# Grotesquerie (TV series)
**Grotesquerie** is an American horror drama television series for FX, created and written by [Ryan Murphy](https://www.edgepedia.org/ryan-murphy-producer), Jon Robin Baitz, and Joe Baken, in which Detective Lois Tryon investigates a series of gruesome, religiously staged murders in a small town alongside a nun and journalist, Sister Megan[1](https://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/grotesquerie). The 10-episode first season premiered on FX on September 25, 2024, and no second season has been produced[1](https://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/grotesquerie) • [2](https://thetvdb.com/series/grotesquerie). Although viewers and critics frequently linked it to Murphy's *American Horror Story*, the network stated it is not an installment of that anthology[3](https://apnews.com/article/7b3d3069ce2bd33fddec0d374ae77f69).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Network / premiere | FX, September 25, 2024; aired Wednesdays at 10:00 pm[2](https://thetvdb.com/series/grotesquerie) |
| Format | 10 episodes in one season, average runtime 45 minutes; rated TV-MA[2](https://thetvdb.com/series/grotesquerie) • [4](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/grotesquerie/) |
| Creators | Written and created by Ryan Murphy, Jon Robin Baitz, and Joe Baken[1](https://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/grotesquerie) |
| Lead cast | Niecy Nash-Betts (Lois Tryon), Micaela Diamond (Sister Megan), Courtney B. Vance (Marshall Tryon), Lesley Manville (Nurse Redd), Nicholas Alexander Chavez (Father Charlie), Raven Goodwin (Merritt Tryon), Travis Kelce[1](https://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/grotesquerie) |
| Directors | Max Winkler, Ryan Murphy, Alexis Martin Woodall, and Elegance Bratton[1](https://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/grotesquerie) |
| Critical reception | Metascore of 51 (mixed or average) from 7 reviews on Metacritic[5](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/grotesquerie/critic-reviews/) |
| Renewal status | No Season 2; one tracking site lists the show as canceled, another lists renewal as unlikely[6](https://isitrenewed.com/show/grotesquerie) • [7](https://garnsguides.com/index-show-status.html) |
## Premise and structure
The series opens as a murder-of-the-week procedural. Detective Lois Tryon, an alcoholic detective whose husband Marshall lies in a coma, is called to a grotesque crime scene involving a family of five and feels the crimes are eerily personal, as if someone or something is taunting her[1](https://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/grotesquerie) • [8](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/grotesquerie). With no leads, she accepts the help of Sister Megan Duval, a nun and true-crime journalist with the Catholic Guardian, and the two begin interpreting religiously contextualized clues as the killer stages morbid, symbolism-filled crime scenes[1](https://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/grotesquerie) • [9](https://www.thewrap.com/grotesquerie-episode-7-ryan-murphy-john-landgraf-interview-fx/).
The premise was upended in episode 7, titled "Unplugged", which revealed that Lois had been in a coma and that the horrors shown up to that point were happening in her imagination; when the same grisly murders then began occurring in reality, the show entered a register in which fact and fiction became difficult to distinguish[10](https://www.thewrap.com/grotesquerie-episode-10-niecy-nash-betts-interview/). Murphy said the twist was designed in advance, calling it more meticulously planned than anything he had done before[9](https://www.thewrap.com/grotesquerie-episode-7-ryan-murphy-john-landgraf-interview-fx/).
## Production and casting
The series was produced by 20th [Television](https://www.edgepedia.org/television) and FX Productions[4](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/grotesquerie/). Murphy wrote it as something for himself under a new deal, then completed the scripts with Baitz and Baken[11](https://www.thewrap.com/grotesquerie-fx-ryan-murphy-niecy-nash-betts-cast-interviews/). Production was kept secret through early 2024; a February teaser revealed only the casting of Nash-Betts, Courtney B. Vance, and [Lesley Manville](https://www.edgepedia.org/lesley-manville) over an audio clip of a monologue from Nash-Betts's character[12](https://time.com/6975864/travis-kelce-ryan-murphy-acting-grotesquerie/).
In May 2024, NFL tight end [Travis Kelce](https://www.edgepedia.org/travis-kelce) joined the cast in his first major acting role, revealed in Instagram videos posted by Nash-Betts from the set[12](https://time.com/6975864/travis-kelce-ryan-murphy-acting-grotesquerie/) • [3](https://apnews.com/article/7b3d3069ce2bd33fddec0d374ae77f69). A spokesperson for FX said at the time that the series was not under the *American Horror Story* umbrella[3](https://apnews.com/article/7b3d3069ce2bd33fddec0d374ae77f69). Nash-Betts, who had won an Emmy for Murphy's *Dahmer*, also served as an executive producer[12](https://time.com/6975864/travis-kelce-ryan-murphy-acting-grotesquerie/) • [10](https://www.thewrap.com/grotesquerie-episode-10-niecy-nash-betts-interview/).
## Reception
Critics gave the season a mixed response. Metacritic recorded a Metascore of 51 from seven reviews[5](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/grotesquerie/critic-reviews/). Reviews repeatedly singled out Nash-Betts: *The Hollywood Reporter* called watching her "the absolute pleasure" of the series even while judging its start "wildly over-familiar"[5](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/grotesquerie/critic-reviews/), and *Vulture* credited her grounded performance with keeping Lois from falling into cliché[5](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/grotesquerie/critic-reviews/). *The Guardian* described the show as a slow burn that touches on reality television, addiction, guns, faith, and marriage, possibly too much at once[5](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/grotesquerie/critic-reviews/). *The Telegraph* was negative, calling it a "crass serial killer thriller"[5](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/grotesquerie/critic-reviews/). The series received two Make-Up Artists & Hair Stylists Guild Award nominations and a win and nomination at the Critics Choice Awards Celebration of Cinema & Television[4](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/grotesquerie/).
## The finale and the question of a second season
Season 1 ended with Lois and Megan finding a bloody murder scene stylized as [Leonardo da Vinci](https://www.edgepedia.org/leonardo-da-vinci)'s *[The Last Supper](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-last-supper-leonardo)*, with Father Charlie, the season's mass murderer in Lois's subconscious, posed as the murdered Christ figure[10](https://www.thewrap.com/grotesquerie-episode-10-niecy-nash-betts-interview/). Nash-Betts said in November 2024 that a second season had been discussed "before we ever filmed the first page of dialogue" and that "Ryan always has a plan"[10](https://www.thewrap.com/grotesquerie-episode-10-niecy-nash-betts-interview/).
No second season was ordered. Status trackers disagree on how to classify the outcome: an AI-generated verdict at IsItRenewed states the show has been canceled with no further seasons planned, while Garn's Guides lists its renewal odds as "unlikely" rather than resolved[6](https://isitrenewed.com/show/grotesquerie) • [7](https://garnsguides.com/index-show-status.html). TheTVDB, meanwhile, simply lists the series status as "Ended" with one season of 10 episodes[2](https://thetvdb.com/series/grotesquerie).
## References
1. [FX's Grotesquerie | Watch on Hulu, FX Networks](https://www.fxnetworks.com/shows/grotesquerie)
2. [Grotesquerie, TheTVDB.com](https://thetvdb.com/series/grotesquerie)
3. [Travis Kelce lines up another TV job and joins FX's 'Grotesquerie' from Ryan Murphy, AP News](https://apnews.com/article/7b3d3069ce2bd33fddec0d374ae77f69)
4. [Grotesquerie Reviews, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/grotesquerie/)
5. [Grotesquerie critic reviews, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/grotesquerie/critic-reviews/)
6. [When Does Grotesquerie Season 2 Come Out? Is It Renewed?, IsItRenewed](https://isitrenewed.com/show/grotesquerie)
7. [Garn's Guides, Series Status; Renewals; Cancellations](https://garnsguides.com/index-show-status.html)
8. [Grotesquerie: Parents' Guide & TV Review, Common Sense Media](https://www.commonsensemedia.org/tv-reviews/grotesquerie)
9. [Grotesquerie Episode 7 Twist Explained by Ryan Murphy, TheWrap](https://www.thewrap.com/grotesquerie-episode-7-ryan-murphy-john-landgraf-interview-fx/)
10. [Grotesquerie Finale: Niecy Nash-Betts on Cliffhanger Ending, Season 2, TheWrap](https://www.thewrap.com/grotesquerie-episode-10-niecy-nash-betts-interview/)
11. [Grotesquerie on FX: Ryan Murphy, Niecy Nash-Betts Preview Bloody Crime Drama, TheWrap](https://www.thewrap.com/grotesquerie-fx-ryan-murphy-niecy-nash-betts-cast-interviews/)
12. [Football Star Travis Kelce Jumps Into Acting, Joining Cast of New Ryan Murphy Horror Series, TIME](https://time.com/6975864/travis-kelce-ryan-murphy-acting-grotesquerie/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › Scripted television and comedy series › Drama and prestige series (individual series) › Science fiction, horror, and supernatural*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license