Ryan Murphy: a man with great ideas but absolutely no focus. There is no denying that he has the motivation to create some different and unique television shows. But when it comes to mid-point, in either a particular season or a perhaps the show as a whole, it just disappears and becomes a ludicrous bunch of episodes that aren’t tied down. American Horror Story: Freak Show started off with a great amount of promise. Only, like watching a mouse in a glue trap, it refuses to accept its fate but doesn’t get far. Probably the worst in the AHS anthologies and after a mere thirteen episodes, Freak Show closed its curtains in the aptly named Curtain Call.
by Cookie N Screen
Ryan Murphy: a man with great ideas but absolutely no focus. There is no denying that he has the motivation to create some different and unique television shows. But when it comes to mid-point, in either a particular season or a perhaps the show as a whole, it just disappears and becomes a ludicrous bunch of episodes that aren’t tied down. American Horror Story: Freak Show started off with a great amount of promise. Only, like watching a mouse in a glue trap, it refuses to accept its fate but doesn’t get far. Probably the worst in the AHS anthologies and after a mere thirteen episodes, Freak Show closed its curtains in the aptly named Curtain Call. by Cookie N Screen American Horror Story – Oh how fickle you are! After all, you entice with some excellent characters then sort of waste them entirely. You go down brilliant paths only to make a wrong turn and end up back where you started. You feel as though you are heading down the same route as Glee – holding on to all the dazzling tricks whilst failing to remotely bring realistic characters or believably journey’s. It’s as though the whole crew, cast and writers have gone one too many times on the waltzers and have gotten a little dizzy from excitement. So when you have a sniff of something good, it’s going to throw it back up in your face. by Gemma Williams So, American Horror Story is back from its break and the season may be turning itself around. Are we finally heading towards an epic conclusion that will make the season as a whole a strong plot? Have they got their mojo back? by Cookie N Screen American Horror Story has come to this stand-still. It’s just too familiar now to be completely shocking. Or it negates its characters in order to be shocking. Which does the opposite and makes it not shocking. Maybe it’s because it is the festive season (and we’ve all hit that slump, viewing, writing and acting.) But there is just something so dull about this television series now as it follows its blueprint of everything that came before it. Rise the body count! Include a twist! Give someone questionable moral ethics! Let them have a breakdown! Freak Show is so tedious and frankly, we don’t care. In the case of this week’s Orphans, there is literally one thing that keeps us going. And I can’t even talk about that!! (Spoilers) by Gemma Williams American Horror Story has been a strong show since the beginning. Each season seemed to get stronger. Freak Show though? Hopefully, it’s too early to tell. This week was a strong episode, simply because there was so much Dandy. We find out why he’s so rich and the things he’s willing to do for his own entertainment. He’s a charming, well groomed individual who is clearly quite intelligent. The juxtaposition of his character is fascinating and leaves you wanting to know more. Currently, he thinks he’s a God and is above the law. The jagged, rough camera editing really shows the state of his mind. by Cookie N Screen I have no idea what is happening with television shows at the moment. Because it feels like we’ve all hit this end of year slump. It could be that the audience, such as myself, are just so bored with generally vapid storylines being dragged over several episodes as we look towards Christmas and the added stress that comes with that. It could be that writers are over abundant with ideas and lack the attention span to follow them through, ending them because no one really gives a shit about exploring them without much depths. With American Horror Story, they’d rather provoke with “freakish” characters than actually go into intense examination. Blood Bath could be amazing but it’s more like a watery grave for the show. by Cookie N Screen I have a complete and utter love hate relationship with Ryan Murphy. Totally won other by his diverse, fun and musical television show Glee in its first series, I’ve been in utter dismay as it dwindled into obscure and nonsensical storylines. As for American Horror Story, apart from the (what I think) excellent Asylum, the seasons have all been blighted by an overexcited ringleader who is trying to emulate “shock” rather than write thick episodes that are truly engaging and terrifying (throwing in rape and violence because they can and their audience will gasp). For a while, Freak Show toed the line of what was excellent and what was bad, feeling more like a character excavation which in turn made it brilliant. It’s a shame because all the elements are there. by Cookie N Screen There is possibly one person in American Horror Story, through all of their anthropologies that everyone expects excellence out of. In fact, she has even won an Emmy for it. Of course, I’m talking about Jessica Lange. Whether she is the matriarch of a ghost family, the stripper turned nun for an asylum or the motherfucking supreme, she has always excelled in her roles. So when she bounded to the next AHS project, Freak Show, it’s only natural that the woman should take up a character who embodies traits from all three previous outings:- a mother, a saint and a sinner. By Max Bosshart One nice thing about American Horror Story: Coven is how, for the most part, each episode continues where the last ended. The episode may open up with a flashback to a particular character's history, but its quick and gets back to what the audience is waiting for. Burn, Witch, Burn! Is no exception to this rule as is opens up with a brief glimpse into Delphine's sadistic relationship with her three daughters and then returns us to Marie's Halloween gift to the school, Voodoo zombies. |
TV Editor: Graham Osborne
TVReviews on the best TV has to offer, as well as retrospective looks at the shows of yesteryear we miss so much. Email: [email protected]
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