As audiences watched the gripping new FX series “Grotesquerie” unfold over its first six episodes, they likely felt they had a handle on the show’s premise—a detective on the hunt for a serial killer with a penchant for macabre crime scenes. However, Episode 7 delivered a massive twist that turned the entire narrative on its head.
In a shocking reveal, viewers learned that the reality they had been watching was not reality at all, but rather the comatose fantasy of the show’s protagonist, Lois Tryon (played by Emmy-winner Niecy Nash-Betts). Lois, it turns out, is not a hard-nosed detective chasing a killer, but rather a woman trapped in her own mind, with her husband Marshall (Courtney B. Vance) not in a coma but healthy, and her daughter Merritt (Raven Goodwin), a successful cancer researcher, not the troubled youth Lois had imagined.
Lois’ partner in the investigation, the seemingly quirky and religious Sister Megan (Micaela Diamond), turns out to be the real-life police chief who has effectively taken over Lois’ role. The dreamlike world Lois has constructed, complete with a serial killer on the loose, is just her psyche’s attempt to make sense of her own comatose state.
“Grotesquerie” creator Ryan Murphy calls the twist a “very big swing” that he’s “never done before” in his acclaimed career, which includes groundbreaking shows like “Nip/Tuck,” “American Horror Story,” and “Pose.”
Murphy told TheWrap, “I’ve never done anything so meticulously designed and worked out in advance.” “It was so fun to do.”
The meticulous planning and secrecy behind the twist is a testament to Murphy’s evolution as a storyteller. Known for his bold, baroque style, the producer has increasingly embraced more conceptual, mind-bending narratives in recent years, something his longtime collaborator, FX Networks chairman John Landgraf, has actively encouraged.
Landgraf expressed their creative partnership by saying, “We’re on the brink of a cliff, and we’re going to jump.” That’s a significant aspect of working with Ryan.
Indeed, Landgraf likened the surreal nature of “Grotesquerie” to the apocalyptic imagery of William Butler Yeats’ poem “The Second Coming,” capturing a sense that the very center of civilization is unraveling.
“There are times when the center of a civilization feels like it’s giving way and everything is spinning apart,” Landgraf said. “[Ryan] captured that feeling, and it feels like a fever dream. It feels surreal.”
For Murphy, the inspiration for “Grotesquerie” arose from a desire to grapple with the existential dread and “calamitous things” he feels are permeating the modern world, from climate change to the erosion of reproductive rights. By couching these weighty themes within the framework of a psychological thriller, Murphy has crafted a uniquely unsettling viewing experience.
“I feel like the world is a horror series,” Murphy said. “When I wrote [‘Grotesquerie’] with Robbie Baitz and Joe Baken, we were just talking about our existential dread. Global warming, the overturning of Roe v. Wade, and the COVID pandemic were all integral aspects of the work. Everything is in there.”
The challenge for FX in marketing “Grotesquerie” has been balancing the need to respect the twist’s secrecy with the desire to accurately convey the show’s unconventional nature to potential viewers. Landgraf acknowledged that some viewers have mistaken “Grotesquerie” for a mere reimagining of “American Horror Story,” despite its distinct nature.
“A lot of people have said, ‘This is just a weak season of “American Horror Story.” ‘Well, no, it’s not ‘American Horror Story,'” Landgraf said. “You’re interpreting it through the prism of ‘American Horror Story,’ which is always completely straightforward and obvious in terms of what it is fundamentally about. This is a distinct form of existential horror.
As Murphy and Landgraf’s long-running partnership continues to evolve, the producer’s return to the FX fold under Disney’s ownership represents an exciting new chapter. While Murphy will continue to develop projects across the Disney ecosystem, including Hulu and ABC, he sees FX as the “Tiffany” of the corporation’s television verticals, a place where he can continue to push creative boundaries.
The mind-bending twists and turns of “Grotesquerie” reveal that Murphy is just beginning his latest ambitious endeavor. Landgraf hinted that the revelations in Episode 7 are merely the beginning, and the remaining episodes will reveal more layers of reality. “This is actually like a Russian nesting doll,” Landgraf said. “It has multiple different levels of meaning past the first reveal.”