In a time of TV shows like “Pretty Little Liars,” “2 Broke Girls” and “The Carrie Diaries,” cable TV is in desperate need of something different.
On Oct. 9, that something different had its third season premiere on air. The show? “American Horror Story.”
Skeptics may shake their heads, saying “‘American Horror Story’? That show created by Ryan Murphy, the writer of ‘Glee’? There’s probably more ‘horror’ on ‘The Real Housewives.’”
That’s where these skeptics are wrong. While “The Real Housewives” series may at times be quite horrifying, very few things on television can top the genius of “American Horror Story.” Writer and creator Murphy takes typical TV show archetypes and completely subverts them for the better.
Season one, subtitled “Murder House,” stars Connie Britton, Taissa Farmiga and Dylan McDermott, who play a family who relocates to an old mansion in Los Angeles. The problem? The previous owners died there. And the owners before them. And every owner before that, going all the way back to 1922.
Many familiar celebrity faces show up throughout the season as we slowly figure out exactly what is so unique about this house.
Murphy takes your typical haunted house story and turns it on its head, leaving viewers hanging on each characters every word and shocked by every twist.
Season two, subtitled “Asylum,” does not pick off where season one left off as an unknowing viewer might have expected. The setting changes from modern-day L.A. to 1964 Massachusetts, and the characters all change accordingly.
One thing that does not change much is the stellar cast. Award-winning actress Jessica Lange, Sarah Paulson and Zachary Quinto, among others also credited in season one, all return, playing completely different roles. James Cromwell and Joseph Fiennes are just two stars added to the lineup, and just like season one, season two succeeds. "Asylum" takes a look at the state of an insane asylum called Briarcliff, which is run by corrupt and twisted people.
Season three, “Coven”, premiered Oct. 9 and starred a few of our favorites: Lange, Farmiga, Paulson, and others all return for a third time, while Academy Award winner Kathy Bates and Emma Roberts jump onboard the horror train to play two witches.
If season three is anything like seasons one and two, I’m mentally preparing myself for a crazy thirteen weeks of suspense and fear. “America Horror Story” is exactly what cable TV needed to jump out of its rut.
We are tired of pretty and we are tired of little. We want things that are raw and risky, two things that Murphy’s brainchild definitely encapsulates.
All we have to do is tune into FX at 10 p.m. for a little horror on Wednesday nights to satisfy our desires.
Reach the columnist at freesia.denaples@asu.edu or follow her on Twitter @FreesiaDeNaples
