American Horror Story

AHS used to shine with bold storytelling, creepy atmosphere, and a talented cast. Most fans agree that Hotel was the last truly great season.

Seasons like Murder House and Asylum showcased the talents of Jessica Lange, Kathy Bates, Sarah Paulson, and Evan Peters, creating unforgettable characters that kept audiences hooked.

And then the audacity of casting Kim Kardashian, seriously? Her nonexistent acting skills are coming off more like a publicity stunt. Honestly, it feels less like a casting decision and more like a desperate ploy for ratings.

I used to LOVE this show. Such a disappointment.

A dysfunctional family moves into an old house, a house with a history of horror. For the main characters, history is what the first episode is all about: the husband's history of infidelity, the wife's history of having a bloody stillbirth, the daughter's history of cutting herself -- for each a long history of pain and resentment and longing for change, though it quickly becomes apparent the only change coming will leave them hysterically screaming to the sudden, violent, gory end. The one sure thing this show promises is that people will die horribly, and we will all be terrified by it.

The characters are not likable; they may not even be redeemable. Even the suffering wife is bitter and cold and hateful. But do they deserve what horrible things will assuredly happen to them? Nope. Which means their fight is our fight, and their fear is our fear.

American Horror Story is interesting, entertaining, suspenseful, and ambitious. After watching the first episode, I want to watch some more.

The first seasons of AHS was very good. Something fresh, always a story with a twist, and they had Jessica Lange and then unknown Sarah Paulson and Evan Peters. I really liked the dark, gritty style, changing from season to season. Unfortunately, after Freak Show, which I really liked, there has been a letdown in quality for each season. The departure of Jessica Lange made a big void, but Sarah Paulson has shown us that she is indeed a versatile star. But Hotel was the beginning of a decline, with the infamous, stupid glorified serial killer episode. Ryan Murphy himself said 3 years ago he was out of ideas, so time to put a lid on it. You aint doing any favors with the new American Horror Stories. And the new actors are terrible, with an exception in Billie Lourd.

AHS S11 was atrocious. It's barely the AHS brand anymore. It should have fallen into the American Crime Story series not AHS. I'm a gay man, I appreciate stories to do with gay history and the HIV/AIDS epidemic in America in the 1980s but for goodness sake use another platform to do it with. The only thing I'm grateful for is that Murphy has satisfied whatever itch he had that compelled him to make this bummer of a season, paid his version of respect to our gay ancestors, now he can move the hell on and never do this again.

On a side note I'm also questioning how far we can push the 'raising awareness' argument versus exploitation for the sake of economy and entertainment, by turning the memories of the people who died of AIDS into a dark artistic expression for the sake of a tv show. You don't get to speak for all of us Murphy. Unless you've got some crucial perspective that hasn't yet been uncovered, which this was NOT it, then let the dead Rest In Peace. Leave the memories of these poor men alone.

AHS is sometimes a great show. Some seasons are amazing and some are just ok. Season 9 was not that great and so far season 10 is awful. The writing now feels like it was written by a teenager. The dialogue doesn't feel natural at all. The whole vibe is different and amateurish. Scenes are included that are ridiculous and don't make sense, even for a fictional horror show.

I highly recommend the early seasons though so I'm still rating it highly. It was innovative and unique. I looked forward to the episodes every week. The cast, acting, and the writing were all phenomenal. There were fan theories that they all tied together which made it even more interesting. If they would've ended it on top it would be a 10/10.