When I first saw the commercials for American Horror Story, I thought it would be an anthology series like Outer Limits or the Twilight Zone. Turns out it isn’t. In fact, the pilot was a huge disappointment for me. It felt like a bunch of amateur horror tricks done by a novice film student trying to be edgy and cool. If it wasn’t for a few people saying that the second episode was better, I would have never watched the show again. They were right, the second episode was MUCH better. It is as if someone with more a more focused hand took over the show. Instead of over-kill and horror for shock value, an intriguing story emerged.
American Horror Story focuses on a family torn apart by a husband’s infidelity, Ben, a mother troubled with a stillborn baby, Vivien, and a daughter practicing the art of angst and rebellion, Violet. They all moved to Los Angeles to live in a house with a history but it is not quite the history that they bargained for. After bizarre events like the girl next door breaking in and telling them they will die almost every day, the family finds out that they live in The Murder House. It seems to have a life of its own due to it being haunted by multiple past inhabitants. The story so far suggests that the hauntings may have begun with a doctor and his wife who used to perform abortions and harvest body parts in jars. There was a nurse and a college student drowned and murdered there. There was the gay couple who was killed by a mysterious man in a full-bodied black latex suit. Even the neighbor, Constance, used to live there. She killed her cheating husband and the harlot maid and apparently moved next door with her daughter Addie. That harlot maid is now working for the Harmons’. Constance knows that she is a ghost but doesn’t share this information with the Harmons’. When knew something was afoot with Moira because Ben sees her as a vibrant, sex kitten in a naughty maid costume while Vivien sees her as a used up old hag with a discolored eye. There is a long list of people coming by the house such as a burned man who killed his whole family by fire. We soon learn most of the people stopping by the house are ghosts. These are advanced ghosts because they can interact with objects and even touch people. The ectoplasm in that house must be strong. We can also guess that if a person dies on the Murder House property that they will haunt the place. It can also be that the people are haunting the house because all of their bones are somewhere still on the property. Constance seems to know the rules of the house because she tried to get Addie on the property before Addie died. It suggests Constance believed that if Addie got to the property in time that she would have Addie’s ghost to keep her company. There are still questions about Tate. We found out that he is Constance’s son but there is also something weird about him. He doesn’t seem to leave the house or come out in daylight. It the latest episode he broke all of those rules but now has ghosts following him because he killed them in a shooting spree at school. Tate also seems to be the one walking around the house in the black full-bodied latex suit which also means that he might also be the father of Vivien’s child. Is he a ghost or is he real? If so, that ectoplasm sperm will surely produce a child like Damien and may even kill Vivien in childbirth.
There is a lot we don’t know about the Murder House. For instance, is this house always this out of control? Was it built on an Indian burial ground? (I hope not, that would be lame.) Is there a specialist that will step in and try to cleanse the house Poltergeist-style? Can the house even be cleansed? If we are given an explanation I would prefer it be supernatural rather than scientific technobabble. I know! That’s weird coming from me but I swear if I see one alien in this show that’s not toungue-in-cheek, I’m writing someone some hate mail.
It seems as if we have time for the story to be told because American Horror Story has been renewed for a second season. TV by the Numbers says “American Horror Story grew week to week across the board and set series highs in all 18-49/18-34 breaks and in W25-54“. They also state “through two weeks, first-run episodes of AHS are averaging 4.2 million Total Viewers, 2.9 million Adults 18-49, and 1.7 million Adults 18-34. It is currently tracking to become the highest-rated first season of any series ever on FX, certain to surpass Murphy’s award-winning hit drama Nip/Tuck”. This is good news for the show because I believe it’s one of the most original shows on television right now and deserves a chance for more stories. It may not be perfect but thank God it’s not another cop show.
Listen to us talk about American Horror Story on the Sci-Party Line Podcast.
American Horror Story airs Wednesdays at 10/9c on FX.