Grotesquerie’s Finale Serves Up Ambitious Ideas, Lackluster Payoffs, and Lingering Mysteries
Ryan Murphy, what did I just watch?
Episode 10 of Grotesquerie attempts to wrap up a season marked by intricate storylines and surreal visuals, but the finale leaves much to be desired, primarily because so many narrative threads are left unresolved.
Titled I Think I’m Dead, the episode plunges deeper into Lois’s (Niecy Nash-Betts) psyche, often blending her reality with hallucinations in ways that are both perplexing and plain repetitive. While I held out hope for this final act to effectively wrap up the previous nine episodes, this finale ultimately suffers from pacing issues, unsatisfying answers, and narrative misdirection, leaving fans in limbo rather than giving them closure.
In what begins with a shocking proposal, Lois returns home to a strange offer from her ex Marshall (Courtney B. Vance) and his girlfriend Redd (Lesley Manville) to live together as one fractured family unit. Marshall’s insistence on “new paradigms” is portrayed as absurd, especially given his tangled past with both women. The dialogue here captures his desperation for his own twisted version of redemption, but Lois refuses, clearly stating her desire to remove him from her life. This scene sets a fittingly chaotic tone for the finale, yet it foreshadows the episode’s flaw: ambitious themes with lackluster payoffs.
Marshall and Redd confront their own broken relationship. Redd, fed up with Marshall’s indiscretions and unwilling to continue the charade, reveals she only joined him in his proposition to Lois to witness his inevitable humiliation.
Marshall’s storyline takes a bizarre turn, as he faces an allegation of sexual assault from one of his students. After a failed suicide attempt, he ends up in a hospital with Redd by his side — still adamant about leaving him, especially after hearing of his assault charges — and later joined by his daughter Merritt (Raven Goodwin). Their scenes together reveal fragments of Marshall’s character, but the rapid tonal shifts —from family drama to existential rants — end up feeling disjointed rather than cohesive.
Then, out of nowhere, Eddie (Travis Kelce) makes a reappearance, leading Marshall to his induction into the “Mexicali Men’s Club.” This is a group of men, led by Dr. Smythe, talking about how they feel society has wronged them in a low-light, musty basement. The dialogue touches on social themes like identity politics and men’s discontent, yet feels disconnected from the show’s primary elements. Viewers are left to wonder if this subplot will have any bearing on the overarching mystery, though, by the episode’s end, this remains another unanswered question.
Dr. Witticomb (Santino Fontana) reappears as Lois, convinced she’s dead, seeks his validation in a tense session. He proposed that her belief in a surreal “otherworld” reflects her damaged psyche rather than a literal afterlife. Her persistent delusions leave viewers just as confused as she is. Lois counters this with disturbing memories of her coma dreams, accusing him of being implicated in the murders she has seen. She tells Witticomb of a harrowing confrontation with Dr. Charlie Mayhew (Nicholas Alexander Chavez) that intensified her beliefs that this could not be real life, where she accused him of having orgies in her room and impregnating an unconscious girl. The exchange between Lois and Witticomb highlights the show’s exploration of mental health and trauma, but the narrative remains elusive, leaving the identity of who is connected to the murders under speculation.
A climactic twist unfolds when Megan (Micaela Diamond), in a desperate plea, brings Lois to a chilling crime scene that mirrors the Last Supper tableau from her visions. At the center lies Dr. Charlie’s crucified body and among the victims is Mary Colsby. Marshall’s accuser. The imagery is as horrific as the first time, but instead of providing answers, it adds to the thick layers of mystery, failing to provide a resolution.
Despite being retired and repeatedly declaring she is done with detective work, Lois demands the forensics team get to work gathering their evidence, asking them to meet her at her old office. And, of course, right as the plot promises clarity and Lois claims to know the killer’s identity, it recedes into uncertainty as the episode ends, leaving fans with more questions than answers. Is Lois still in a coma? Who is Grotesquerie? Could the randomly introduced men’s group be involved in these crimes?
Grotesquerie succeeds in creating an atmospheric, visually compelling world — more so in the first seven episodes — but the finale’s failure to resolve key mysteries risks alienating its audience. While its surreal approach is intriguing, the finale’s disjointed pacing and thematic overload make for a confounding close to a season filled with potential. If a second season is green lit, the show will have much to answer for. For now, Grotesquerie remains a puzzle with its last piece frustratingly out of reach.
The first season of Grotesquerie is streaming on Hulu.
