American Horror Story

In my subjective opinion, Asylum is the best series yet made. Moving everything from a haunted house to an insane asylum was a smart move. The intermingling of the past and present feels strange at first, but by the finale we know why the different timelines were intermingled. Lana "Born to Suffer" Banana, Sister Jude, Sister Mary Eunice, the Angel of Death and the serial killer are all very well portrayed characters having their own story. The opening does a great job of evoking what the series will be about. The oppressive atmosphere of the asylum, the machinations of the patients, the mystery. I was also impressed by the remake of the old song “Name Game” – perfect. In short, it's a notch better than the previous season, one which I'll gladly return to again. (12/25/2014)

The third season is in many ways similar to the previous ones and yet different. I was attracted by the world of witches, its hierarchy, laws, traditions and everything that is even marginally related to it. I very much welcomed the casting of Kathy Bates, who relished her role as the cold-blooded mass murderess of yesteryear with grace (I immediately thought of Misery). She was faithfully seconded by her main antagonist, played by Angela Bassett. The main star, however, was as always Jessica Lange as the Supreme – a designation that suited her like a glove. Thanks to the series, I was introduced to Stevie Nicks, whose “Seven Wonders” I like to play in my ears from time to time. In short, for the third time, I was nicely carried along on the wave of American Horror Story, which this time was full of magic, intrigue, murder, reanimation, morbidity and much more. (12/28/2014)

When I learned that the 4th season of American Horror Story would be titled Freak Show, I immediately thought of the iconic horror film Freaks from the 1930s, which the entire series actually references a lot, whether it be in plot, characters, or overall atmosphere. This is for me the best season of AHS so far, after the second, and for many reasons. First of all, I liked the setting of the story in a freak show circus, and there was a lot to be made of that. Second, the series is full of memorable characters that have become deeply etched in my memory: the ambivalent Elsa Mars, the superbly technical and character-driven Siamese twins Bette and Dot, and the sleazy and disgustingly convincing psychopathic sociopath Dandy. Alongside them, it's worth mentioning the return of Pepper, whose line was drawn and tightened to the max, or the cutest character played by Ma Petite. The fourth season also features wonderful covers of well-known songs, especially my favourite “Gods and Monsters” by Lana Del Rey, which introduces another interesting character, Edward Mordrake. Thirdly, I'd like to address the opinions of many by saying that I certainly didn't find the series to be inconsistent, and that the characters were threadbare, as I found their stories from the past, present and future to be sufficient. Perhaps the only thing that surprised me at the end was the strangely brief appearance of Neil Patrick Harris, who was there perhaps just to clear the air. All in all, I can say for myself that I thoroughly enjoyed season 4, both thematically and script-wise, it's full of wonderful characters, sudden twists and turns and memorable scenes. (01/31/2015)