If you’re like me, then October not only brings to mind the joys of pumpkin spiced lattes, Halloween, and midterms (mmm yes. Joy). It also marks the start of a new American Horror Story season.
As I sat down to watch the second part of the Halloween episode on Wednesday, I found it a little hard to believe that I have only been watching this show for a little over a year. In 12 months, I have managed to watch every episode made to date and become completely obsessed with it all at the same time.
I was knee deep in Glee at the time the first season premiered in 2011, so I was very much in tune with Ryan Murphy (who is also, surprisingly, the creator of Glee as well as AHS) and this new show. But I was not having it. I was more of a wimp when it came to that kind of stuff back then, so I said “No thank you” and never looked back. But then my best friend Crystal was a fan, and my classmates wouldn’t shut up about it either. It’s safe to say that by the third season, I had been shaken down. Plus, I didn’t have to do any extra work; each season is a new plot, so I wouldn’t be behind on any knowledge. So, there I was, October of my senior year, getting ready to watch this pop culture phenomenon. And I immediately fell in love.
To say that American Horror Story: Coven was my favorite season is an understatement. It has every element a great horror movie (or TV show in this case) should possess: witches, zombies, torture. Plus, an amazingly complicated love triangle. But the most important aspect, an aspect that most horror films lack, was the wonderfully written plot. Ryan Murphy is no less than a genius, and it shows in his brainchild that is AHS. And of course, the ever-amazing cast was the foundation of the show, and what kept me coming back each week. And I’m not just thinking about Evan Peters, though he was a big reason, let me tell you. Taissa Farmiga’s ability to delve into the innocence and ferocity of the character of Zoe and Sarah Paulson’s vulnerability as Cordelia, which was a stark contrast to her previous Lana Winters in season 2, amazed me and made me feel for their characters. Sprinkle in some Kathy Bates and Jessica Lange brilliance and it is no wonder the show received 17 Emmy nominations and 4 wins that season.
Flash-forward to this season, and after a summer of hints and hype, I waited not-so-patiently in front of my dorm’s TV, surrounded by my new college friends for the season premiere of Freak Show. And it was…lacking, for me at least. I was expecting the rush and chills I usually get from AHS episodes. But they never came. I was so confused. The cast I have fallen more and more in love with after 3 seasons were all there (except for my beloved Taissa). Ryan Murphy was working his magic. The scripts, the concept and the time period were all meshing to make a great work of art. But I just wasn’t as into it as usual.
Don’t get me wrong. Even a subpar American Horror Story episode is better than most TV shows today. I love to hate the bratty psycho Danny, played by Finn Wittrock. I am obsessed with the time period; 1950s Americana is so picturesque and “perfect,” which makes the horrible things that happen all the more disturbing. And Twisty the Clown is the reincarnation of terror. I have been scared of clowns since one tried to chase me around with a plastic fish when I was 5. I do not enjoy them, for the most part, and I especially do not enjoy them when they have a mangled jaw and a murderous agenda.
After watching “Edward Mordrake (Part 2)” I did make the decision that I do in fact like it so far. Plus, I am genuinely excited for the rest of the season. Lily Rabe, who is one of my favorites from the show (plus she went to Northwestern) is going to appear in episode 10, reprising her role as Sister Mary Eunice, before she became possessed. This is going to connect with the character Pepper, also from season 2, and how she came to be at Briarcliff Manor. Two other highly anticipated guest stars are Neil Patrick Harris and his husband David Burtka. Not in the same episode, however; NPH will be in episodes 11 and 12, while Burtka will be in the finale.
So, even though Freak Show is no Coven, it definitely keeps me coming back, and that is the main goal behind any TV show.
And Even Peters. Need I say more?