Ryan Murphy’s buzzy new show The Shards is already off to an amazing start after premiering on August 5. Set in 1980s Los Angeles, The Shards is based on a Bret Easton Ellis novel of the same name. It follows the prep school student Bret, whose privileged life begins to unravel when he meets the enigmatic new student Robert. Murphy is known for his soapy gay dramas, and The Shards is living up to this reputation. Full of dramatic tension, excess-soaked parties, and plenty of steamy sex, The Shards is proving to be the perfect summer escape.