Grotesquerie: Ryan Murphy's Horror TV Series, Explained

Summary

Grotesquerie centers around a serial killer in a small town with strong religious beliefs, reflecting modern fears.
The show features a talented cast, including Travis Kelce, and explores complex characters like Father Charlie.
Grotesquerie has 10 episodes airing on FX and Disney+, with a finale on October 30th, offering a gory, mysterious, and terrifying story.

Ryan Murphy may have started his TV career with teenage-focused shows like Popular and Glee, but in the past few years, he has cemented himself in the horror space with beloved series such as American Horror Story. While fans are waiting for American Horror Stories season 4, which will premiere on Huluween in mid-October 2024, Murphy has another new show on the air: Grotesquerie.

While Murphy often has several TV shows airing at the same time, he doesn't always talk about his projects before they make it to fans' TV screens. Grostequerie has an intriguing and mysterious title since it's not a word that people hear all the time. What is the new Ryan Murphy series about and what should fans know about it?

What Is Grotesquerie About?

While there is a new Canadian TV drama called Murder in a Small Town, which gets right to the heart of what the story is about, Ryan Murphy's Grotesquerie is also about a serial killer hunting people in a small town. This series, however, stands out because it has a religious aspect. Like Mike Flanagan's brilliant and genuinely scary Netflix horror series Midnight Mass, Grotesquerie is about a town with strong religious beliefs. The series features a priest named Father Charlie, a nun named Sister Megan, and Detective Lois Tryon, who is trying to find the killer.

While there are countless series about killers turning a small town upside down, this is a classic setting for a reason, and it always works. Grotesquerie is different since when Ryan Murphy approached it, he wanted the series to be about modern fears. He told The Wrap a bit more about the tone of Grotesquerie and said:

"I loved writing about something that I was feeling, which is ‘Why is the world on fire? Is nobody going to restore order?' It does feel like the serial killer in ‘Grotesquerie’ is a metaphor for all of the anxieties that we feel.”

While Murphy's other scary TV shows can get dark and bloody, many would say that Grotesquerie is much gorier, which adds to the creepiness factor. Compared to a villain like Twisty the Clown, the serial killer in Murphy's new series is more mysterious, which also makes this a more terrifying story.

Who Stars In Grotesquerie?

Grotesquerie features a talented cast including Nicey Nash-Betts, Nicholas Alexander Chavez, Lesley Manville, Raven Goodwin, Micaela Diamond, and Courtney B. Vance. Travis Kelce also appears as a character named Ed Lachlan. While some might be surprised to hear that an athlete has a role in this series, Nash praised Kelce's performance in the show. She told USA Today, "I think people are going to be pleasantly surprised by him in this."

Several of the Grotesquerie cast members have had long TV careers. Nash-Betts starred on Getting On, Murphy's great horror comedy Scream Queens, Claws, and Never Have I Ever. Manville has had many credits including The Crown, and Diamond is a singer beloved for her turn in Parade who also starred in a few episodes of the quirky TV drama Elsbeth.

In an interview with The Wrap, Nicholas Alexander Chavez, who also stars in Murphy's Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, talked about playing Father Charlie and said he's a complicated character. This is true of many people in Murphy's projects, including Sibhoan Corban (Kim Kardashian) in American Horror Story season 12. Chavez said:

“He’s a very conflicted character. The way he sees himself and the way he sees the world around him, it often doesn’t line up with what he says he believes. He’s willing to take big risks to get what he wants."

Max Winkler directed a few episodes of Grotesquerie, and he has been behind the camera on many of Murphy's shows. These include American Horror Story, American Horror Stories, and Monster: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.

Where To Watch Grotesquerie

There are 10 episodes of Grotesquerie and the show is airing on FX and streaming on Disney+. The first two episodes premiered on September 25th, 2024, followed by episodes three and four on October 2nd, 2024. Episodes five and six will air on October 9th, episode seven will air on October 16th, and episodes eight and nine will air on October 23rd. Then, the season 1 finale of Grostequerie will air on October 30th.

While horror fans can stream seasons 1 to 3 of American Horror Stories before diving into the new season, they can also check out Grosterquerie and see if they can guess who the killer is before the season 1 finale.