The first two episodes of grotesqueanother new fall series from executive producer Ryan Murphy, debuted Wednesday night on FX and managed to spawn multiple seasons of it American horror story at the same time. The presence of nuns, priests and religious images – the serial killer in this series, whose name is Grotesquerie, is very much into biblical references – is reflected American Horror Story: Asylum (not to mention Devilishthe first season of True detectiveand the film Se7en). The season’s allusions to cults and its emphasis on the apocalyptic – “The end is damn near,” shouts a homeless man in the first episode – are a reminder of this cult And Apocalypse Seasons. His lurid fascination with creatively vile methods of torturing and killing other people is similar to what we’ve seen in everyone else American horror story previous entry and in at least 75 percent of Murphy’s television work.

But although it is traditionally introduced in the weeks leading up to Halloween AHS Season, grotesque is not another part of the anthology series, even if one might think so: The 12th AHS Season, Sensitivewas divided into two halves and completed earlier this year grotesquetogether with American horror storiesPlural, which debuts on Hulu on October 15, fills a programming gap of sorts. (American horror story was renewed for a 13th season in 2020, and a new one is expected next year.) So for those wondering if grotesque is just a seasonal replacement for American horror storythe answer is “no”, but also “yes”.

Although it’s still too early to say whether the series is actually enjoyable based on the first few installments – critics were not given any additional episodes to review – grotesque is primarily characterized by the fact that it is a crime series. Detective Lois Tryon, played by Niecy Nash-Betts, is the main character and the primary prism through which we view the story grotesque World. She is tasked with finding out who is behind the gruesome murder of a Christian family of four and two similar crimes that followed. She’s written in the style of virtually every cop in every moderately prestigious crime drama in recent history: an alcoholic, workaholic who uses his police duties to escape his painful home life, which includes caring for a man who’s almost gone Coma lasts a month.

Consistent with a procedural engineering approach grotesque is clearly a crime thriller that deviates slightly from the typical AHS Structure. While almost every good actor in the main cast has appeared in at least one Murphy project, Nash-Betts was there too Scream Queens And Monster; Courtney B. Vance, who plays her husband, was there The People v. OJ Simpson; Nicholas Chavez, a priest with a fetish for true crime, was Lyle Menéndez Monster – None of them appeared in a season American horror story. (Lesley Manville, who plays a nurse with retro style and a very nasty temper, looks like she’s in on it Ratsch, but she wasn’t.) grotesque also promises a highly (I guess?) anticipated performance from Super Bowl champion tight end and boyfriend of America’s Sweetheart Travis Kelce, despite not appearing in the first two episodes. I bet he appears as a member of a cult linked to the murders, in a role that plays on his connection to Taylor Swift by commenting on the dangers of hero worship. Either that or stay in this thing for five minutes before being brutally mutilated.

Kelce’s presence feels like another echo of American horror story given the franchise’s love affair with stunt casting. (See Adam Levine in asylumStevie Nicks in Circle And ApocalypseLady Gaga in hotel And Roanokeand Kim Kardashian in Delicatee.) Actually, AHS’s most consistent selling point has always been the quality of its services GrotesqueHe has that in him too. The material is continually enhanced by the actors, especially Nash-Betts, who gives Lois a grounded reserve that keeps her from falling into a stream of clichés. Manville is great too, literally licking her lips at the thought of portraying a domineering, perverted janitor.

Aside from playing well, grotesque is, like most Murphy plays, captivating and graphically violent from the start. Whether it really needs to exist or not, especially in a two-week period that gives us three additional new Murphy-produced series (American sports historyMonster, Doctor Odyssey) and the return of another (9-1-1)Like Travis Kelce, he remains to be seen.