American Horror Story: Asylum - Season Two Review

I was an avid fan of FX's American Horror Story during its first season, and I was incredibly intrigued by the anthology premise where many of the same actors would return for a second season, except playing different characters in an entirely different story.  Well, season two -- which focused primarily on a 1960's mental asylum -- has now come to a close.  Since many of you may not yet be caught up, click the link below for my spoilery thoughts on the season as a whole.

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Season Finale Thoughts: American Horror Story

There's an old expression I love that says that you need to crap or get off the pot.  I've been promising this review since the finale back in -- get this -- December 2011.  There will be major spoilers, so proceed with caution.

If you recall, back when I recommended this as a new show to watch, I wondered what kind of staying power this series had.  And as the season was coming to an end, my concern only grew stronger.  It just felt like they were plowing through so many huge developments that it truly felt like the series, and not the season, was concluding.  Despite this, I found myself getting more and more into the show -- particularly in the final few episodes, where things were getting ultra exciting and the characters were REALLY starting to development and become interesting.

My initial review of American Horror Story came just before the season finale, when Vivien shockingly died during childbirth. I wondered, and I quote, "has the series given us too much, too soon?"  I mean, if you compare it to Lost (another show built on mystery), it felt like they were going on an extremely accelerated rate.  Could you imagine if Lost had introduced Ben in the first season, and had already provided his entire backstory by that season's finale?  Because that's essentially what they did with Tate.  And the last episode left me utterly perplexed -- the story was tied up so beautifully and perfectly that I wondered how on earth they would come back for a second season (which had already been announced by that point).

And that's the thing....it really did end perfectly.  Vivien had died, leaving Ben alone with their one baby (the other had died as well).  Vivien and Violet had both made the decision to not allow Ben to see them, because it would be too painful for him and they needed him to move on and get out of that house.  And this gave us some great scenes, like when Ben took the baby home and Vivien watched and (silently) instructed him on how to heat up the milk.  Ultimately, however, Ben was too distraught and decided to take his own life.  It was in that moment that Vivien appeared, and the two shared a really sweet, tender scene where they forgave each other and declared their love.  It really was touching.  Ben decided to live and made the difficult decision to leave the house (and his wife and daughter, by proxy).  However, as he was heading to the stairs, the ghosts attacked him and made it appear that he had committed suicide.

And while this was a decidedly sad moment, it came across as sweet as well.  Upon dying, Ben and Vivien had reunited, genuinely happy to be with each other.  And through death, this family was finally able to find happiness together.  It was discovered that the baby that passed away actually died in the house, leaving it as a ghost.  Ben, Vivien, Violet, the baby, and Moira had captured that family dynamic that they always lacked.  This was the happiest any of them had ever been throughout the entire season.  It truly was the the perfect happy ending.

We also learned, unsurprisingly, that Constance had taken the other baby, which had survived the childbirth. This baby was obviously Tate's, though, and thus was demonic and murderous.  The season ended on that cliffhanger.

After the finale, it was announced that the series would be an anthology of sorts, with each season focusing on a different horror genre.  This season, obviously, was a haunted house.  What I thought would have been really cool was if each season organically told a different story.  This season tied up the Harmon family's story in the haunted house.  Next season, I felt, should tell the story of Constance raising the devil child, a la The Omen.  The next season would develop naturally from the conclusion of that story.

Instead, it appears that it'll be a different story with different characters (but possibly the same actors).  This is still interesting and I'll definitely watch, but it'll be a bit unusual seeing Jessica Lange without her playing Constance.

But I definitely recommend this show and am eager to see what they have in store for us next season.

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New Shows to Watch - Part 3: American Horror Story

Like my last installment, I'll be doing a page break here for people who would like to avoid spoilers. I'll be discussing what has happened on the show since the last new episode, which I believe is the final one before the season finale. For those of you who haven't seen American Horror Story yet, I highly recommend it.

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When I first saw previews for American Horror Story, I wasn't quite sure what to think. If I'm not mistaken, they did a bit of a viral campaign, where the guy in the black rubber costume hid in various places (like a bathroom) and jumped out and scared people. I might be remembering things wrong, but it gave me the impression that the show would be a Punk'd type program, like Truth or Scare. Then I saw more traditional commercials and became intrigued. I'm a bit of a horror movie buff, and for the most part I enjoyed Nip/Tuck, so I figured it was worth a shot.

Anyone who reads my columns has probably pieced together that I tend to enjoy any show if I enjoy the characters, and this show is no exception. At the center of this series is the Harmon family. Right off the bat, there's just something about Dylan McDermott (Ben) that wreaks complexity. From his manner of speaking to his physical presence, there's just something about him that makes you want to equally like him and root for him, and punch him right in the face. He seems smug and arrogant, yet strangely likable. So he's perfect for this role, where he always WANTS to do the right thing, but just sometimes doesn't. And I appreciate that the writers don't always try to justify his bad behavior. Sometimes he just does bad things, even though he's not necessarily a bad guy.

Connie Brighton, who plays his wife Vivien, is much the same way. She looks and speaks so angelically, but you can tell that she's a hard edged, tough woman when she needs to be. Some of the things she does and says are downright ruthless. Yet all of that is forgivable, because of what she's had to endure. Even their daughter Violet, who plays the angsty teenager character that television audiences always hate, has been rather redeemable the past few episodes.

So, yeah, what makes this show work are its characters. Horror stories are notoriously polarizing, so that's important. And much like Lost, you don't quite know who's good or bad. "Old" Moira, for example, is always soothing and supportive. Yet "Young" Moira (the same character portrayed by a different actress) is constantly trading sexual deeds and generally stirring up trouble. Hell, she's even assisted in a few murders, if I'm not mistaken. Similarly, Adelaide seemed troublesome, yet when people broke into the house, her first instinct was to get help. And Constance....she's a complete mystery and thus one of the most interesting characters!

The series has also provided us with a surprising amount of revelations and twists during its short run. The first was that Tate, a troubled patient of Ben who has been sneaking around with Violet, is actually dead and is Constance's son. We also learned that he was the person running around in the rubber suit, raping Vivien and killing former homeowners.

Another major revelation was that Violet had accidentally killed herself and was also a ghost in the house. A lot of people had long suspected this truth, as she had been holed up in the house since her suicide attempt, but it was still a really major plot turn, and the actress (and Tate) did a really great job with the material.

Arguably, this twist was dwarfed by what happened in the last episode, where Vivien died during childbirth. This was, in my view, very unexpected and really turns the series on its head. At this point, all members of the Harmon family have finally accepted the truth about their house -- that it's haunted by those who have died on its property -- making the scene so much more powerful. Seeing Ben slowly accept the fact that these ghosts are real and helping him was visually and thematically great (particularly him going from yelling "Who are these people?" to asking the ghost doctor questions about his wife's well being, as you would in a hospital). Actually, Ben's slow realization that he was wrong about the house was one of my favorite parts of the entire season (particularly the scene where he seems Moira transform from young to old, with her telling him he's finally able to see things now).

Much like with some of the other shows in this feature, my one concern is whether this series can have a long shelf life. Where do they go from here? With Vivien and Violet already dead, and the whole family in on the mystery, has the series given us too much, too soon? Somebody had suggested that they just feature a new family living in the house each season, but can't that get repetitive? And can this story be retold any better the second time around? My advise would be to keep Ben alive and have him as your character that can roam the outside world and try to uncover the mystery of why the house is the way it is. He can maintain his family life with Viv and Violet, as they're ghosts in the house. They can even have Ben struggle with meeting somebody new, and wondering if continuing a life with his dead wife is fair to him and the rest of his life.

To those of you who do watch the show -- based on everything we now know (and that's a lot), where do you see the series going for season two?

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