When I first heard that this year’s installment of American Horror Story was going to be set in a carnival freak show I was excited and horrified.  What would they do with such a deep, wide and monstrous pot of things to draw from?  And to find out that it was going to be the last season for Jessica Lange?  What would she do to make this season special?

Well, to me, the answers are: “not much” and “the same things she did in every other one”.  The whole season has left me a little flat so far even though the important elements are all there.  And by important elements I mean:

1. Emma Roberts (because omg)
2. Frances Conroy (because although I knew I had a thing for old ladies –helloooo Kathleen Sebelius— I didn’t know it was amplified when said old lady has one jacked up eye).

But past that it is all pretty flat.  It has the same issues that every other season (too many characters, too many plot lines) but every other time they have managed to pull it out.  But this year it seems like they are making it worse.  The gross clown was cool but then they turned him into crap and got rid of him with the two faced ghost and it was like they were never there.  And what do we have to replace it?

Well the strong man is gay for some reason.  That’s not really all that scary.  And apparently they really wanted us to feel badly for the unfair murder of Meep.  But I am going to go out on a limb and say that having a guy look weird, dress in a tutu and bite the heads off of chickens and nothing else will not engender a lot of sympathy.

As for Jessica Lange, she really seems to be playing the same character in every one of these now and this version really makes that painfully apparent.  It isn’t that she is a worse actress than she was.  It’s just that I am tired of watching her be the same thing over and over.  I don’t care about her this time around.  I care about Emma because she seems to be nice and really wants run away with Lobster Boy.  And I care about Frances because she is saddled with a wimpy murderer for a son.

So the only two characters I like are the ones that aren’t freaks (except for the eyeball thing) which can’t be a good thing for the show.  Last season there were tons of people to root for.  This season it is just flat.  Maybe they will turn it around but it doesn’t feel like it.

I am hoping they make the most of ditching Jessica Lange next year.  Seems like nobody remembers that she was a supporting actress in the first AHS.  She was great.  But making her the focal point of three in a row was not a good move.  The only one I think was exceptional was Coven and she was made for that role.

So yeah, let’s get this one over with.  And next year bring in another tent pole.  Or bring back Connie Britton.  Is Nashville cancelled yet?  What’s the Boston Legal guy doing now?  Anything?  Or maybe we need someone new. What actors or actresses that we would be surprised aren’t dead should we try to get for AHS?  Seriously.  How about Melissa Gilbert?  What could she possibly have going on?

Bruce Boxlitener?  Carol Burnett?  Anyone?  Gimme some ideas, people!

Categories: Reviews

Tags: American Horror Story, Connie Britton, Emma Roberts, Frances Conroy, Jessica Lange, reviews, tv, tv reviews