Apple TV+ has gained a reputation for making some of the best shows, and the sci-fi thriller series Shining Girls remains no exception, although it has not received the attention it deserves. Boasting a Rotten Tomatoes score of 84%, the show features The Handmaid’s Tale star Elisabeth Moss as the lead protagonist.
Based on the 2013 novel The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes, the show is created by Silka Luisa. A part of it premiered at the South by Southwest in March 2022 before its release on Apple TV+ in late April 2022. Despite having a positive reception, the show went under the radar just like Cate Blanchett’s series last year.
What Is Shining Girls About?
Shining Girls is a blend of crime drama, psychological thriller, and surreal mystery. At the center of the story is Kirby Mazrachi (Elisabeth Moss), a newspaper archivist at the Chicago Sun-Times, whose life took a drastic turn after she became the victim of a brutal attack years ago.
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Kirby lives in a constant state of disorientation as her reality shifts in small, yet disconcerting ways. One day, she wakes up with a different hairstyle. The next day, she might find that her pet is not the same as the one she had the day before. These distortions in her reality leave her doubting her sanity.
Kirby’s assailant was never caught. When she finds out that a woman was recently attacked in a way that is similar to her own, she begins to suspect that a serial killer might be on the prowl. Determined to find out who the killer is, she pairs up with reporter Dan Velazquez, a reporter at the Chicago Sun-Times.
| Key Facts | Shining Girls |
| Created by | Silka Luisa |
| Executive producers | Elisabeth Moss Silka Luisa Leonardo DiCaprio Lindsey McManus Jennifer Davisson Lauren Beukes Alan Page Arriaga Michelle MacLaren Rebecca Hobbs Daina Reid |
| Cast | Elisabeth Moss Wagner Moura Phillipa Soo Chris Chalk Amy Brenneman Jamie Bell |
| Seasons | 1 |
| IMDb | 7.4/10 |
| Rotten Tomatoes | 84% |
| Streaming platform | Apple TV+ |
Dan and Kirby work together to dig up decades-old cases of similar attacks and murders that were left unresolved. Their investigation leads them to a seemingly ordinary man named Harper Curtis, who can time-travel and harbors an agenda against brilliant women and seeks to extinguish their potential by stalking and murdering them.
Kirby’s trauma blends with the supernatural elements of Harper’s time-defying crimes to tell a story that is both intimate and cosmic. Each new episode of Shining Girls delves into the puzzle of Harper’s operations and how Kirby might be able to break the cycle of violence if she can stop him.
While Jamie Bell appears as the mysterious serial killer Harper, Wagner Moura plays the reporter who aids Kirby in her search for the truth. Moss is also reunited with her The Handmaid’s Tale co-star Madeline Brewer, who portrays Harper’s girlfriend from a different timeline. Phillipa Soo, Amy Brenneman, and Chris Chalk also appear in the series.
Why We Might Not Get Shining Girls Season 2?
The book from which Shining Girls is adapted ends the story definitively, and Season 1 of the show does the same, with Kirby flipping the tables on Harper. Since the show follows the book closely, the finale depicted the ending just like the novel. So, if a second season is made, it would have to veer away from the source material.
Showrunner Silka Luisa weighed in on this in an interview with Metacritic, saying:
“I think the season in itself does tell you a complete story.“
Apple TV+ has not given any update on the renewal of Shining Girls or any other production update since its release in 2022. So, it is unlikely that the show will be picked for another season, regardless of its critical acclaim. While the series was never officially branded a limited series, its structure and closure strongly suggest it was designed as one.
Do you think the show should be renewed for another season?
Shining Girls is currently streaming on Apple TV+.
