The Shards Episodes 1 And 2 Ending Explained: Is Robert Mallory Really the Trawler?

FX’s new limited series The Shards wastes no time pulling us into its unsettling recreation of the early 1980s. The two-episode premiere ends with the murder of one Matt Kellner (Owen Painter), whom the unreliable narrator and protagonist Bret Easton Ellis (Igby Rigney) was secretly in a physical relationship with. The episode ends with Bret listening to a tape left on his door, which details the final moments of Matt and his torture by the serial killer known as the Trawler, who has earlier only targeted girls and young women. 

Earlier, Bret met a mysterious and charming new entrant to his school called Robert Mallory (Homer Gere), whom he is fascinated by but also mistrusts. It is not explicit yet, and it is perhaps my knowledge of the book (also called the same), but Bret has begun to believe Robert may be the Trawler. Here’s what that ending of The Shards‘ first two episodes means.

Is Robert Mallory Hiding a Dark Secret?

It is too early to say in the show, but in the book, no, he is not the Trawler. Unlike slasher movies like Scream, there is no big reveal. We are kept guessing. Some readers even theorize that Bret himself may be the dreaded serial killer. That, of course, does not mean the creators, Ryan Murphy and Ellis himself (his novel was semi-autobiographical), have not fiddled with the story a little. 

There is this aura to Robert, and he seems to know more than he lets on. He, for instance, expresses knowledge about Bret’s secret relationship with Matt, and that is something the Trawler mentions in the tape and may be the reason he was murdered. Then, Bret realizes that Robert’s stories do not seem to add up. He also has a flirtatious and carefree behaviour. He even lets it slip to Bret that he wants to sleep with Susan (Kaia Gerber), Bret’s crush, and seems to know what effect his words will have on Bret. Then, there is the small matter of Robert being found in suspicious situations. 

But there is no concrete evidence confirmed that he indeed is the Trawler in The Shards. There was at least one murder that happened before Robert arrived in the city. And it may be that, like in the book, our perspective is deliberately skewed towards him, since we are observing him through Bret’s eyes.

What Happened to Matt Kellner?

A dinner gathering in The Shards unfolds under the looming shadow of the Trawler | Credits: FX

Matt Kellner, before his disappearance, was receiving phone calls from someone who did not speak at the other end, just breathed raspily. This happened to other victims of the Trawler too. Matt, annoyed, thought it was Bret and asked him to stay away from him and also refused his advances. Earlier in the second episode of The Shards, Susan reveals to the group that Matt has been missing for several days. It is at the very end that the horrifying answer is revealed. After the police discover his abandoned and blood-stained backpack, Bret receives the aforementioned tape on his doorstep.

If the Trawler was little more than an urban legend before for the group in this psychological thriller TV series, after Matt’s disappearance, the terror becomes all too real. The tape has (we, though not Bret, see the visuals) the Trawler forcing Matt to eat live aquatic animals. Then, the serial killer injects him with a huge dose of LSD to make him suggestible. Matt, listening, cannot take it anymore and throws up. That is how the second episode ends. We do not know for sure whether Matt is dead, but it seems likely.

It is interesting the way the Trawler enjoys psychological manipulation as much as murder. More interesting is the fact that the tape was sent to Bret, and the killer appears to know him. It might mean Bret is the next target. It also lends credence to theories that Bret himself may be the Trawler, even if he doesn’t know it himself consciously (Dissociative Identity Disorder, perhaps). Matt, after all, had rejected his advances earlier.

The first couple of episodes of The Shards nicely balance the mystery without rushing to solve it. Robert, in Bret’s eyes anyway, remains a suspect. But things are not as straightforward as they seem. The Trawler is coming for Bret and his friends, though, and he is close.

What did you make of The Shards‘ first two episodes? Let us know in the comments below.

The Shards‘ first two episodes are now streaming on FX on Hulu.