When does ‘The Shards’ come out? Release date, time, and more
Ryan Murphy’s ‘The Shards’ premieres on Wednesday, August 5, with its first two episodes. The series will air on FX and stream on Hulu, with new installments scheduled for 9 p.m. ET. Season 1 contains nine episodes, with some Wednesdays featuring two episodes. The drama is based on Bret Easton Ellis’ 2023 novel and is set in Los Angeles in 1981. It follows Bret, played by Igby Rigney, alongside Susan, Robert, and Debbie, played by Kaia Gerber, Homer Gere, and Hayes Warner. The group deals with the horrors of high school, with a serial killer known as The Trawler, who targets teenagers across the town.
Murphy told Vogue in July, “Shows about first times are exciting. First kiss, first heartbreak, in this case, first murder.” He also said at the series premiere, “I just love 1981. That year was the most important year of my life. I was 16, about the same age as the characters, and I had my first date, got my driver’s license, had my first kiss, and had my first breakup. ... I finally can get to write about all of that and put it in the show.”
‘The Shards’ begins with “Pilot” and “Don’t You Want Me.” According to the official synopsis, the opening centers on Bret, “an aspiring writer and keenly observant teenager whose reality begins to unravel with the arrival of a mysterious and magnetic new student.” That student is Robert, who transfers to Bret’s prep school before senior year. His arrival coincides “with the growing terror of The Trawler, a serial killer targeting teenagers across the city.”
The two-episode premiere establishes the main characters and the threat surrounding them. After that, the series will continue on Wednesdays through September 9. The season will not follow a full binge-release model. Viewers will need to return weekly, although three dates will feature double-episode drops. The nine episodes will be released across six Wednesdays. The premiere, the August 12 drop, and the August 26 drop each contain two episodes. The remaining three dates each contain one episode.
The complete release schedule is:
August 5: “Pilot” and “Don’t You Want Me”
August 12: “Help Me! Rhonda!” and “Robert’s Party”
August 19: “Murder on the Dancefloor”
August 26: “Homecoming Part One” and “Homecoming Part Two”
September 2: “Hamlet”
September 9: “Stairway to Heaven”
The September 9 episode serves as the Season 1 finale. Although Ellis’ book is a standalone novel, executive producer Brad Simpson said the television story could continue. “We’re certainly set up to continue on through their senior year,” he told Radio Times in July. “Like any TV show, hoping people [are] engaged, we’re ready to give them more.” ‘The Shards’ will air on FX and will also be available to stream on Hulu. International viewers can watch the series on Disney+.
