Are You Brave Enough to Watch American Horror Story?
Lauren Dearing '22 Staff Writer
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History of the Show
American Horror Story is an American TV show that aired in 2011 with their premiere season of “Murder House.” The show aired on the network FX with directors Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk. American Horror Story currently features nine seasons that frequently showcase the same cast of actors. However, each season follows widely different characters, plots and storylines. After its premiere date on October 5th, 2011, the ratings of the show skyrocketed exponentially. In a report published by The Hollywood Reporter in 2019, the show had “nearly tripled its initial 18-49 rating” and had “the biggest growth in percentage terms with a 190 percent improvement,” rivaling shows like The Walking Dead and Modern Family. With an overall score of 76% on Rotten Tomatoes, American Horror Story has won many awards over the years, such as its People’s Choice Award for Favorite TV Movie/Mini-Series in 2014 and Lady Gaga’s Golden Globe for Best Performance in a Mini-series or Movie Made for Television in 2016. So...Is the show meant for you? As the title of the show might imply, American Horror Story is a part of the horror genre. The show offers intense scares and unsettling feelings throughout the many seasons. “I would definitely recommend this show to others because if you want something different and weird, this is the show. It has something new to offer, and it’s not like any other show I’ve seen,” said Alexis Reynolds, a senior at North County High School. However, American Horror Story exposes viewers to intense violence and gore; some of the show’s seasons even make references to true stories. An article published by MTV titled “13 unsettling facts about ‘American Horror Story’’ reported that the hotel in season six was based on an actual hotel built by H. H. Holmes in Chicago. Holmes built the Hotel in the 1800s during the world fair with the intention of “murdering his guests by stashing their bodies in the many trap doors, chutes, and hidden passages.” Thus, I believe that this show is exciting to watch if you are a fan of horror. However, I would not recommend this as a family show because it isn’t appropriate for young children. Is it Worth Watching? One of the many perks of American Horror Story is that you can watch the whole show and discover the connections and theories between all the seasons. However, if you aren’t looking for a long-term show to watch, each season of American Horror Story is widely different so that viewers can pick and choose different seasons to watch. To help with that decision, Two high school seniors were asked about their American Horror Story opinions: Alexis Reynolds of North County High School and Gabrielle Green of Howard High School. They were asked which seasons are their favorite and which seasons they didn’t like in order to narrow down which ones are truly the best. |
#1 Alexis Reynolds and Gabrielle Green: Murder House (Gabrielle ranked this season as #3 on the list) Summary of the Season (All summaries are directly quoted from the American Horror Story Wiki page.): “The Harmons face many conflicts going on in their new home; the primary one stemming from Ben Harmon's (Dylan McDermott) adultery, and the subsequent fallout with his wife Vivien (Connie Britton) and daughter Violet (Taissa Farmiga). Other conflicts include the intrusive behavior of the neighbors, Constance (Jessica Lange) and Adelaide (Jamie Brewer), as well as intrusions from one of Dr. Harmon's patients, Tate (Evan Peters). A parade of mysterious visitors to their haunted home, including the scarred Larry Harvey (Denis O'Hare), make the first year of the Harmons in Los Angeles very dangerous. The house seems to have a vivid history, ranging from brutal murders to demonic manifestations, and it seems to have its own agenda.” Score on Rotten Tomatoes: 72% Why?: Alexis liked this season the most because it “had the most story” in her opinion. She claimed that the season did a good job of wrapping everything up and not leaving any questions. Gabrielle, on the other hand, found Murder House to be slightly confusing. #2 Alexis Reynolds and Gabrielle Green: Freak Show (Gabrielle ranked this season as #4 on the list) Summary of the Season (All summaries are directly quoted from the American Horror Story Wiki page.): “Freak Show begins its tale in the quiet, sleepy hamlet of Jupiter, Florida. The year is 1952. A troupe of human curiosities has just arrived in town, coinciding with the strange emergence of a dark entity that savagely threatens the lives of townsfolk and freaks alike. This is the story of the performers and their desperate journey of survival amidst the dying world of the American carny experience.” Score on Rotten Tomatoes: 77% Why?: Alexis liked “Freak Show” because of its creepy circus concept. She also enjoyed the creepy clowns. Gabrielle didn’t find anything wrong with “Freak Show”. However, this season didn’t appeal to her as much as the other ones did. #3 Alexis Reynolds and Gabrielle Green: Asylum (Gabrielle put this season as #1 on the list) Summary of the Season (All summaries are directly quoted from the American Horror Story Wiki page.): “In a New England sanitarium, presided by ministers of faith and science, the innocent and the mad run from greater dangers and their own pasts. Bookended by modern day explorations of the ruins, a darker mystery lies in wait for new victims.” Score on Rotten Tomatoes: 84% Why?: “Asylum” creeped Alexis out the most. However, she thought that there was a lot of information being presented at once, making it confusing to follow. Gabrielle enjoyed the storyline of this season. She also stated that certain scenes in this season freaked her out more than any other season. #4Alexis Reynolds and Gabrielle Green: Coven (Gabrielle put this season as #2 on the list) Summary of the Season (All summaries are directly quoted from the American Horror Story Wiki page.): “Over 300 years have passed since the turbulent days of the Salem witch trials and those who managed to escape are now facing extinction. Mysterious attacks have been escalating against their kind and young girls are being sent away to a special school in New Orleans to learn how to protect themselves. Wrapped up in the turmoil is new arrival, Zoe (Taissa Farmiga), who is harboring a terrifying secret of her own. Alarmed by the recent aggression, Fiona (Jessica Lange), the long-absent Supreme, sweeps back into town determined to protect the Coven and hell-bent on decimating anyone who gets in her way.” Score on Rotten Tomatoes: 85% Why?: 85% Alexis liked the story. However, she thought it was boring when compared to the previous seasons. Along with the good storyline, Gabrielle also said she enjoyed the music in this season. #5Alexis Reynolds and Gabrielle Green: Hotel (Gabrielle put this as #5 on the list) Summary of the Season (All summaries are directly quoted from the American Horror Story Wiki page.): “The season's story is set in the Hotel Cortez, an enigmatic, six-storey, art-deco hotel based in Los Angeles. The plot follows The Countess (Lady Gaga), the owner of the hotel, as she tries to protect herself and her children from the fury of her past lover (Angela Bassett) that seeks revenge on her, as well as John Lowe (Wes Bentley), a Los Angeles homicide detective on the task-force for a series of grisly murders that lead him in the direction of the hotel.” Score on Rotten Tomatoes: 64% Why?: Alexis liked that “Hotel” was based on a true story. She thought that some characters distracted from the story. Gabrielle stated that “The plot was so hard to follow, and I was confused throughout almost the entire season until the last few episodes.’’ |
