I want to like American Horror Story, I really do.
The concept is brilliant: a horror anthology television show, with a rotating set of characters in new settings and stories every season. Each story would be character driven, and tackle relatable real world horrors like addiction, infidelity, discrimination and more. On paper, this show should work.
But it doesn’t, and I would argue it never has.
The same issues plague every season, turning what should be compelling, tightly written arcs into jumbled, messy series of events that wrap in lackluster finales that leave most audience members scratching their heads. Initially, haunting monsters and villains become overdone and goofy by the end, and the horror of American Horror Story is often completely lost.
(Light spoilers for the Murder House, Asylum, Coven, and Delicate seasons of American Horror Story below)
No Central Theme
In a talk with the Paley Center for Media, show creator Ryan Murphy discusses that at the time of writing season one, he was “very influenced by Louis Malle” and stated that he “really wanted to do a piece of infidelity.” This developed into the relationship between the Harmons, played by Connie Britton and Dylan McDermott. While McDermott’s character is unfaithful with the maid character played by Alexandra Breckenridge, this is just one of many events that happen in season one’s twelve episodes.
In the first episode alone, we see themes of abuse, miscarriage, bullying, and sexual assault. The story has less of a cohesive plot and is more like a soap opera, skipping through shocking events at a rapid pace. Some of these events are done very creatively, but we’re onto the next thing so fast that it doesn’t have time to sit with the audience. Even reading the full plot of the “Pilot” on Wikipedia makes your head spin.
The Real Life People
Every season, American Horror Story insists on integrating real life people into its fictional settings. From Elizabeth Short in The Murder House to a full dinner party of real life serial killers in Hotel, this idea never works.
The issue is that these people are all associated with real life tragedies. This isn’t to say history can’t be addressed in horror. I would argue films like David Fincher’s Zodiac handle the balance very well while still maintaining the dignity of the killer’s victims. At best, AHS’s depictions of these people come off as hokey or silly (like Elizabeth Short literally wearing a black dahlia when she’s killed), but sometimes, it’s actually offensive.
Delphine Lalaurie (featured in AHS: Coven) was a real life slave owner who brutalized and abused slaves before ultimately escaping to France with her family. While the show acknowledges her behavior through some pretty upsetting blacksploitation scenes, they make the baffling choice to have Gabourey Sidibe’s character Queenie show Lalaurie the television show Roots which … cures her of her racism. That’s to say nothing of the thoughtless inclusion of Holocaust victim Anne Frank in AHS: Asylum, which while the character is revealed to be lying about their identity, is still a cringe-y choice.
Sometimes, the people in question are still alive. Real life actress Mia Farrow was depicted in the most recent season Delicate, playing her titular role in Rosemary’s Baby. Another wild choice considering the whole season was essentially a rip-off of the film.
Genre?
In his talk with Paley Center for Media, Murphy spoke about his desire for each season to be “a different type of horror story,” and the titles certainly reflect this. The Murder House is a traditional haunted house story, whereas Asylum is a demon-filled thriller. Roanoke is a found footage horror, whereas 1984 is a traditional slasher.
Except, they aren’t. Not really.
The tone of every season of American Horror Story is more or less the same, with the premises serving less as genre-specific and more as a backdrop for the events of the story. At its core, these stories are dramas. The tension doesn’t come from the monsters or even the setting, the tension comes from whether or not Violet and Tate will break up once she finds out he sexually assaulted her mother. Yikes.
This leads to the other issue: the show is trying to do too much every season. Part of the reason horror shows like The Haunting of Hill House or Bates Motel work is that they understand that there needs to be a main driving force in the story. Side stories exist, but never take the spotlight for long and often round out characters in a meaningful way. AHS ends up messy because the main story is inconsistent, and fluctuates so much that the antagonist of the season may end up being the protagonist by the end. This combined with the introduction of dozens of side characters who are introduced only to be killed immediately, makes everything feel kind of pointless.
Is It Worth Watching Anyway?
No, and yes. For all its issues, American Horror Story is certainly never boring. The constant twists and turns are part of what keeps people watching. The performances, while varied, are for the most part compelling. Jessica Lange in particular is electric in every scene she’s in, and the performances of Sarah Paulson, Angela Bassett, and Kathy Bates are also series stand-outs. The show is also gorgeous. Among all the grotesque imagery is very well-shot cinematography, and many shots are breathtaking to look at.
What is most infuriating to me is that Ryan Murphy is not a bad writer. American Crime Story is a great example of his ability to write a fast-paced thriller with engaging characters and complete arcs. Murphy just doesn’t seem to have the restraint or foresight required to make American Horror Story as good as it could be. With twelve seasons down and at least one more season on the way, there’s no reason to think things will change anytime soon.