'Ratched' on Netflix: Plot, Release Date, Cast and More

If you’re a big fan of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest or anything Ryan Murphy creates, then we’ve got the perfect new Netflix series for you! Ratched hits the streaming platform on Friday, September 18, and stars some of the best actors in Hollywood. To learn more about the eight-episode drama — including cast and plot details — keep reading!

What is Ratched on Netflix about?

Ratched is an adaptation of Ken Kesey’s 1962 novel One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. While the text follows the story of mental hospital patient Randle Patrick McMurphy, the series will be focused on Mildred Ratched, referred to most often as Nurse Ratched, played by Sarah Paulson.

“I feel like Nurse Ratched is sort of a shorthand for barbarism. She became almost like a catchphrase for any sort of institutional abuse of power,” Murphy explained to Vanity Fair in July 2020.

“What was interesting was trying to create an emotional character from a reputation that’s very cold … trying to figure out every little detail about her childhood, her relationships, her sexuality,” the American Horror Story creator continued, noting that when people think of her character, they think of someone who is “shut off,” “cruel” and “uncaring.”

Ultimately, the show is a prequel to Kesey’s book — “an imagining of how this monster was created,” as Murphy described — so if you’re unfamiliar with One Flew Over the Cuckoo‘s Nest, you can still enjoy it.

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Was Ratched a movie first?

Not technically, no. Kesey’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest was made into a movie of the same name in 1975 starring Jack Nicholson. Louise Fletcher played the original Nurse Ratched and is 86 years old today.

How many seasons is Ratched?

According to IMDb, 18 episodes of Ratched have already been filmed. However, season 1 will only be eight episodes in total. Season 2 is slated to come out sometime in 2021.

To learn more about the stars of Ratched on Netflix, scroll through the gallery below!