Viewers tuning in to The Shards on Disney+ have finally delivered their verdict on the new series, with many praising the adaptation and noting a subtle change from the source material.
The Shards serves as an adaptation of American Psycho and Less Than Zero author Bret Easton Ellis’ 2023 book of the same name. The semi-autobiographical series charts a fictionalised version of Bret (played by Igby Rigney) as he attends his final year of his prestigious prep school in LA.
The arrival of a new student Robert Mallory (Homer Gere) coincides with a serial killer, bearing the chilling moniker The Trawler, starting a killing spree, putting everyone on their guard and suspicion thrown in all directions.
Initial Reactions
Many have taken to Reddit to share their initial reactions after the first two episodes dropped on Disney+ on August 5. One person posted: “I haven’t read the book but I read everything else by BEE 20 years ago. Absolutely hooked on this show, it’s such a specific and nostalgic vibe.”
A second viewer commented: “I really liked it!! Thought Debbie, Thom, Stephen and Matt in particular were SO perfectly cast.”
A third explained: “This was better than I thought! The Shards is my favorite book and I when heard Ryan Murphy and Hulu would be adapting it I was worried [sic].” They went on to say: “I actually really like the narration, it’s exactly how I expected it to be from reading the book.”
Visuals and Details
Someone else said: “I think they did a great job. The visuals are amazing and a lot of the houses/cars/outfits/scenery is exactly what I pictured when reading. A decent job is done of making it 80s without being too hammy.”
Others noted a detail changed from the original novel for the TV show when the name of a restaurant was changed from Trumps to La Dome. One person said: “It would have been funnier if they kept the restaurant as Trumps, but I guess they didn’t want to insinuate anything. Especially if someone didn’t read the book, they would think it was an intentional political statement.”
Another said: “And I also assumed they changed Trumps for that reason, which I think is kinda ridiculous.”
The Shards is released on Disney+ on Wednesdays.
