A layman's short critique of
American Horror Story:
First things first,
Asylum >
Coven >
Murder House
Murder House is so different compared to
Asylum and
Coven that I don't think it's really fair to compare. If
Coven lived up to its potential and wasn't a hot-ass mess, it would probably be the best season so far.
Murder House is when AHS was finding out what to do, and getting its footing, and it's rather obvious in retrospect. Funnily enough, though,
Murder House probably has the least amount of superfluous plot material, even if it is arguably the least original of the three completed seasons. The Rubber Man reveal was incredibly predictable, and, to elaborate on a short discussion a page or two ago, Tate was really screwed up as an individual.
Best Character(s): Constance Langdon
Asylum is a masterpiece. I found the modern-day cuts rather unnecessary, but they did lead up to a great finale. They shouldn't have done as much with the aliens, and the aliens as a plot point weren't executed too well toward the end. Nothing really came of Arden's mutants, either. The only purpose they served was driving Grace, Kit and Lana back into the asylum after they escaped. Speaking of her, Lana is a damn bitch, in my opinion.
I just can't find out if her experiences throughout the season made her that way or if those were her true colors all along. The finale, using an interview as the framing story for tying up all of the loose ends, was brilliant, and I think "Madness Ends" remains my favorite episode of
American Horror Story.
Best Character(s): Sister Jude Martin, Sister Mary Eunice
First, props to
Coven for having the best title of the AHS seasons thus far. Second, I think it's a commonly held opinion, but
Coven, for me, is the season of misused and untapped potential. It got lost in its own concept and plot points, and so many subplots should have gotten the ax. The voodoo vs. magic concept worked perfectly, and even the witch hunters alone weren't so bad. However, the way they dealt with the witch hunters, killing them off right after introducing them, and basically only using the Axeman as a way to wrap up Fiona's story, was just
.
I understand the moral issues that come into play with trying the redeem a character like Delphine, but bringing in a character only to have the character remain static throughout the season serves absolutely no purpose.
Don't even get me started on the awful Patti LuPone subplot and the mishandling of the Madison/Kyle/Zoe love triangle.
Thankfully, the acting in this season was, for the most part, spectacular. There were standout performances from Jessica, Frances, Sarah, Kathy and Angela, all of which made the season worth watching despite the messiness. This season had everything going for it, and could have been the best season of
American Horror Story so far, but, to much frustration, got lost in its own potential. In the end, this season was only held together by the stellar work of its actors.
Best Character(s): Fiona Goode, Myrtle Snow, Madison Montgomery
