Last year, I gave up on "American Horror Story."
Not in the beginning, though. I was very skeptical of how the series would go on without Jessica Lange, especially since Seasons 2, 3, and 4 were centered on her character. She is a gifted actress whose talent can be credited as making the show as popular as it is. When it was announced that Lady Gaga would be taking over the helm, I was excited. Lady Gaga is known for being a creepy yet sexy performer, and I thought that "Mother Monster" would breathe new life into the series.
Oh, was I wrong.
I made it into about four episodes of Season 5, "Hotel," before I had to stop completely. It was that bad. I quickly realized that even though Lady Gaga had the look, she did not have the acting chops. There were also very few other characters that stood out to me, and the plotline had to be one of the worst in the show's history: haphazard, all over the place, and just making little to no sense. Even though there were connections to Seasons 1 and 3, they meant little. I thought, it's finally happened: Ryan Murphy had murdered his own horror series.
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When promos for season 6 started airing, I cared little. I wasn't interested in the fact that no theme had been announced or that the show would start airing in September instead of their normal October slot, and I lost further interest when it was confirmed that Lady Gaga was returning. But on Wednesday night, my twitter started blowing up; people were actually praising the premiere. So I threw up my hands, said "What the hell?" and turned on the television set.
After watching the premiere, I was shocked. Excited. Giddy. A little scared. It was an ocean of emotions, to be honest. The first chapter, which was subtitled "My Roanoke Nightmare," details the story of Shelby (Lily Rabe and Sarah Paulson) and Matt (Andre Holland and Cuba Gooding Jr.) Miller. After being attacked during a gang initiation in Los Angeles, the couple moves to North Carolina and uses their savings to purchase a colonial farmhouse, outbidding a hostile local family. They begin repairing the house, but strange things happen: howling in the night, raining teeth, and a skinned pig left on their doorstep. Shelby is attacked while she is in the hot tub, and the local police force doesn't do anything. Matt is infuriated because he feels that they are being targeted because they are an interracial couple (Shelby is white, and Matt is black). Because he travels a lot, Matt calls his sister Lee (Adina Porter and Angela Bassett), an ex-cop, divorcee, and recovering drug-addict, to stay with Shelby. The two of them don't really get along, but the house is soon attacked by a mob. Matt, who had set up security cameras and has access to them through his phone, races home to help them. Once again, the police do nothing. Scared, Shelby races off in the car, but hits something. She goes out to investigate and ends up lost in the woods, surrounded by a torch-bearing mob and a bloody man with an exposed brain.
The first episode was not only interesting, but it was also compelling. It seems like a mix of "American Crime Story: The People vs. OJ Simpson" and "American Horror Story." In essence, it's a true story, but with a re-enactment (for example, Lily Rabe is the "real" Shelby and Sarah Paulson is playing her in a dramatized version) and horror aspect. There is also a strong connection with season 1, as Sarah Paulson's psychic character Billie Dean told the tale of Roanoke and claimed it could be used to get rid of unwanted spirits. When Violet (Taissa Farmiga) tried to use it, the results were sadly hilarious and didn't work. The Blair-witch dolls that Shelby encounters in the woods have a Salem feel to them, which connects to Coven's (season 3) theme: witches.
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Even though this season is using somewhat of a "TLC true story" method, it's fascinating. The first episode has already breathed new light into the series, let alone the season, and the promo for next week's episode seems to continue to build up that excitement. This could be a new starting point for AHS, as well as maybe a wake-up call to Ryan Murphy. All the abstract, out-there storytelling with no real plot line or strong characterization has to go. This straightforward storytelling method is much simpler, and the acting feels fresher in a way because one can understand what is going on.
If "AHS" continues like this, I believe that it will bring old viewers who gave up on the series back, as well as a flesh of new viewers. Majority of the actors on AHS are incredibly talented, and their talent shouldn't be wasted on a crappy plotline. There was also an absence of Gaga, so maybe that's what also made the episode better, but hey, that's just my opinion.
"American Horror Story" airs every Wednesday on FX.
Watch the trailer for Season 6 below:
Reach staff writer Adrianne Ramsey here.
Annenberg Media