Initial Impressions of 'The Shards' Episode 1

After binge-watching ‘Love Story: John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette,’ I dove into ‘The Shards,’ a new FX thriller co-created by Ryan Murphy and Bret Easton Ellis. The first episode is a visually opulent, blockbuster-style introduction to 1980s Los Angeles, though the show’s core remains unclear.

Location, Location, Location

The panoramic overhead shots of LA—is that the Vista or Los Feliz 3?—immediately sparked a desire to escape and see a movie. I'm scheduled to watch ‘One Night Only’ in North Hollywood, hoping for an empty theater.

Early observations include a redhead destined for a brutal fate, an upside-down medicine cabinet, and a general sense of impending horror. The use of missing-pet flyers is particularly distressing.

Comparing Ellis’s use of “this boy” to ‘The Shining,’ and a cringe-worthy reference to TikTok, highlights the disconnect between past and present. The soundtrack, heavily reliant on synths, evokes ‘Black Mirror’s’ ‘San Junipero.’

The scene with Kaia Gerber and the discussion about ‘rad’ and the possibility of renting the Beverly Hills Hotel underscore the era’s excess. The unsettling imagery and dialogue, like the line about pâté, are characteristic of a Ryan Murphy production.

Despite my initial discomfort, the arrangement of the dead body, revealed to be a mascot statue, feels typical of the show’s style.