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Warning: Spoilers ahead for “Sharp Objects” Episode 5, “Closer”

In the latest episode of “Sharp Objects,” the residents of Wind Gap, Missouri, convene at Adora Preaker’s (Patricia Clarkson) estate to celebrate the town’s founder with Calhoun Day — an idea that showrunner Marti Noxon told TheWrap began as a joke.

“It started as a joke, to be honest,” Noxon said with a laugh of the made-up holiday (Calhoun Day isn’t part of the Gillian Flynn novel on which the show is based). “Well… the kind of joke that in a [writer’s] room takes on its own life.”

Noxon said that she and the “Sharp Objects” writers were “fascinated” with the way the residents of Wind Gap “seemed to really identify with the South and the kind of Dixie flag flying and the story of Calhoun, the town’s founder.”

Also Read: Why 'Sharp Objects' Showrunner Named Each Episode After a Word on Camille's Body

The story goes that Zeke Calhoun — who Camille (Amy Adams) refers to as “our founding pedophile” — fought for the South in the Civil War while betrothed to Millie, a young girl from a Union family who Camille refers to as her “great-great-great-grand victim.” According to the tale, some Union soldiers traveled South to capture Calhoun “dead or alive.” But Millie, who at this point was pregnant, refused to give up her husband.

Camille says in the episode that it’s how Millie resists the soldiers that the townspeople love. The story ends with Millie refusing to reveal to the Union soldiers where Zeke is hiding, prompting them to tie her to a tree and do horrible things to her — “violations,” as Camille says — to the point of Millie losing her baby.

When Richard (Chris Messina) questions why this dark story merits a holiday, Camille counters, “We don’t have a lot of happy stories around here.”

Also Read: Here's How 'Sharp Objects' Is Not Hiding Its Cuts and Looking Out for Triggers at the Same Time

“There’s a lot of talk about myth and fantasy and how that can influence towns, and your story versus your truth,” Noxon said. That idea bleeds into Camille’s own mythos: “The [Preaker] family has myths, the family has things that aren’t necessarily true on the surface.”

Camille tries to distance herself from her mother’s small town celebrations and conservative beliefs. She tells Adora that she’s not really part of Calhoun Day (and back in the pilot we saw a Barack Obama poster in her apartment). But when Adora forces her to reveal to Amma (Eliza Scanlen) her scars, Camille is forced to remember where she truly comes from.

Noxon said this line between what is real and what we tell ourselves is real reminds her of “fake news” as we know it today.

Also Read: 'Sharp Objects' Showrunner on Premiere's 'Aha Moment,' What Those 'Sharp Objects' Have Done to Camille

“The more we talked about the fake news of the town, the things that they told each other that just weren’t true, the more we kept focusing on the founder’s story, and the joke was that we were going to do Calhoun Day the musical,” she said, laughing again.

“But then we just started to realize there was something in bringing everybody in the town [together],” she added. “Like, it’s this life of Wind Gap, and the dynamics of the haves and the have nots, and Adora and the Preaker family as the kind of royalty of that family who controls the narrative being very juicy. And so eventually it was like, we’re doing Calhoun Day. We’re doing it.”

“Sharp Objects” airs on HBO Sundays at 9/8c.

Party Report: Amy Adams, Gillian Flynn and HBO Celebrate the Premiere of 'Sharp Objects' (Photos)

Before Sunday night's premiere, HBO and the "Sharp Objects" creative ensemble celebrated the television adaptation of Gillian Flynn's novel at the ArcLight Hollywood and at an afterparty at Boulevard3 on Sunset. Pictured here: executive producer/author Gillian Flynn, Amy Adams, Patricia Clarkson and executive producer/creator Marti Noxon.
Christopher Polk/Getty Images
"Power" executive producer 50 Cent knows that a new season of the Starz show means it's time to party "like it's your birthday." The celebration in New York on Thursday night included a choir, fog machine and the G-Unit main man entertaining the guests.
Cindy Ord/Getty Images for Starz Entertainment LLC
At the afterparty, 50 Cent huddled with creator and fellow- executive producer Courtney A. Kemp.

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It was a 104 degrees at 10:15 p.m. when Vance Joy's headlining show at the Greek ended on Friday night, but that didn't stop the Aussie's L.A. fans from selling out the show and turning up early and loud. "This is by a fair way, our biggest headline show ever here," he said and thanked the crowd for "braving this incredible heat." In a few different configurations, Vance ran through most of the new "Nation of Two" album during an 85-minute set.
Courtesy of Instagram/TheGreekTheatre; and Instagram/BradCauchy
Republic artist Mondo Cozmo (left, with Craig Adams) opened, playing his number one "Shine" and thanking the crowd for coming out "early" on the hot Friday night. "We’re playing the freakin Greek tonight. Insanity," he wrote on Instagram earlier in the day. "In 1.5 years we went from the Hotel Cafe to the Troubadour to the El Rey to The Greek. What a beautiful mountain to have climbed. Thank you @vancejoy for helping us get there."
Instagram/CraigAdamsMusique
Veteran actor Tim Matheson, "Breaking Bad" creator Vince Gilligan and "Game of Thrones" producer Carolyn Strauss gathered at the Paley Center to lead CNN's celebration of its new recent-history series, "The 2000s." Because the series focuses on the rise of the contemporary golden age of TV, these TV big shots were appropriate guests. Fun fact: Tom Hanks produces the series.
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"Downton Abbey" belongs in the conversation of the current golden age. Here, the former "Mrs. Patmore" (Lesley Nicol) hugs BAFTA L.A. CEO Chantal Rickards at the group's Student Film Awards. The trophy handout took place at the Ace Hotel downtown on June 29.
Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for BAFTA L.A.
Music fans and Bally recently celebrated 30 years of seminal rap artist Slick Rick. Beverly Hills is traditionally a snoozefest on Saturday nights, but not on June 23, when hip-hop pioneers gathered in the 90210. Pictured here with the guest of honor are Mandy Aragones and En Vogue's Terry Ellis.

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LL Cool J was in the building, here greeting "Love & Hip Hop" executive producer Maricarmen Lopez. (Before his now formidable TV career, LL was the youngster in hip-hop's founding generation and a Slick Rick peer.)
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Snoop Dogg came to DJ, spinning Slick Rick classics "La Di Da Di (We like to Party)" and "Mona Lisa." It's a long but refreshing leap to have the Bronx on Rodeo Drive.
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Giorgio's -- the understated Saturday night party for in-the-know industry figures who wouldn't be anywhere else on a Saturday night on the Sunset Strip -- celebrated its five year anniversary. Here, founders Adam Bravin (aka DJ Adam 12) and Bryan Rabin are at the decks.

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For the anniversary party, the crowd spilled out of its usual confines of the club at the Standard to colonize the pool deck. The Party Report salutes what many of the '90s' and '00s' "scene" regard as the L.A.'s last cool nightlife brand for friends-of-friends only. (Photos rarely emerge from this crowd that appreciates the phone-free era of nightlife.)

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Celebrants included (from left): Stylist Elizabeth Stewart, fashion expert George Kotsiopoulos, Rabin, designer Brian Wolk, stylist Yana Kamps and designer Claude Morais.
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The pet-friendly Standard took it one step further, welcoming music producer Nick Launay and his pet to the festivities.
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The Party Report never sees industry types dance at parties. Giorgio's is the exception. The party is named for electronic music pioneer Giorgio Moroder (the "Scarface" and "Midnight Express" soundtracks, and Donna Summer's hits "Hot Stuff" and "On the Radio").

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Bravin behind the decks with writer Jason Sugars.
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A few blocks west on Sunset at the new Jeremy Hotel, "The Arrangement's" Josh Henderson (right) made the scene at Karma International's "The Creux Automatiq Affair."

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Jay Layno
Jaime King came to celebrate pal Lucy Hale's cover of Haute Living at the new Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills, the hotel anchoring the corner of Wilshire and Santa Monica that has opened up the party palette on Golden Globes night.

John Sciulli / Getty Images for Haute Living
ICM Partners client Jeremy O. Harris, vintner Jim Obergefell, "Queer Eye's" Karamo Brown and ICM Politics' Caroline Edwards attended ICM’s Pride Month event.

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New York finished up pride month strong. "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star Erika Jayne hosted Ketel One's Pride celebration at The Blond.

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Cindy Ord/Getty Images for Ketel One Family-Made Vodka
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Getty Images for Ocean Resort Casino
Niall Horan and pro golfer Justin Rose teamed up for a co-branded "Horan and Rose" golf outing and gala benefit in Watford, England, raising money for cancer research for kids and teens in the UK. That night, Horan performed hit "Slow Hands" with fellow "X Factor" alum Olly Murs after they chipped in $85,000 to win a trip to South Africa that they said they'll take together.
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For more from the party scene, including TheWrap's Power Women Breakfast in New York, click here:

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Inside and backstage the top industry bashes of the week with The Party Report’s Mikey Glazer

Before Sunday night's premiere, HBO and the "Sharp Objects" creative ensemble celebrated the television adaptation of Gillian Flynn's novel at the ArcLight Hollywood and at an afterparty at Boulevard3 on Sunset. Pictured here: executive producer/author Gillian Flynn, Amy Adams, Patricia Clarkson and executive producer/creator Marti Noxon.

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