Kaia Gerber, who plays Susan in FX's Ryan Murphy adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis's novel The Shards, has discussed the season one finale, which ended with police questioning all the main characters as suspects in the "Trawler" serial killings and the death of Debbie's father, Terry. Gerber told The Hollywood Reporter that even her character, queen-bee high schooler Susan, is a plausible suspect, a twist she finds surprising given how the story has been framed largely through Bret's perspective. The revelation matters because it signals the show intends to resolve the killer's identity, something the source novel never explicitly did.

Murphy has previously said he and Ellis envisaged three or four seasons for the series, with this finale covering only around a third of the book's plot, leaving plenty of scope for further twists. Gerber also spoke about a "Shelley Duvall moment" inspired by The Shining featured in the finale, and reflected on Susan's complexity, admitting she finds the character's relentless competitiveness hard to empathise with at times. She expressed appreciation that the TV adaptation allows Susan to be explored beyond Bret's narrow view of her, hinting at further character development should the show be renewed.