The second season of “American Horror Story” ended last night in what many think is an unfulfilling ending to an insane story that are drawn to watch no matter what – every week. The series has proven to be a new story every season, being told over 12-13 episodes that are roughly an hour each. Using many of the same actors as the first season, Jessica Lange goes above and beyond in her second consecutive Golden Globe nominated performance of the show’s run – with a win last year. What follows are some closing thoughts on the last season with the finale emphasized, so for those who are worried about spoilers should wait to proceed until after they’ve seen it.
This season has seen its ups and downs, but no matter which way you see it – this show has some really cool stuff to offer. The editing and cinematography are absolutely brilliant, with the tone of the insanity being conveyed to such perfection with the camera’s movement and angles. The acting isn’t too bad either. No matter what ridiculousness is going on, the show tells a story in such a rare and compelling way that suggests an otherworldly (almost cerebral) atmosphere. The finale uses old film cameras for an older ’60s and ’70s feeling, that makes the look so much creepier.
A cool thing about this past season was that the show’s co-creater Ryan Murphy (“Nip/Tuck,” “Glee”) went full force to tell the story in the 1960’s, a definite strong point that was brief in season one with flashbacks that opened episodes. The last remaining villain (Dylan McDermott), along with his serial killer father Bloody Face (Zachary Quinto) have such strong, potent conflict with Lana Winters (Sarah Paulson) that makes the finale’s final showdown insanely intense – another strong point of this season.
One of the weakest filler moments happened when “Glee” took over for an entire song’s worth with singing and dancing, that’s all on that. The shock value of the show, being on FX, is pretty outrageous. The show pushes the envelope on what is allowed with sexuality and violence to the point that its almost Showtime material. Its the kind of show that adults watch late and try to keep away from the kids, but if the kids ever caught a glimpse without them knowing they’d remember it forever – reminiscent of “Dark Shadows” or “The Twilight Zone.” It has a sort of forbidden, steamy/erotic, horrifying, drama element to it that doesn’t let it be forgotten – even if the storyline does get lost.
Just like last season, many of the characters are killed off by season’s end when the “Madness Ends.” All in all, “American Horror Story” is like the car crash filth that so many of us cannot look away from and enjoy to the fullest. With an electrifying cast that keeps proving its worth, it’ll be very interesting to see what they come up with for its modern day third season premiering in October.
