The Shards renewal is still up in the air. Ryan Murphy’s FX drama wrapped its first season on Sept. 9, 2026, and FX has not announced whether it will return for a second season, according to HollywoodLife and other coverage.
Murphy, however, has big plans that could shape The Shards renewal. He has said he sees the series running for years, a vision that makes the wait for an official decision more notable.
Where The Shards renewal stands
The Shards premiered Aug. 5, 2026, on FX and FX on Hulu, and its first season has nine episodes, per Wikipedia. The show was created by Murphy and author Bret Easton Ellis and adapts Ellis’ semi-autobiographical novel.
As of the most recent coverage reviewed, FX has not renewed or canceled the show. The Hollywood Reporter framed the question in a headline as a test of Murphy’s sway at Disney, which owns FX. The outlet’s full report is behind a paywall.
What Murphy has said about future seasons
Murphy told The Hollywood Reporter that he and Ellis see the story as “a three- or four-year series where it takes place over the course of one school year,” according to HollywoodLife. Wikipedia likewise says he has discussed a plan for at least three seasons.
Coverage of the interview adds that each potential season would cover different moments in the same senior year at Buckley rather than jumping ahead in time. That structure could give FX a clear way to continue the story if it orders more episodes.
Not everyone is convinced about The Shards renewal. The Review Geek predicted the show would not be renewed, arguing that the story follows one specific period in Bret’s life and the mystery of The Trawler. The outlet also noted that FX has not called the show a limited series, so a return remains possible.
What The Shards is about
Set in 1981 Los Angeles, the series follows 17-year-old aspiring writer Bret Easton Ellis, played by Igby Rigney, during his final year at the Buckley prep school. A mysterious new student, Robert Mallory, played by Homer Gere, arrives as a serial killer known as The Trawler stalks the city, and suspicion spreads through Bret’s circle.
The cast also includes Kaia Gerber as Susan Reynolds, Hayes Warner as Debbie Schaffer, Graham Campbell as Thom Wright, Evan Rachel Wood as Liz Schaffer and Wes Bentley as Terry Schaffer. Principal photography ran from November 2025 to March 2026.
How critics received the series
Reviews were mixed. Wikipedia reports a 56% positive score on Rotten Tomatoes, with a 6.3 out of 10 average rating, and a 55 out of 100 on Metacritic. Those numbers may complicate any argument that critical acclaim will carry The Shards renewal.
Streaming may matter more to The Shards renewal than linear ratings. The show streams on Hulu and Disney+, and a CBR headline described it as a global smash hit within a day of its debut despite poor reviews. It is unclear how much weight Disney will give those early signs when it makes a decision.
Each of the nine first-season episodes runs between 45 and 53 minutes, per Wikipedia, which gave the series room to build its murder mystery and 1981 setting. Whether The Shards renewal happens will likely depend on how Disney weighs that streaming interest against the mixed critical response to The Shards.
Murphy’s other recent FX work includes The Beauty, and his long-running anthology American Horror Story remains a major draw for the network. He is also producing The Watcher season 2.
What’s next
FX has not announced a timeline for a decision on The Shards renewal. Fans will have to wait for word from the network on The Shards renewal.
Reporting from HollywoodLife, The Hollywood Reporter, The Review Geek and Wikipedia contributed to this story.
Don't stop here
Every Score. Every Story. One Home.
Breaking sports, entertainment and news from across the Total Apex network, updated all day.
Get the Full Story →
