Quality TV: American Horror Story
I had heard about this show some time ago, around the time it originally aired I guess. It was a horror based podcast and they were discussing some points, but I never really paid attention to it at the time.
On the one hand that’s too bad, because if I had, and decided to sit and watch it, I would have written about it long ago. But I didn’t. The other hand is that I could download the whole season and just burn right through it. I much prefer that 
American Horror Story is about a family that buys a house with a past. A terrible past, filled with murder and other despicable deeds. And the souls of people that were murdered still remain to haunt the house. Sounds pretty cut and dry, heard it all before kinda stuff. Right?
I thought so too when I first started, but there was something a little different. It was how the ghosts were interacting with one another. How they all weren’t out for the same thing. And how they never really presented themselves as ghosts at all. It was all just moody creepy stuff. And I had this feeling; it’s as if the writers of Lost had their shit together and did horror instead. That’s how it felt. Like horror Lost.
Each episode will tell you more and more about the history of the house and it’s inhabitants. How they came to be, what they were like before, and what their motives are. It seems they all want something different from this living family.
It’s on FX, which means they can get away with a few more things. Some mild swearing, more gruesome gore, that kind of thing. But it’s not all about the gore. They do a great job building suspense and not disappointing with the results. There are a number of things that are unseen, and you just see the reaction, allowing your mind to go wild. That’s the great part. Hell, I’m still seeing things out of the corner of my eye and getting spooked at stupid stuff. It allowed my mind to go wild, and I’m still feeling the effects.
I watched the end of season 1 on Halloween, somewhat fitting I think. I thought that it might be a lack luster, setting up for season 2 kinda thing. But it didn’t, on either count. Watching the last two episodes, I really started to wonder how they were going to end it, and at times I thought it was going the Sixth Sense route(tie everything up, end on a happy note). Didn’t do that. I won’t spoil it, but you won’t be disappointed either(unless you like that kind of thing).
What is also great about American Horror Story is that each season will stand alone. Sure, you might get the same actors involved, but they’re not playing the same roles. Each season will stand alone, be it’s own story.
From one of the creators, Ryan Murphy:
What you saw in the finale was the end of the Harmon house. The second season of the show will be a brand-new home or building to haunt. Just like this year, every season of this show will have a beginning, middle and end. [The second season] won’t be in L.A. It will obviously be in America, but in a completely different locale.
I like this kind of format, it’s not something that’s seen very often these days. It allows the writers to make it more of a long mini series instead of a long running series. They have an end point, and can easily work towards it in 12 chunks.
I’m really looking forward to Season 2, as it takes place in an Asylum, and those places are creepy enough on their own
So if you’re a horror fan, do yourself a favor. Grab a copy, turn the lights down low, and spend a couple of days going through it. You’ll be glad you did. Or, you’ll never sleep again, either way….