My favorite Ryan Murphy shows often are the ones that lean into horror. That’s why I used to love American Horror Story, and some of his other horror anthology-adjacent shows usually at least captured my attention. Additionally, a few of my TV favorites are shows that began as comic books. Therefore, immediately, I was interested in The Beauty.
It’s not my favorite Ryan Murphy show, nor do I think it’s one of his best. However, I went through many emotions while watching it, including finding The Beauty Season 1 finale enthralling. It made me care, and now I want to see what happens if FX renews it for another season.
Warning: The Beauty Season 1 spoilers are ahead. Proceed with caution.
I Was Shocked When Franny Was Forced To Take The Beauty
Franny (Isabella Rossellini) and Byron (Ashton Kutcher) had one of the most interesting relationships on The Beauty. They’re introduced as a toxic married couple who have grown to hate each other. He cheats. She despises him and everything he loves. They’re the classic toxic wealthy couple, but, despite their problems, they stay together.
Franny makes it clear that she wants no part of the Beauty. However, the show doesn’t really explain why she wouldn’t want to be young again…at least not until the finale. It’s almost like she chooses not to take it to spite Byron. However, the real reason is a lot more captivating and interesting.
She loves that she has earned her age. Her wrinkles and body represent everything that she’s been through in life, including childbirth and aging. She treats her age as a sign of triumph and beauty. This was the most powerful moment in the entire show.
Often, women are told by the media and sometimes people in their lives that their only worth relates to their sex appeal. If they aren’t young, skinny, and beautiful, they have no point. They’re irrelevant and not worthy of living if they don’t fit the beauty standard.
Franny’s rejection of it is such an empowering moment. Many women fight back against the idea that they need to look a certain way to be considered attractive and appealing. Franny represents those women in that scene. I loved it. It was such a brilliant display of female rage and women's empowerment. It’s just unfortunate that the speech ends with her attempting to die by suicide.
I Am Curious To See If It Sparks A Byron Redemption Arc For A Future Season
Ashton Kutcher has given a fairly good performance as Byron. I can’t help but hate him. He’s the type of villain that you root against and enjoy when things fall apart for him. I've been looking forward to his showdown with Cooper (Evan Peters). I hoped the finale would end with their face-off and Byron’s death.
However, that didn’t happen at all. Things took a weirder turn, turning Cooper into a child. The season ends with him taking an antidote, so we’re not sure if Peters returns for a potential second season or a new actor will take on the role - similar to Jordan (Jess Alexander). We’ll have to wait for another season to see what happens to Cooper and if he and Byron eventually battle.
Whether they become reluctant partners or continue to fight against each other should be a major part of Byron’s story going forward. Franny’s attempt at death by suicide has seemingly changed him.
He now wants to do whatever it takes to stop the spread and maybe save Franny. I doubt that Byron will completely change into a good guy, but we may see a redemption arc where he’s a key to stopping everything. I think this could be a really interesting change in a possible second season. This could allow the character to evolve beyond a one-dimensional villain.
I Like That The Beauty Has A New Villain Already
It seems like The Beauty wants Byron and Franny’s sons to take over his legacy. They committed the ultimate evil act by forcing the Beauty on their mother. They took away her ability to choose. It seems like now they’re going fully evil by not taking accountability and learning from their mistakes. They lie to Cooper and crew to make it seem like they want to take down their father as revenge for their mother.
I think Tig (Ray Nicholson) will become even worse than his father. Nicholson has played dubious characters before, and like his real-life father, he’s pretty good at them. Therefore, I am excited to see him have a bigger part if FX renews The Beauty for a second season. I think he could be just as good a foe as Byron.
This possible shift to Tig as the new main villain makes me see the potential of the show constantly introducing characters worse than Byron. I am excited to meet them.
Ryan Murphy Shows Are Good At Making Captivating Twisted Romances, So I Am Curious To See Byron And Franny's Dynamic In The Future
Murphy is no stranger to twisted romances. American Horror Story fans were obsessed with Violet (Taissa Farmiga) and Tate (Evan Peters) - despite how evil Tate is as a character. Murphy knows how to provide for the fans who enjoy dark romances.
He may return to that with Franny and Byron. He has now transformed from a “I hate my wife” man to a “I love my wife” man. This means he will do everything for her. That includes stepping on anyone who dare crosses the love of his life. I prefer romantic leads who are not complete garbage, but I do enjoy seeing how much Byron cares about Franny.
I hope we see more of their romance if the show continues with another season. I also hope it returns to the Isabella Rossellini version of the character. I already enjoy Kutcher and her dynamic.
I Want To See If The Introduction Of The Cure Plays A Big Role In Franny's Future
I think Nicola Peltz Beckham had a major introduction as the Beauty version of Franny. I think she could be a great addition to the show. However, I don’t want her to fully take over the role. Maybe she plays the character before the series brings back Rossellini.
This can only happen if the cure works. We’ll see what it turns Cooper into if the show continues. I hope his transition succeeds and we get Franny back to her older version. I also want to see how the introduction of the cure changes the show, because who else will take it?
I think The Beauty still has a lot of potential, and I want to see it get a chance to fulfill that with another season.
