American Horror Story

[EnchantedDream218]

I'm a big fan of the show and I was wondering if there's any fans on here. I've seen Murder House, Asylum, Coven & Freak Show. I know the next one will be about a hotel. If your a fan of this show and would like to talk about the show, please reply. 

[Beorning]

I've watched Asylum and Coven...

I admit that, while both of the stories had their moments, I was ultimately let down by both of them. Both of them felt as if the writers had some ideas and some beginnings of plots, but weren't sure how to finish them.

Also, I didn't really find the show very scary - although it had some creepy scenes...

[CuriousEyes]

I loved the first season, but I've barely been able to make it halfway through any of the others (gave up on Asylum, stumbled through Coven, and didn't even try Freak Show).

I know from previous shows by the creators that they're very much of a "more is more" mentality when it comes to their shows. And I think that tends to hurt AHS, which could be very cool if it just focused on a particular story of each season rather than cramming in more little plot points. Asylum and

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the aliens

was just like... huh? Likewise to the first season and a large number of the victims you saw in passing who ultimately didn't matter.

[Beorning]

I havent' seen other shows by these creators (which ones would that be?), but I agree that AHS seems to have too much stuff put into its stories. I had the same impression - instead of coming up with one solid plot and elaborating on it, the show throws together a whole bunch of ideas each season that aren't really followed through.

Also, I take issue with their characters. In Coven, most of the characters seemed to be quite psychopathic... in fact, when watching the final episodes, I started to agree with

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the witch-hunters

: the witches in the show really were evil...

[Jag]

I like AHS. I like some seasons more than others. I was very off put by Asylum and almost didn't watch Coven because of it. A lot of people felt that the show took it too far with some of the acts of violence in Asylum, especially the

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rapes and violence against the women

. Coven was made in response to show more women with power and control.

Also,

Lots of stuff in here

the witches weren't meant to be good. They were evil and they never hid that fact. With the exception of the one witch hunter, it appeared as if most witch hunters had moved on and grown up with the modern times. They were business men. Given the reception Asylum got about it's violence against women, it was meant to appear as an small group of people going up against a big group of people and winning. Think about it, how many women did they show in the Witch Hunter building other than a handful of receptionists running around? This was supposed to represent a group of women who had, in the late past, been hunted down and persecuted finally dealing with the straw that broke the camels back. Why wait for the witch hunters to get bored with their business life and come after them again? Cut them down and make sure it can never happen again. Save the future generation the pain and difficulty of what might happen.

I'm not saying I agree with what they did or the personality of many of the witches (they are awful people), but the point wasn't to like them. It was to accept that they were women that did what needed to be done without regret. They were in control of their lives.

The Coven season is about one thing...Power. Grabbing it at all costs. Doesn't matter who you hurt. Just grab it and force people to accept your authority. In the end, we see the few semi-redeemable witches (excluding Nan...poor Nan) working to correct this. Working for a future where power isn't everything. Where they can be a family once again. One where they will have to stand together and work to live in the modern world instead of fighting like the bitches they were amongst themselves. Revealing themselves to the rest of the world means that it will be a waste of time to fight each other anymore, because they are going to have to deal with the rest of the world now. They will have to become a true sisterhood who takes care of each other now.

Were they evil? Yes...but a few were redeemable in the end.

I haven't watched Freak Show yet. I'm also sad to hear that Jessica Lange will be leaving the show soon. I always loved the way they played her and Frances Conroy's characters together.

[Remiel]

I love AHS, and still do, although the first season was the only one that truly deserved the word "Horror" in the title.  The subsequent seasons were...disturbing, amusing, and strangely charming, all at once (the Freak Show episode about Pepper's story nearly had me in sniffles).  I love that the show is not afraid to go dark (Tate shooting up his school, the rape and victimization of the women in the asylum, what Mme. LaLaurie did to her slaves, the murders of the freaks to sell their body parts to the museum).  That's the point.  It's supposed to bring us to these dark places, to confront us with the ugly parts of ourselves.

And from what I've been reading about Madame LaLaurie, she actually got off lightly in the show.

[Edit] I do have one complaint, and that's how...disjointed the show seems to be at times.  It rarely sticks to a linear format, instead jumping back and forth in time without warning.  The effect can be...disorienting, and occasionally made me wonder if I somehow missed an episode here and there.

[Beorning]

For all AHS fans - you might like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FtenR69qmk

Apparently, it's from one of the creators of AHS... and it has has bitchy Emma Roberts!

(although she is dressed rather horribly...  )