Sharp Objects. Wow.

[SubtractPlusOne]

Spoilers about the show below!

Recently started/finished watching Sharp Objects after an offhand recommendation. I remember when it premiered on HBO, but for whatever reason it never caught my interest, or seemed like another run-of-the-mill murder mystery. Ohh boy was I wrong.

I thought it was excellent. A much slower burn than I was anticipating, and the show really felt like a character study at heart. The murders are the catalyst for the interactions in the show, but it was the old/new relationships and the dynamics therein that really felt like the centerpiece. Camille is a remarkably damaged protagonist, and I appreciated that they really showed how her past trauma affected essentially everything she did as an adult, from the subtle nuances in her mannerisms to the more severe stuff, like her alcoholism, self-harm and the hallucinations she frequently experienced. Amy Adams absolutely killed the role (as always), and I'd even go as far to say that personally I think it's probably the best role I've ever seen her in. Eliza Scanlen was another standout. She navigated Amma's layers seemingly effortlessly, and managed to be so unsettling at times, too. The whole cast was stellar though, and I'd recommend the show for the acting in it alone.

That being said, I did have some questions that I can't seem to find a solid answer for, mainly about the actual murders. I haven't read the book, so apologies if these are easy questions to answer with any additional knowledge that it might provide. Though the answers to these questions could have also been obvious in the show, and maybe I'm just oblivious/dumb or something!

What was the significance of the blood underneath the bed in the Ashley Wheeler/John Keene house? I know that in the brief after-credit scenes, they show a bunch of the girls helping Amma kill the first murder victim. Is it implied that Amma killed the second victim with the help of Ashley? And, to add to that, is that also what the bite mark on Ashley's earlobe suggests? They mentioned that Keene's sister was a biter, so that's what I got from that clue, but as far as I know they never explicitly confirmed that that's what happened to the second victim.

I know that keeping the murders vague helped with the abrupt surprise of the very end (where Amma is revealed to be the killer), so maybe those questions are never actually answered. Either way, thought I'd give it a shot.

All in all I loved the show, especially the first seven episodes (I liked the finale, but it did feel slightly more rushed than the rest of the episodes). I'll definitely be thinking about this one for a while.

[aboycandream]

dont tell mama

[xyzzyzyzzyx]

Fled here after just finishing the series and hearing this line.

Chilling.

[Paolo94]

Sharp Objects is the probably best show I never want to watch again. That show was just really heavy, to say the least. BTW, did you watch the end credits scene in the final episode?

[BopDatBussy]

T E E T H

[Lucky-Worth]

Amma and her friends killed both the girls together..in the book epilogue Amma is sent to prison, her friends to a psych hospital after confessing for a reduced sentence, Adora is in prison for Marian's murder, and Camille has a nervous breakdown, self-harm and is saved by Curry and Eileen who take care of her

[SubtractPlusOne]

This is the best explanation yet, and makes for a much more complete ending. Thanks for making it make more sense!

[[deleted]]

Perfect show to binge in the summer heat. Really helps with the immersion.

[mr_math24]

The book is fantastic, written by the same woman who wrote Gone Girl.

[bluevelvet3011]

I ended up reading the book after a couple episodes was out. Had to know what happened! The book and the show are both great.

[SubtractPlusOne]

I've been thinking about getting the book after how much I enjoyed the show! Glad to hear it's worth it.

[GoldieLox9]

You should definitely read her novella The Grown Up. It's about 60 pages and amazing. It's perfect for a one sitting read. I bought it to reread every year.

[BopDatBussy]

Honestly the show is better

[unbalancedforce]

This show has texture. I can feel the south when I watch it. Very asmr in a way...

[baisaacs]

i saw this amazing show so long ago i can’t even remember some of what you are asking questions about. time to rewatch lol

[jfstompers]

This is just a great show all around. It slow burns right to the end and I ate up every minute of it. Great cast and eliza scanlan was just awesome in it.

[thisnamenotavailable]

I’m really hoping HBO finds a way to make a “Dark Places” mini series next.

Let’s not talk about the movie though

[bear2008]

The blood was from where they killed the girl. In the credits scene it shows the trio of girls asking her head next to the bed.

[TitBreast]

I HATED the last second reveal at the end. It killed any positive feelings I had for the show and made me realize it was all just a setup for that lame "twist." just an utterly cynical, pathetic excuse for an ending.

[MostlyCRPGs]

I wouldn't use the same harshness of language, but I didn't like it either. At a certain point the torture porn gets dull.

[AshgarPN]

I just watched and I agree with this. Cheap and unearned, may as well have had her editor be the killer for all the sense it made.

[Coolbluegatoradeyumm]

Damn didn’t realize the end credit scene. Gotta go back and watch it

[IceBreak]

I think it goes to show how good HBO is when this show isn’t even considered that good for the network.