I love this show. Usually. I wasn’t a fan of the Cult season and I thought Roanake was a tired re-visitation of an idea done a million times before, but for the most part, American Horror Story is a consistently solid anthology series.
I just really don’t know what to think of the new season. 1984. Spandex, cocaine, big hair, camp counselors fucking in the lake… it’s nostalgic, it’s fun, but I find myself wondering how they’re going to carry this on for a full 10 episodes this year.
The season premiere pays homage to not just Friday the 13th, but other horror classics of the era like Halloween, Christine, and even strays into reality with the appearance of Richard Ramirez (otherwise known as The Night Stalker).
Already they’ve given us some good bloody kills and plenty of 80’s horror pastiche, but instead of finding the episode enjoyable, I sat there the whole time thinking: OK, where are they going to go with this?
AHS is known for throwing in some over-the-top twists for the audience, and I wonder if we’re not just being set up for them to pull the rug out from under us halfway through the season, like they did with Roanoke.
Homage and nostalgia can only feed the fans for so long. I’m not saying I don’t like the new theme, I’m just reserving judgement for the time being. I’m curious to see where the story goes, but I am also hoping they have more to offer than another 9 episodes just like the premiere.
One thing I will say is that I was acutely aware of the absence of some of the show’s mainstays like Sarah Paulson and Evan Peters and Kathy Bates. I guess it gives some of the newer members of the cast their chance to step up, but these actors were a big part of the reason I kept coming back year after year.
Well, I guess time will tell how this season plays out. Let us know what you thought in the comment section on Facebook.
