Grotesquerie And The Beauty Reportedly Canceled At FX — Which Other Ryan Murphy Show Remains In Limbo?
It's the end of the road for two more Ryan Murphy dramas: According to a report from The Ankler, neither "Grotesquerie" nor "The Beauty" will return for second seasons at FX.
Meanwhile, there's good news — or at least neutral news — for "The Shards." FX has reportedly not yet made a decision about whether to renew the drama, based on Bret Easton Ellis' 2023 novel of the same name, for a second season. The show's initial nine-episode run ended in September.
"Grotesquerie," which wrapped its 10-episode run in October 2024, starred Niecy Nash-Betts as Lois Tryon, a homicide detective who teams up with a nun (Micaela Diamond) to solve a series of brutal murders with religious connections. A mind-bending plot twist midway through the season turns the show into something else entirely, but we won't spoil it for those who may eventually binge the one-and-done series on Hulu. "Grotesquerie" also starred Courtney B. Vance, Nicholas Alexander Chavez, Raven Goodwin, and Lesley Manville.
"The Beauty," whose 11 episodes aired earlier this year, starred Evan Peters as Cooper Madsen, an FBI agent investigating deaths linked to a miracle drug called The Beauty. Based on the comic book of the same name, "The Beauty" also starred Anthony Ramos, Jeremy Pope, Rebecca Hall, and Ashton Kutcher. It was reported in July that the actors' options had expired, releasing them from their contracts and leaving the show's future in question. That question has now reportedly been answered.
TVLine has reached out to FX for comment.
The stars of Grotesquerie and The Beauty were both hoping for second seasons
While neither "Grotesquerie" nor "The Beauty" will return for additional seasons, the stars of both shows sounded hopeful about their respective futures in previous interviews.
"There still are a few questions I'm waiting to have answered, and all things being perfect, we would have a Season 2 to unpack it," Niecy Nash-Betts told Deadline of the "Grotesquerie" finale. "If not, that means me sitting at a dinner with Ryan for hours telling me where he planned on this story going." Sounds like it's time to make a reservation!
As for "The Beauty," star Ashton Kutcher addressed several "open questions" from the show's finale with TVLine, telling us, "It definitely leaves you hanging, going, 'Wait, what the heck is happening?'" The finale left a lot "open to interpretation," and Kutcher said he wonders what would be next for his own character: "What kind of a monster does he become now? Or does he have this moment of reform?" Now, it seems we may never get that answer.
Are you disappointed to hear that neither "Grotesquerie" nor "The Beauty" will return for additional seasons, or had you already accepted that fact on your own? And are you hoping a second season of "Shards" is on the way? Drop a comment with your thoughts below.