Grotesquerie

The problem with Ryan Murphy is the way things get stretched out. After a few episodes (or seasons), the story gets overextended, deflates, and drags on without any real substance.

That's exactly what happens here, in this series. After a strong start with a very unique idea, well-written characters, and a sense of freshness, Murphy's need for shocking twists and flashy narrative choices once again leads to an overstuffed world where the balance between content and flashy presentation is lost.

I truly admire the innovative ideas of the talented Ryan Murphy, but once again, he squanders his talent on unnecessarily drawn-out stories.

Grotesquerie begins with an intriguing premise, blending crime investigation and psychological drama with an air of sinister mystery. The partnership between Courtney B. Vance's nuanced detective and Niecy Nash's empathetic but assertive nun sets the stage for a series that initially captivates. The first few episodes are a masterclass in suspense, with layered storytelling and atmospheric tension that keeps viewers hooked.

Unfortunately, as the series progresses, it unravels into a convoluted mess. Narrative decisions become increasingly absurd, undermining the carefully crafted intrigue established early on. Instead of building towards a satisfying conclusion, Grotesquerie stumbles with nonsensical twists that feel more like desperate attempts to shock than logical story progression. What started as a compelling exploration of human darkness devolves into a tedious and overblown finale.

While the performances remain strong throughout, they're not enough to salvage the series from its overly ambitious but poorly executed narrative choices. Grotesquerie is a frustrating watch: a show that had all the ingredients for greatness but squandered them with baffling storytelling.

Rating: 6/10 - A gripping beginning marred by a disappointing descent into chaos.

I decided to watch this through to the end of the 10 episodes before leaving my thoughts here. I'm glad I did because some of the assumptions I made about it thinking they were errors/bad writing/bad acting etc are actually done on purpose.

The start of the show is typical Murphy intended to shock and indeed it does. A slight criticism is that they clearly put a lot of effort into the crime scene and I would have liked to have seen it in more detail.

After that and a couple more gruesome murder scenes, the storyline peters out. The crime is solved at the end of episode 6 and the other four episodes are people talking. To this end, the genre changes from thriller to mystery as scenarios and plots are constantly questioned and the viewer is kept in a constant state of perplexity; which isn't a bad thing in itself, it would have just been better to start out that way so we at least know where we are.

Once you get to the end and reflect on the characters' reactions to scenarios, the unusual events that take place, the ignoring of well known protocols, the actions of people and their motivations it all makes much more sense, so it's worth getting through to the end of nothing else but some closure.

However this isn't American Horror Story so don't feel guilty if you turn it off and never return. It has no grandiose climax that allows you to leave with a feeling of fulfilment. Once it ends, it feels like how it originally changed from a gritty thriller to a trudging mystery: Just sort of fizzling out.

Grotesquerie: A Symbolic Nightmare

I'm not entirely sure how to categorize "Grotesquerie." It isn't strictly a horror series; rather, it feels very symbolic. It reflects the continuous nightmare the world, especially the United States, is living in. The acting is brilliant from all the actors, with each performance adding depth to the story. The idea itself is good, but the execution wasn't as strong. I blame the script and the director for this. Additionally, there is too much violence, which can be overwhelming. Overall, I did like the series and I'm waiting for another season if there will be one. I give it a 7 out of 10.

I am almost done with episode four and I feel like I am watching a Mashup of Someone's Mid Life Crisis who is aware of their Neurodivergent Storytelling (but doesn't care what we think about that adhd method) and then added some fetishist borderline schizophrenia and then got lost telling the original story.

And yes, I am aware of how horribly structured that sentence is. It is me emulating the rhythm and tone plus general confusion as to what in the world I am watching. Who is this about? Who do I care about here? And please tell me why (for the love of storytelling just let me in on why I am watching this, please).

It's so all over the place that I welcomed Taylor's boyfriend in the chaotic mix of a cast. I am not even a fan. Meaning there's zero fangirling - just me being happy to have something to relate to or even be remotely interested in. He's got a solid vibe - I see the appeal.

But lets talk about Niecy Nash - I want to have a small talk with her agent because she is getting undersold and underused. Stop putting her in these ridiculous detective roles that it doesn't even seem she is interested in. She is better than those roles and it's not helping to keep trying. She is wise and beautiful and talented. Find her the roles that have the range and she will shine. (Sorry but these roles give us time to think about her wasted talent).

All the Actors are also quite good - but there is a very unnatural chaotic viewpoint that hurts to try to follow. I mean random singing and fires and being preached to about life and watching the weird metaphoric portrayal of some outdated religious stuff - but I guess that's okay because you throw in some online activity lines and it's suddenly not the same thing we have seen over and over? Ick.

I gave it a six because the Actors showed up and still stayed in the scenes. Maybe they were as confused as I am because I care more about that then the plot.

Is there a plot?