Ryan Murphy Needs To Go Away

Make no mistake, Ryan Murphy has earned his way to his current seat in Hollywood, creating TV shows that at one point were as visually distinct as they were creatively written. When Nip/Tuck first hit television airwaves in 2003, it helped usher in a brand new era of original programming, giving viewers something different than your typical run-of-the-mill medical drama. Nip/Tuck was such a breath of fresh air when it debuted that it earned Ryan Murphy his first Primetime Emmy win for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series in 2004.

Since then, Ryan Murphy hasn’t let his foot off the gas, constantly searching for the next Nip/Tuck or Glee-type smash hit to further cement his legacy as a successful television producer. There’s just one problem; Ryan Murphy the creator has essentially become a parody of himself, offering the same rehashing of what was once a creative and original vision that made him something of a Golden Goose.

When American Horror Story debuted in 2011, the show was hailed for its one-of-a-kind storytelling and pulpy yet approachable take on the horror genre. But as Grotesquerie works its way through its first season, it is painfully obvious that the show continues that distinct approach that Ryan Murphy has become famous for.

With an 80 percent critic score on Rotten Tomatoes and a comparable audience score of 70 percent to go along with it, Grotesquerie is far from a terrible show, yet there is something eerily familiar about the series that you can’t help but get a sense of dejà vu as you watch yet another Ryan Murphy experience featuring over-the-top plot points and characters that feel as if they were pulled straight out of American Horror Story.

In addition to Grotesquerie, Ryan Murphy is also serving as executive producer on shows like American Sports Story, a anthology spin-off of American Crime Story that features the rise and fall of former NFL player Aaron Hernandez. He also has a hand in creating the popular Fox procedural drama 9-1-1 and its equally popular spin-off 9-1-1: Lone Star, which is just like 9-1-1 except in Texas.

If you can’t see the pattern yet, Ryan Murphy has forgone what used to be his unique vision and flowery storytelling and instead has cashed in on creating like-minded shows that feel like one long continuous sequel. Ryan Murphy seems less concerned with creating one-of-a-kind stories and more focused on creating content that doesn’t wander too far away from his tried and true formula of digestible yet quirky TV shows.

With a grand total of six Primetime Emmy Awards resting on his mantle, Ryan Murphy has certainly done plenty in his career to prove that he was one of the most successful producers in the last 20 years. But like the famous quote from The Dark Knight, “You either die a hero, or live long enough to see yourself become the villain.” Ryan Murphy has had his time to shine in Hollywood, but now it’s time for him to step aside and allow some unique stories to be told.