There’s something familiar about Grotesquerie.
Ryan Murphy’s new series, which premiered with two hour-long episodes Wednesday, follows beleaguered detective Lois Tyron, played by Niecy Nash, as she navigates family turmoil, alcoholism and a string of gruesome murders that terrorize her small town.
Micaela Diamond plays Sister Megan, a nun and journalist fascinated with true crime, who interviews and later joins Lois in the investigations.
Despite what the name and neon promotional posters suggest, Grotesquerie holds back on gore to instead craft a language of horror that mildly disturbs the senses.
The series emphasizes the squelch of chewing and hones in on gashes rather than mutilated bodies. Even the slow pace of changing a hospital patient’s IV tubes becomes anxiety inducing.
Grotesquerie’s mundane midwestern-gothic aesthetic successfully lulls the viewer into a sense of simultaneous familiarity and unease. We follow Lois in her dimly lit and sparsely decorated home, explore Megan’s warm cobblestone church and traverse the chilly hospital hallways Lois’ husband resides in.
When shocking events occur in those locations versus the homes of strangers, the tension is even more palpable, as we question our protagonists’ safety and the reliability of others.
That being said, Grotesquerie doesn’t shy from showing guts when needed.
With every new crime scene, the camera lingers on Lois and her colleagues’ reactions twisting in horror. One of the other detectives warns her — and us, by extension — of what we’re bound to see whenever we enter.
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Tension grows as the music builds, drawing out the seconds until we’re faced with the scene. While the visuals don’t disappoint, the series quickly wears down its shock value in this repetition.
Those zoomed in camera reveals though? High Murphy camp at its best.
The series opens with the gruesome murder of a devout Catholic and liberal family of five.
Each set of victims committed at least one possible slight toward the Catholic church. Every murder scene is inspired by a Bible verse, which indicates that our murderer feels a personal calling from God to kill.
It’s evident from the start that an examination of religious fanaticism is the foundational core of Grotesquerie. Considering today’s divisive political climate, the emphasis on side characters repeating “the end is near” feels like a giant arrow pointing toward the fourth wall.
The show wears this allegory on its sleeve and relishes in its adept Biblical knowledge through easily identifiable Catholic iconography at multiple crime scenes. While past Murphy series have always involved some level of societal critique — leaning into absurdism with Glee and Scream Queens — Grotesquerie takes itself a bit too seriously.
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A mother and son are found in the position of Mary, Jesus’ mother, giving birth. Episode two ends with local drug addicts recreating Leonardo da Vinci’s “Last Supper.” The series’ second crime scene depicts a Biblical scene that mimics the three crucifixions on Calvary.
These scenes aren’t recognizable to everyone, but Sister Megan’s unsettlingly quick trivia knowledge of Bible verses explains the inspiration for every crime.
While a fascinating idea, the revelation of Bible verse connections comes too quickly, which kills the suspense and potential to fully unravel a connection between the murders.
Shockingly, the best part of Grotesquerie involves none of its etymology. Instead, it’s the layers of human connection. One part includes the heartbreaking unraveling of Lois’ marriage as her husband is in the ICU.
Nash’s delicate performance breathes a unique life into the detective archetype by showcasing a woman struggling for her husband’s support while grappling with the revelation of his infidelity.
On the other hand, the budding tension between Megan and Father Charlie, a charismatic young priest played by Nicholas Chavez, is an exciting dynamic that tests the taboo and opens the floor to examine Charlie’s potential involvement with the murders.
The series promises further connections between Lois and the killings, hinted at multiple times in the trailer.
The series’ central premise is to catch this killer, who reveals their name to be Grotesquerie. I hope it’s Travis Kelce — who will show up in the show’s upcoming episodes — and I hope his name has no clear Biblical connection.
