stars Igby Rigney as Bret, Homer Gere as Robert Mallory, Graham Campbell as Thom Wright, Kaia Gerber as Susan Reynolds, Hayes Warner as Debbie Schaffer, Evan Rachel Wood as Liz Schaffer, Wes Bentley as Terry Schaffer and others.
Taking place in Los Angeles in the early 1980s, this series revolves around the story of Brett, a high school senior whose world starts falling apart when a new transfer student, Robert Mallory, comes along. On top of all this, there is a notorious serial killer in town named the Trawler who is creating havoc by murdering people and leaving behind bloody scenes. All of this makes Brett suspect Robert is involved in these murders, and soon enough suspicion turns into obsession for him.
The Shards Episode 1 Recap
The Shards Episode 1 introduces Bret, a high school senior residing in Los Angeles in the 1980s, whose seemingly ideal life is marred by a series of brutal killings carried out by a serial killer called the Trawler. During one of his trips to see The Shining, Bret comes across Robert, a mysterious young man, whose presence immediately makes an impact on him. In the meantime, another teenager gets killed by the Trawler, following which she has had some frightening experiences of being entered into her house. Bret hangs out at school with a close-knit circle of rich friends, but it soon turns out that his personal life is anything but ideal.
Even though he is in a relationship with Debbie, he is confused about his sexuality and feels safe in the company of Matt. At Debbie’s family gathering, Bret has a few awkward moments with her parents until he finally meets Robert, who has been recently transferred to their school. Robert’s odd demeanour and denial of meeting Bret before make him even more suspicious. As he tries to track Robert in order to find out more, their interactions become increasingly tense and turn into an uncomfortable encounter. Another shocking murder takes place in the town, and Bret gets a phone call from Trawler at the end of the episode, indicating that he is now in danger too.
The Shards Episode 2 Recap
In The Shards Episode 2, in the light of the fear that prevails throughout Los Angeles, Brett begins to become more and more certain that Robert is hiding something sinister. As their other classmates begin to get ready to welcome the new student, Brett finds it very difficult to put his trust in him, particularly considering what he has learned about his past. His obsession continues to grow as he tries to distinguish between what he suspects and his paranoia. The investigation regarding the Trawler takes a much more complex turn with the introduction of an evil cult whose activities match those of the killer.
Their relationship comes to a new low due to the suspicious phone calls, missing animals, and disturbing events at Matt’s home as both come to realise that someone is hunting them. Meanwhile, Bret has a growing uneasy experience in sharing a meal with Debbie’s father, Terry, whose manipulative nature and questions reveal a whole other dimension of the dark side that lurks behind their privileged lives.
Robert keeps goading Bret each time they encounter one another, leaving the reader guessing whether Robert is merely enjoying playing mind games with him or not. Towards the end of the episode, the story takes a turn for the worse, as Matt disappears, and his blood-stained items are discovered by Bret, fearing that the Trawler has killed another person.
-Based on FX’s The Shards Episodes 1 and 2-
The Shards Review
The most impressive part of FX’s The Shards is the fact that it does not feel like a generic serial killer case, instead choosing to focus on how fear creeps into Brett’s life through the course of their encounters. Each new meeting with Robert is full of suspicion; yet even Brett can’t always be trusted. It made me ask constantly whether Robert was indeed a danger to Brett, or was Brett’s paranoia simply leading him to draw connections that were not there.
Another aspect that I found particularly interesting about the show is that it doesn’t make it easy for the audience to cheer for Bret. This character may be very smart, but he is extremely insecure and always keeping certain parts of himself hidden from virtually everyone. His lack of genuine feelings in relation to Debbie is a result of his desperate desire to appear normal, while his complex relationship with Matt shows that Bret is actually a far more vulnerable person than he appears to be. His personal issues are just as significant for the plot as the crime he tries to solve because they help to understand why Bret reacts so strongly every time Robert turns up.
On the other hand, Robert remains by far the most intriguing character to be introduced thus far. This time around, the show does not attempt to provide a quick explanation for his mysterious persona. The denial of simple encounters, taunting Bret, and showing up at every turn of Bret’s makes one feel very uncomfortable without resorting to some gimmicky horror elements. Any interaction between the two becomes some sort of mind game in which no one seems ready to say what he truly means. Does Robert manipulate Bret, or does he just enjoy seeing him lose it? I think the ambiguity was a better choice for me.
Another aspect of Trawler that deserves commendation is the fact that the plot is not just for decorative purposes. From the loss of pets to strange home invasions, anonymous telephone calls and increasingly gruesome murders, the overall environment is such that no one feels secure anymore. Personally, I liked the way in which these events affect the minds of the characters rather than just being shocking. Ordinary scenes of friends bonding and kids returning from school have an air of unease to them thanks to the constant possibility of danger looming around the corner.
In terms of performances, the actors know precisely what type of story they are in. Rigney gives a performance that restrains Bret from becoming too melodramatic and helps the fear and the curiosity grow organically. Another great actor is Homer Gere, who plays the character Robert, who is both charismatic and eerie at the same time. Each smile and every single evasive answer makes you doubt whether or not he can be trusted. Their conversations are definitely the best parts of the show since they create suspense only using words.
However, the FX series The Shards is not perfect either. Sometimes it slows down too much for certain scenes, focusing more on conversations than needed. At other times, there are instances where Bret’s inner monologues give away more information than is needed, taking away the mystery the images are able to convey on their own. Certain secondary characters are currently being used only to add another piece to the psychological puzzle that is Bret.
FX The Shards Review: Summing Up
Overall, The Shards series is an interesting thriller with many captivating character interactions that make it hard to put down due to its slowly unfolding mystery. Although there are moments where the pace can get a little trying, and some of the characters lack depth, the conflict between Bret and Robert and the scary Trawler create one of the best psychological thrillers that is currently available on the streaming platform.
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