Imagine being offered the chance to become flawlessly beautiful instantly. It sounds amazing, right? But there’s always a price. That’s the central idea behind Ryan Murphy’s new FX show, The Beauty, created with Matt Hodgson. The show revolves around a sexually transmitted infection – called ‘The Beauty’ – that turns people into physically perfect versions of themselves. The terrifying part? Those affected don’t realize it’s deadly.
It’s hard not to think of The Substance, the hit 2024 horror film and Oscar contender. That movie sparked a lot of discussion – both good and bad – about how far a woman (Demi Moore) would go to regain her youth and beauty. The Beauty deliberately plays on these similarities, and notably casts Demi Moore’s former husband, Ashton Kutcher, in a significant part.
Despite similarities, The Beauty isn’t a copy of The Substance. It’s actually adapted from a comic book series of the same name published by Image Comics between 2015 and 2021. Here’s some background on the original comic, which the new series is based on and has received positive feedback for since its first three episodes.
What happens in “The Beauty” comics?
The comic series, created by Jeremy Haun and Jason A. Hurley, begins two years after a strange disease called ‘The Beauty’ swept the globe. This isn’t a disease people fear, though – it’s a sexually transmitted illness that makes people conventionally attractive. Those infected experience physical changes like weight loss, restored hair, and clearer skin, resulting in a more ‘beautiful’ appearance. In fact, The Beauty is highly sought after, and the comic estimates that around half the world’s population, including 200 million Americans, are infected.
The introduction of Beauty has deeply divided people, creating strong reactions both for and against it. Some see it as the height of social status, while others view it as a terrible mistake. This has led to the formation of opposing activist groups and a worrying increase in violence, including hate crimes and even bombings.
Okay, so this disease doesn’t actually make you beautiful, which is kinda funny because I’ve been following this one guy who’s having the worst time dating! Everyone assumes he has ‘The Beauty’ – this thing that supposedly transforms you – because he’s naturally good-looking, but he doesn’t have it at all. Apparently, in the show, ‘The Beauty’ completely changes your appearance. And it’s not just people trying to catch it either – a lot of people wake up transformed without even realizing they slept with someone who has it. It’s wild!
How does the show differ from the source material?
The way the disease appears differs between the comic book and the television series. Both versions involve intense physical suffering and a high fever. However, the comic depicts people simply falling asleep and waking up changed, while the TV show portrays a much more dramatic and disturbing process. In the series, individuals experience frightening contortions and produce a viscous fluid, ultimately encasing themselves in a cocoon-like substance before emerging as a completely transformed, and more aesthetically pleasing, person. A unique element of the show is that these transformed individuals are portrayed by different actors, adding to the tension. In the comics, the change is merely an improvement in appearance.
Like the television series, this comic follows two detectives investigating a series of mysterious deaths caused by spontaneous combustion. All the victims share a common trait: a condition known as “The Beauty.” It quickly becomes apparent that anyone with The Beauty will die approximately two years after developing it. The detectives believe they’ve found a potential cure, but a dangerous masked figure named Mr. Calaveras is determined to stop them, even if it means killing many people. He’s working to protect the powerful, hidden group responsible for creating and spreading the disease, as a cure would expose their involvement.
Following a fierce battle, Mr. Calaveras is overcome, and the remaining survivors start distributing the cure for The Beauty globally. The final installment, released in 2021, reveals that The Beauty has been completely eliminated. Those left behind must come to terms with their changed appearances—the cure saves lives but often leaves lasting scars—and reflect on the price they paid in their quest for beauty.
What happens in the first three episodes of The Beauty?
The comic book series begins with the disease already widespread and public knowledge, but the TV show starts with it being a closely guarded secret. The first episode immediately throws viewers into the chaos with a model (Bella Hadid) exploding in Paris. This prompts the FBI to send agents Cooper Madsen (Evan Peters) and Jordan Bennett (Rebecca Hall) to investigate a series of similar deaths happening to models throughout Europe.
As a film buff, I was totally hooked by this twist! It turns out the characters weren’t just aging, they were changing – drastically. Seriously, you wouldn’t recognize them from old photos. The reason? This crazy disease called ‘The Beauty,’ just like in the source material. It’s spread through intimacy and essentially remakes you into a stunningly attractive version of yourself. It’s a wild concept, and I can’t wait to see how it plays out on screen!
The first episode centers on Jeremy (Jaquel Spivey), a deeply unhappy and isolated man who feels unattractive and longs for change. Identifying as an ‘incel,’ he discovers a plastic surgeon online, hoping for a solution, but the surgery fails to improve his situation. In a fit of rage, Jeremy shoots up the surgeon’s office. Just before he kills the surgeon, he’s offered an unbelievable solution: a woman carrying a unique ‘Beauty’ who, through intimacy with Jeremy, completely transforms him – both physically and emotionally, with Jeremy Pope taking over the role after the change.
The series reveals that the Beauty isn’t spread through sexual contact, a major departure from the original comic book. Instead, a different version of the Beauty was created by a very rich man known as The Corporation (Ashton Kutcher). This version is an injection that permanently changes people and doesn’t have the deadly effects of the STI. Driven by protecting his profits, The Corporation is determined to stop the spread of the STI and uncover the truth about the Beauty – even if it means using an assassin (Anthony Ramos) to find answers. The original, sexually transmitted version of the Beauty is particularly dangerous, killing those infected within two years.
Here’s what we’ve learned so far. With only three episodes of The Beauty released out of eleven, there are still many secrets left to reveal.
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2026-01-23 00:06