Ryan Murphy’s track record at Disney takes another hit, as Grotesquerie is seemingly cancelled after one season. Debuting in September 2024 on FX, which is owned by Disney, the horror series centered on Detective Lois Tryon (Niecy Nash-Betts). With personal troubles of her own that she’s reluctant to face, Tryon has to work with a local nun to uncover the truth about a string of horrific crimes.
Co-created by Murphy, Jon Robin Baitz, and Joe Baken, the Grotesquerie cast also starred Nicholas Alexander Chavez, Micaela Diamond, Raven Goodwin, and Lesley Manville, with NFL player Travis Kelce in a recurring role. Although the horror drama received some positive buzz, particularly for Nash-Betts’ lead performance, there’s been no word on the show’s future.
Writing for his newsletter in Puck, journalist Matt Belloni offered a brief update on Murphy’s track record since the prolific executive producer exited his deal at Netflix and returned to the Disney fold in 2023. It’s mentioned that Grotesquerie is “one and done.” This is despite discussions about renewing the series and the way the story is left, which sets up a continuation.
Niecy Nash-Betts’ Lois looking angry in her kitchen in Grotesquerie episode 7
Grotesquerie’s ending leaves one major question unanswered. Coupled with positive statements from the cast and crew, it lent credence to the chances of a season 2 renewal. More broadly, Belloni gives his assessment of why Murphy’s return to Disney hasn’t been a smashing success. Over on ABC and Hulu, both Disney-owned, Mid-Century Modern and Doctor Odyssey were cancelled after one season. The new installment of Feud and the debut of American Sports Story on FX didn’t snag any major Emmy nominations, while the fate of ABC’s 9-1-1: Nashville is still unclear.
The increased spotlight on Murphy’s output comes after the bashing that the Kim Kardashian-led All’s Fair received from critics. Currently sitting at 4% on Rotten Tomatoes, the legal drama from the trio of Murphy, Baitz, and Baken has been dubbed “the worst show ever.” But it has attracted an audience of 3.2 million views in the first few days after its launch, making it Hulu’s biggest premiere in three years.
All’s Fair has publicly embraced the negative reviews, with some viewers admitting that they appreciate the series precisely because of its slapdash quality. It may very well be a winning strategy, albeit that won’t be fully apparent until the legal drama’s season 1 finale gives a clearer picture of whether it can maintain the momentum of all “publicity is good publicity.” At least for Grotesquerie season 2, though, that looks not to be in the cards.
Release Date
September 25, 2024
Niecy Nash-Betts
Lois Tryon
Courtney B. Vance
Marshall Tryon