Don't Listen to THE WHISPERS

Article first published as THE WHISPERS Review on Seat42F.

A broadcast television series is either a procedural, where the story follows a repetitive, mostly self-contained structure every week (think NCIS, CSI, Law & Order, etc.), or a serial, an ongoing narrative where things change. Procedurals tends to get more viewers in the short-term, but serials have longer shelf lives and more passionate followers. A program can’t be both, right? Well, ABC’s new drama THE WHISPERS tries to be.

THE WHISPERS begins with a little girl, Harper (Abby Ryder Fortson, Transparent), and her mother, Amanda (Autumn Reeser, No Ordinary Family). Harper has a new imaginary friend, which Amanda thinks is cute. But viewers quickly learn that this unseen being may not quite be as imaginary as Amanda believes, and the game the ‘whisperer,’ Drill, is playing is a dark one. It’s a suspenseful, interesting opening with some ripe possibilities.

From there we meet the real stars of THE WHISPERS, Claire Bennigan (Lily Rabe, American Horror Story) and Jessup Rollins (Derek Webster, Harry’s Law), federal agents tasked with investigating strange cases involving kids by their boss (Alan Ruck, Spin City, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off). This is the component that feels much more procedural. Some of what Claire and Jessup look into is very case-of-the-week type stuff, and while there is definitely a larger mystery at play, it feels like much of the screen time will be taken up by crime solving.

This is a disappointment because there many, many crime shows on television. I don’t know if it’s just easier to justify any plot that involves putting together pieces of a puzzle when there are law enforcement agencies on the scene, but television cannot seem to get enough of cops, the CIA, and the FBI. It’s frustrating because THE WHISPERS seems likely a very compelling program if it would fully commit to its conceit, but holds itself back by giving into these too-familiar scenarios.

Which is not to say that the whole first hour is disappointing. There’s definitely something going on with Claire’s family, which includes her deaf son Henry (Kyle Harrison Breitkopf, Being Human), as well as Lena Lawrence (Kristen Connolly, House of Cards), her husband, Wes (Barry Sloane, Revenge), who is on a mission across the world, and their daughter, Minx (Kylie Rogers, Shooter). These people will contribute to the more interesting part of THE WHISPERS. The question is how much screen time will be sent with them, versus Claire and Jessup working cases. Hopefully, a lot.

There’s one more main character whom I haven’t mentioned and that’s because his name is not revealed for much of the pilot (though it is on the show’s website, which I would not recommend checking because it spoils a twist I probably should have seen coming but didn’t). Played by Milo Ventimiglia (Heroes, Gilmore Girls), he is likely the key that will clue the other leads in on what is actually happening, and I’m curious to see where the show is going with him.

The tone of the show isn’t one of super high quality. It definitely feels like a broadcast show, albeit one that would normally air during the regular season, not the summer months. The creepy tension underlying the initial hour is a bit forced and a bit tame, with death even being downplayed a bit to make it more suitable for general audiences. I wouldn’t let me young children stay up and watch it, but this doesn’t come anywhere close to as scary as what cable can do. That, like the procedural part, neuters it a bit.

Still, as far as broadcast network summer fare, THE WHISPERS is the best we’re likely to get this year. It’s not a bad show, but that’s still a little regrettable when there are so many better offerings off of the Big Four, highlighting how far the old guard has fallen in the modern era. The likes of Rabe and Connolly can and should be doing better.

Oh, and Reeser is regrettably wasted here, a travesty that bothers me for the first few acts.

THE WHISPERS premieres Monday at 10 p.m. ET on ABC.

No "Loser" With THE GOOD WIFE

Article originally written for Seat42F.

CBS’s THE GOOD WIFE was one of the few broadcast network shows airing on Easter Sunday, but those who ignored this installment, “Loser Edit,” because of the holiday missed out. Alicia (Julianna Margulies) grants an interview to Petra Moritz (American Horror Story’s Lily Rabe), who is doing a profile on her. But when Petra gets a hold of the firm’s hacked emails, which reveal Alicia’s affair with Will, it becomes a race not to hide the truth, but to deflect and minimize damage.

The persona of Saint Alicia has always been an interesting one. Those who know Alicia know that she’s not a saint, but in general, she’s a very respectable woman deserving of much of the praise she gets. Still, she is human, and there are temptations. Will is one of those temptations, and while we viewers, who witness what Peter (Chris Noth) does and how their marriage is basically over before anything happens with Will, understand Alicia’s choices, the public, who only see that packaged image, will not.

Is spin the best way to handle this? Eli (Alan Cumming) and Josh (David Krumholtz) think so, having Alicia deny as much as possible, admitting only to a flirtation, while scooping Petra in a petty way by distracting her and setting up other interviews in the meantime. But this dodging, this outright lying, while it does protect Alicia’s public image to some degree, also sends her further down the path of a politician. Alicia doesn’t settle in naturally to the role, but the more she compromises herself, the more she seems like Peter and others we’ve seen in that arena, and the further detached she becomes from Saint Alicia.

Even as “Loser Edit” finds Alicia weathering this storm OK, it spins up an even greater one as accusations of election tampering are lobbied against her. It’s certain that Alicia is not at all involved in voter fraud in her own election, but because there have been strong suspicions that Peter has rigged results in the past, this story carries a lot of potential damage for THE GOOD WIFE. The show is great at pulling skeletons out of closets, picking up threads long forgotten about, and this is the latest continuation of a story from an earlier season. It should be quite exciting.

While Alicia undergoes all of this, Diane (Christine Baranski) gets to work for her new client, R.D. (Oliver Platt). R.D. brings her into a mock trial on civil protection for homosexuals versus religious rights. It’s definitely another ripped-from-the-headlines case, this being a contentious issue of our day. After being given permission, nay, orders, to take the kid gloves off, Diane fights hard and wins the day, though seeing how she does so gives R.D. ideas on how to fight for the other side in a real court of law.

What I love about the way that THE GOOD WIFE handles this is that we get to see thoughtful opinions on both sides from nuanced characters. I agree with Diane, as will many viewers of the show. Her position is well known and, I think, well understood. What’s interesting about R.D., though, is that he approaches the issue from an argument I haven’t heard very well-articulated, someone who respects people who keep consistent values, and who can separate the individual from a widespread practice. He may not be doing right by his nephew (Wesley Taylor, Smash), nor the country in general, but one would be hard-pressed to argue that R.D. is stubborn or hate-filled. Very well done articulating a position that is so often misunderstood or miscommunicated.

The third subplot brings back Andrew (Tim Guinee), who is able, without much effort, to expose Kaldina’s (Archie Panjabi) data falsification. Even if the intention behind it is correct, Kalinda does something very, very wrong that will have bad ramifications for her, Diane, and likely the firm as a whole. Finn (Matthew Goode) tries to help a bit, because he apparently is the most understanding, nicest guy in the world, as anyone else in his place would be furious, but it won’t be enough. Kalinda is about to leave the show for good, and she will not be going quietly.

These three threads, all of which continue serial stories on THE GOOD WIFE, are all excellent, as is par for the program. It always impresses me how THE GOOD WIFE can churn out twenty-two high quality episodes a year, a feat that seems to elude practically every other broadcast network drama, staying timely, engaging, and surprising. Only a few weeks remain this year, but I am ready for the ride!

THE GOOD WIFE airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on CBS.

AMERICAN HORROR STORY: FREAK SHOW "Orphans" Sympathetic

Article first published as TV Review: 'American Horror Story' - "Orphans" on Blogcritics.

Earlier in the fall, I promised more reviews would be forthcoming for FX’s American Horror Story: Freak Show, and while it’s been awhile since I’ve written about it, this season has continued to rank either tied for first place with season one or the lone frontrunner of the series. It’s been such a character-driven piece, with surprising twists geared towards growing the personalities, rather than just for the sake of story. Amid this great run, this week’s installment, “Orphans,” is one of the best.

“Orphans” tells us the story of Pepper (Naomi Grossman), a microcephalic (or pinhead) whom also appears in season two, Asylum, which is set about ten years later than Freak Show. Pepper is the first character to appear in more than one season of American Horror Story, and playing a mostly bit part with the other supporting “freaks” up until now, I wondered why they bothered to bring her back. This is, until this week’s episode, which also sees a too-brief return of Asylum‘s Sister Mary Eunice (Lily Rabe), more than justifies her presence.

Pepper is adopted be Elsa (Jessica Lange) from an orphanage, the first of the troupe. Others of the group that follow are recruited specifically for Pepper. But as the freak show falls apart, Pepper loses her closest companions, sending her deep into grief. Self-involved in her own career, Elsa foists Pepper off on the sister that abandoned her, Rita (Mare Winningham, who had a different one-episode role in last year’s Coven). Rita and her husband, Larry (Matthew Glave, Army Wives, ER), are even more selfish than Elsa, and concoct a plan to frame Pepper for murdering their annoying infant, landing Pepper in the asylum and revealing that he back story we thought we knew about Pepper is utterly wrong.

What is so impressive is the sympathy Grossman earns in this amazing turn. Even after two seasons, I am ashamed to say that I still find it hard to look at Pepper. In “Orphans,” I care about her, though, and so will anyone who watches her painful journey of abandonment and neglect. Pepper briefly has a good life, and it’s ripped away in the worst possible manner. Much of this success is built into the storytelling, and much of it is due to Grossman’s talent. It’s one of the most moving stories I’ve seen on television in awhile, and it continues Freak Show‘s trend (and more largely Ryan Murphy’s) of forcing people to face their preconceptions and become more compassionate towards those who are different than us.

Pepper’s arc, which actually ends several years in the future of the current story, though I’m not expecting everything else to jump, beautifully ties into Elsa’s. Someone who acts like Elsa does now, willing to leave behind all she’s built and those she cares about, doesn’t quite line up to the person who put together the troupe in the first place. “Orphans” shows us her connection with Pepper, and how that leads to the inclusion of Ma Petite (Jyoti Amge) and Salty (Christopher Neiman). Elsa has changed, and not for the better. Though, there is a big hint of a happy ending for her.

What causes Elsa to fall so far? I assume part of it is that she’s lost so much, including Ma and Salty, and so knows she can no longer hold onto the world she’s lived in. Another part has to be the chance at fame that Stanley (Denis O’Hare) dangles in front of her, and given her age, it’s probably the last chance she has to realize her dreams. Once upon a time, creating a family was her dream, and she lived it. Now, she realizes she wants more. Lange is having another masterful turn in the franchise in Elsa.

The third thing of interest this week is Maggie (Emma Roberts) revealing the truth to Desiree (Angela Bassett) about Stanley’s plan and misdeeds. Maggie is going through a redemption, sparked by falling in love with Jimmy (Evan Peters), which lasts even after the two have a falling out because he has changed her. Desiree is a bit adrift, looking for her own bettering of circumstances, and makes a strong ally by nearly any measure. With Ethel (Kathy Bates) sadly gone, these are now the two women I’m most excited to see play in the sandbox.

American Horror Story: Freak Show still has three episodes left. Given the consistent quality this season has demonstrated, and the impact “Orphans” makes even without Dandy (Finn Wittrock), the year’s breakout star, I am extremely optimistic about Murphy ending things right. American Horror Story is really in its stride here, living up to potential it doesn’t need to, given the excellent efforts the past two seasons are, while still being lesser than this. If Freak Show can stick the landing, it will be memorable and begging for future re-watches.

Taking a quick holiday break, American Horror Story: Freak Show next airs January 7th at 10 p.m. ET on FX.

Blu-ray Review: ‘American Horror Story: Coven’

Article first published as Blu-ray Review: ‘American Horror Story: Coven’ on Blogcritics.

Last fall, FX presented the miniseries, American Horror Story: Coven, the third in the franchise. It is the tale of a group of witches at a school in New Orleans, battling to see who can be the next leader of their order while uniting to battle outside foes. Many of the cast members from previous seasons return in new roles, and some truly incredibly performers join the ensemble. This excellent, thirteen-episode run, full of humor and frights, is now available on Blu-ray and DVD.

American Horror Story: Coven stars Jessica Lange, playing the current Supreme Witch, Fiona Goode. She is dying, and returns to the institution her daughter Cordelia (Sarah Paulson) runs, to seek a way to stop her demise. A new batch of youngsters have recently enrolled: Zoe Benson (Taissa Farmiga), who kills boys she has sex with; Madison Montgomery (Emma Roberts), a bratty young starlet; clairvoyant Nan (Jamie Brewer); and human voodoo doll Queenie (Gabourey Sidibe). These young women are learning the various powers of their ancestors, all trying to be head of the class so they can take over the coven, if Myrtle Snow (Frances Conroy) and the rest of the Council allow it.

Things are complicated for the coven by numerous outside influences. First, there’s Madame Delphine LaLaurie (Kathy Bates), an ageless racist dug up so Fiona can learn her secrets. Then, we meet Marie Laveau (Angela Bassett), Delphine’s nemesis and leader of the black witches, who don’t get along with the schoolgirls. Zoe brings a boy she likes, Kyle (Evan Peters), back from the dead. A Stevie Nicks-obsessed healer, Misty Day (Lily Rabe), considers joining the group. Cordelia’s ex-husband, Hank (Josh Hamilton), harbors a deadly secret. House servant Spalding (Denis O’Hare) tries to keep the past buried. The Axeman (Danny Huston) and Papa Legba (Lance Reddick) haunt them. They are attacked by zombies and a minotaur. Needless to say, it’s a lot for any woman to take on.

There’s plenty to like about Coven. As is typical for  American Horror Story, has some genuinely scary moments. Perhaps it’s not as bone-chilling as past seasons, but it can still make you jump. There is much danger both inside and outside the coven, and if the monsters don’t get you, their friends might. The writing is fast-paced and relatively tight, cleverly bringing numerous threads together by the end of the season. Plus, Stevie Nicks guest stars as herself (well, a witch version of herself) so that’s definitely check in the positive column.

If there is one complaint I have about Coven, it’s that characters just do not often stay dead, which leaves viewers not trusting events as they unfold. The sheer number of characters killed and then somehow re-incorporated into the story is kind of ridiculous. Until we near the very end of the season, there is just no way to know who is still in contention.

The audio quality on this Blu-ray is terrific. It’s clear, with nice mixing, and makes good use of the surround sound tracks. The dialogue stands out easily. The picture is less consistent, but that’s because of the various styles the show is filmed in. There are parts that are purposefully grainy or blurry. I do think what’s meant to look high def does, and any flaws are intended for effect, rather than mistakes the production team has made, leading to an overall nice presentation.

There are only three extras on this release, a trio of featurettes lasting between ten and fifteen minutes each. “Enter the Coven” is the expected behind-the-scenes piece about this season, with interviews from cast members. “Zombie Halloween” is about the Halloween episode that features zombies, in case you couldn’t tell by the title. “Meet Ms. Nola” is a quick look at the city of New Orleans, which is where the season was actually filmed, and the crew enjoyed it so much, they stayed there for this year’s Freak Show. None of these are all that insightful, interesting only in a very superficial way.

Still, this release is cool because of the fantastic episodes, whether or not the extras are any good.

American Horror Story: Coven is available now.

AMERICAN HORROR STORY Finale Full of "Wonders"

Article first published as TV Review: 'American Horror Story' - 'The Seven Wonders' on Blogcritics.

Editors note: Please be advised that this article contains spoilers.

FX tied up its third season of American Horror Story, subtitled Coven, this week with “The Seven Wonders.” It’s time to pick a new Supreme to head the Coven, and the four younger witches are tested to see which one has the magical powers necessary to take command. All does not go smoothly, but we are left with a definitive ending.

First of all, it is a little disappointing that the witches are trapped in a backwards power structure in which the one with the greatest magical abilities, i.e. the strongest, is the leader. We’ve seen with the current Supreme, Fiona (Jessica Lange), that skills have little to do with wise decision making. Even with a Council to support the head, shouldn’t this coven make a change, rejecting the old way?

But that’s nit-picky and doesn’t really apply to the story, since at least the characters and the world stay pretty consistent over the thirteen episodes. “The Seven Wonders” as an installment is excellent.

The opening of “The Seven Wonders” is basically a Stevie Nicks (herself) music video, which is fine. It’s a great song and the visuals are beautiful. It may not completely fit with the tone set, but it’s fun, original, and a really cool way to kick off this season finale. I enjoyed it immensely.

After this, the real plot begins with Zoe (Taissa Farmiga), Queenie (Gabourey Sidibe), Madison (Emma Roberts), and Misty (Lily Rabe) being tested. Given the unpredictability of the writing, it’s difficult to predict ahead of time how it might turn out. Some viewers might see Misty’s death during the trial coming; we’re repeatedly warned that this is a very dangerous, sometimes fatal, process, and Misty shows hesitation and limitation early in the contest. But few will predict Zoe’s death during foolish goofing off or Madison’s victory.

Madison seems appropriate to follow in Fiona’s footsteps because they’re a lot alike. They’re both selfish and cold, pretty and vain, bitchy and with sass. Madison appears downright evil at times, such as when she refuses to bring Zoe back from the dead, even though it’s well within her power to do so. But so does Fiona, who plans on slaughtering everyone, including her own daughter, Cordelia (Sarah Paulson), to buy herself thirty more years as Supreme. So the pointed shoes do fit.

But Madison also seems the early, obvious choice in Coven, so if “The Seven Wonders” had left things there, it would have been a great disappointment. Instead, the whole situation plays out in such a manner that Cordelia must draw her own inner strength to the forefront, enter the race late, and beat Madison. Which she does, quite effectively, meaning the new Supreme is not one anyone would have considered at the beginning of the hour.

American Horror Story: Coven sets up Cordelia’s rise throughout the season. There are many set backs for her, to be sure. Being blinded, learning her husband is a witch hunter, any interaction with her mother; these are things that tear Cordelia down. However, knowing her gene pool and seeing glimpses of greatness, it’s not surprising when Cordelia does overcome the odds to achieve victory. When her new-found power is mixed with her kindness and compassion, she is the likely candidate to lead the coven into a new era of tremendous potential and growth, which she does by publicly reaching out to the witches of the world.

The ending of Coven is the most open-ended of any American Horror Story season so far and begs for followup. While there is some closure, with many characters dead and Cordelia advancing the school into a new period with Queenie and a resurrected Zoe by her side, there are also all sorts of implications that remain unexplored. How does the world accept the existence of witches? What will bringing so many together do? More than the first two seasons by far, Coven deserves a second outing, which would be a completely different story.

Now, as much as I like this ending, there are some weak points in “The Seven Wonders.” How is Queenie accepted back so readily after her betrayal? Why isn’t Zoe more moved by Misty’s death? Is Myrtle (Frances Conroy) really so selfless that she’d orchestrate Cordelia’s rise to power and then offer herself up for death for no other reason than to leave the coven in good hands? And was that necessary, as no one would have ever told on Myrtle for her transgressions? This finale should have been two hours, as these bits could mostly have been explained or delved into more deeply, and the hell part of the competition, skimmed quickly over, could have been its own episode. But these complaints pale in comparison to all the terrific character moments this season, and even this hour.

Among the best moments are Cordelia grieving over Misty as the gal turns to dust in Coredelia’s arms, Kyle (Evan Peters) strangling Madison to death, totally deserved, and the departed Spalding (Denis O’Hare) showing up to help hide the body, and Cordelia beating Madison in the competition. These are all defining scenes, the culmination of season-long arcs that provide satisfaction and closure.

Best of all is the finale confrontation between Cordelia and Fiona. Fiona comes to kill her daughter, but has waited too long and is too weak to do so. Fiona’s plan and deceit are sound and worthy of her, but she overestimates herself. Cordelia, bolstered by her new authority, finds it in herself to forgive her mother and let her die in her arms. The words they say to one another are enlightening, and both actresses play the scene with such rich tension that it will be remembered long after being viewed. This is nothing short of brilliant.

Just as good is Cordelia’s hell, living in domestication with The Axeman (Danny Huston). Some may argue that The Axeman isn’t important enough to Cordelia to spend eternity with, in stark contrast to the existence Madame Delphine (Kathy Bates) and Marie Laveau (Angela Bassett), who had their perfect ending last week, are trapped in. But I think that’s kind of the point. Fiona didn’t want to be tied down or normal, and now here she is stuck with a man she doesn’t love. It’s horrible for her. Papa Legba (Lance Reddick) laughing at her is icing on the cake.

There are also little bits just for the fans out there, meta references to make us smile. Madison names her hell as being in The Sound of Music reboot, and not as the lead, a poke at the recent broadcast network effort. This is even more fun when you consider Glee, another series from the mind of Ryan Murphy, is also a musical, and so he’s almost firing off a shot at his competition. It’s amusing that Sarah Paulson’s character is once more in front of TV cameras in “The Seven Wonders,” similar to her part at the bottom of Asylum. The Last Supper tableau just before the games begin is terrific. Kyle asking Spalding “Who are you?” – two main characters who only share this one scene in the entire season, is hilarious. These may be small gags, but it’s nice that Murphy and company include them.

And so we have another stellar season of American Horror Story to look back on. Basically, this season has been an amazing tale of some fascinating women, thoroughly well done. Better than Asylum, and arguably just as good as the first outing, albeit in different ways, Coven is a fantastic accomplishment, proving the show’s creators know what they’re doing in regards to crafting a tale and picking the right cast. I can’t wait to see what they come up with next.

American Horror Story has been renewed for a fourth season, and will return with a fresh setting and complement next fall.

Blu-ray Review: ‘American Horror Story: Asylum – The Complete Second Season’

Article first published as Blu-ray Review: ‘American Horror Story: Asylum – The Complete Second Season’ on Blogcritics.

Calling this release American Horror Story: Asylum – The Complete Second Season is a little confusing. FX’s American Horror Story is not a continuing series, but several stand-alone, 13-episode miniseries, a new one of which is presented each fall. Thus, while Asylum is, indeed, The Complete Second Season of American Horror Story, the installments on this disc tell a complete tale, featuring characters and plot that are not connected to the first or third seasons, even if some of the cast is the same.

Asylum begins in the present day, with a sex-crazed couple (Maroon 5′s Adam Levine and Jenna Dewan-Tatum, Witches of East End) exploring the run-down and abandoned Briarcliff. It’ll be quite awhile before Asylum really delves into the present again, fully explaining what happens to the pair, as well as moving past those events, but it does eventually get around to it.

Most of Asylum takes place in 1964 and 1965. Briarcliff is a mental hospital for the criminally insane, run by strict, judgmental Sister Jude (Jessica Lange, American Horror Story: Coven). Jude lusts over Monsignor Timothy O’Hara (Joseph Fiennes, Camelot) and bullies the younger, meek Sister Eunice (Lily Rabe, American Horror Story). She also hates the twisted Dr. Arthur Arden (James Cromwell, Six Feet Under), and is cruel to her charges.

Into this environment, brave Lana Winters (Sarah Paulson), a closet lesbian and daring journalist, marches forth to expose Jude’s wrongdoings. It doesn’t take long for her to realize just how out of her depth she actually is, and Dr. Thredson (Zachary Qunito, Star Trek: Into Darkness) proves both friend and foe. But Lana does find some friends within Briarcliff’s walls.

Chief among them is Kit Walker (Evan Peters, American Horror Story), a man framed for killing his wife, Alma (Britne Oldford, Skins), who soon takes up with murderess Grace (Lizzie Brochere, R.I.S. Police scientifique). Kit and Lana’s lives are not completely intertwined, with the two traveling very different paths for awhile, but they interact quite a bit over the run.

Asylum is full of twists and turns, with plenty of surprises popping up when they are least expected. Among the more strange developments are human experiment subjects, alien abductions, artwork made from dead people, a truly creepy patient named Pepper (Naomi Grossman), and a son violently reunited with his mother. It’s not as overtly scary as the first season, but its dark tone and sick minds definitely make it disturbing, with a very unexpected last couple of hours, which take the show far beyond the walls of the hospital.

Why the miniseries works so well, though, is mainly the character development. It’s hard to think of one character who ends up anything like the person they started as. I won’t get into specifics, because you really should watch these episodes for yourself, but bad guys can be good and good guys can be soured into villains. There’s a lot of grey area in the middle, and it can be argued whether a few of the main players ended up on the side of right or wrong. What is certain is that each is changed by the experiences we bear witness to, which makes the story that much deeper and richer. And, as in the first season, guest stars pop in and out in memorable turns.

There are a quartet of featurettes and some deleted scenes on this three-disc set. One of the extras is called “What is American Horror Story: Asylum?” which will hopefully clear up the confusion I mentioned in the introductory paragraph. “The Creatures” is fascinating because the makeup and effects of AHS:A really are top notch, though it could remove a little of the fear factor if viewed before the series.

Blu-ray is definitely recommended for Asylum. There are lots of blacks and shadows, Briarcliff being a dreary place. You’ll want to catch those layers and detail as much as you can, though some are obscured purposely for effect. The score is also excellent, with undertones that reinforce the style of the piece, and a certain song played repeatedly will start to make you feel a  bit like the inmates. The blu-ray experience here adds a lot, both visual and auditory, and the result is beautiful, in a macabre manner.

You may have noticed a lack of complaints in this review. That’s because, while I do consider Asylum weaker than the first go ’round, it’s still a very strong presentation, with remarkable acting and production, and they did a pretty good job on this release. American Horror Story: Asylum – The Complete Second Season is available now.

COVEN Intense New AMERICAN HORROR STORY

Article first published as AMERICAN HORROR STORY COVEN Review on Seat42F.

FX’s AMERICAN HORROR STORY begins its third outing this week. Subtitled COVEN, this year’s story is about witches. There is a school in New Orleans where young girls with special powers can be sent for training. With the reputation and wide-spread knowledge about the facility, and the existence of magic in general, slipping away, senior witches have differing opinions on what direction in which to take their kind in the modern age.

There are many different, distinct stories introduced in the first episode, “Bitchcraft.” The first is that of Madame Delphine LaLaurie (Kathy Bates, Harry’s Law), a cruel mistress who lived hundreds of years ago. She has a collection of tortured souls in her attic, and will not hesitate to punish, even for things that are not her victim’s fault. She is one scary person. She is also obsessed with youth, a quality that not only applies to her in this cast.

Bates is fantastic, as one might expect, creating a character both chilling behind closed doors, and refined and polite in public. She builds the layers of the part carefully, smoldering anger and power below the surface, and definitely grabbing viewer attention every second she is on screen. It is not clear how she will fit into the larger tale, as the connections are not drawn until the end of the hour, but they are done in a clever and surprising way.

Besides Bates, fans of the anthology series will know right away to expect great things from Jessica Lange and Sarah Paulson, playing wealthy widow Fiona Goode and potion-making headmistress Cordelia Foxx, respectively. After all, they’ve shared scenes in past years, and have already developed interesting and memorable characters for the franchise. They appear poised to do the same again in AMERICAN HORROR STORY: COVEN.

Lange’s role this season seems to allow her to be more wild and free than we’ve seen her previously. This is a woman not only with confidence, as Sister Jude had, but with the ability to back it up, as neither of her other parts possessed. One can see just how much fun the actress is having, and that really adds to the enjoyment.

Paulson plays things closer to the vest, less brave than last year’s Lana. Yet, she still gets delicious drama with Lange, knowing as these writers do that the two play well off of one another, and using that to their advantage. As mother and daughter this time around, Fiona and Cordelia have a complicated history, and while we’ve seen the two performers at odds on screen before, this time seems different. It’ll be interesting to see how far this volume veers Lange and Paulson away from the previous.

We also have the girls at the school. The main protagonist seems to be Zoe (Taissa Farmiga, who was in season one), a girl who doesn’t understand her skills, and whom has accidentally killed. Sent by her grandmother, Myrtle Snow (Frances Conroy), to the school, Zoe has a lot to learn, but is also quick to figure things out. She’s a very strong presence, surprising for someone with so few screen credits. It’s certain she’ll hold her own.

Zoe’s classmates are Madison Montgomery (Emma Roberts, Nancy Drew), a famous movie star, Nan (Jamie Brewer), a clairvoyant, and Queenie (Gabourey Sidibe), a human voo-doo doll. While Queenie and Nan are not main characters, I do like the dynamic of the group as a whole, a twisted bunch of misfits, and so hope they recur often. The four girls already have a good chemistry, especially between Zoe and Madison, not necessarily a pleasant relationship, but an entertaining one.

AMERICAN HORROR STORY: COVEN is the year of the woman, with only two men, Evan Peters and Denis O’Hare, in the main cast. Besides those listed above, Angela Bassett (Betty and Coretta) makes quite an impression in her guest spot, and Lily Rabe delivers an impact in a small part that will surely expand in other installments, though it’s far from obvious how that will happen. With all of these wonderful females, I can’t imagine a better grouping for a witch story.

This season also proves to be more brutal than the first two, with some very graphic sex and violence, sometimes combined, in the first episode alone. Each season of AMERICAN HORROR STORY has its startling and cringe-worthy scenes, but to see so much, so early makes me think there is a lot more in store. It may not be particularly scary, at least not yet, but it certainly pushes the boundaries of the genre, as well as what can be seen on basic cable.

“Bitchcraft” impressed me a lot. My hopes were high, given the quality of earlier installments and the resumes of those who signed on for COVEN, but the shock factor still got to me, and Farmiga, in particular, showed something unexpected. If this episode is typical for what the year has in store, it may be the best season thus far.

AMERICAN HORROR STORY: COVEN premieres Wednesday, October 9^th at 10 p.m. ET on FX.

"Dark Cousin" visits American Horror Story: Asylum

Overall, I have been disappointed with season two of FX's American Horror Story, subtitled Aslyum. Season one had awesome characters that I really cared about, the Harmon family. They were what drove the plot, and kept me returning week after week, even as all the craziness went on around them, constantly adding new players to the story, much as this season is doing. They were decent people (for the most part), who didn't deserve what happened to them.

By contrast, the characters that populate season two make much of their own trouble. I'm not saying that Lana Winters (Sarah Paulson) deserves to be kept in the basement by Dr. Thredson (Zachary Qunito), or that Kit (Evan Peters) should be in Briarcliff at all. But, the characters this year are more flawed, do not always do the smartest thing, and put themselves in danger. They are also less relateble than the Harmons.

That being said, the deeper we go into the season, the more I begin to appreciate them. Sister Jude (Jessica Lange), who started out the season looking like a villain, almost cruel in the way that she ran the "hospital," is now almost as much a victim as the others. Sister Mary Eunice (Lily Rabe) has become so much more intriguing when possessed by the devil.

This past week's installment, "Dark Cousin," was fantastic! A lot of the credit should go to Frances Conroy as the Angel of Death. Here is this character dressed in black that can kiss you and take away your life. And yet, she is kind, non-judgmental, and is here to bring relief, not cause suffering, a stark contrast to the others around who have power over people. As Briarcliff dissolves more and more into chaos, and there doesn't appear to be a happy ending possible for any of the characters, death may be the best release. Coming at the midpoint of the season, "Dark Cousin" offers a desperately needed ray of hope, even if the result is permanent sleep.

It is also cool to see Death clash with Satan, as he lives inside Sister Mary Eunice. Clearly, Dr. Arden (James Cromwell) doesn't realize what he is dealing with in Mary Eunice, and Sister Jude is in no position to save anyone. This has made Briarcliff a sort of playground for Satan, and Death may just be the only one who can stop her.

This is good, because Lana's plot is pretty depressing in "Dark Cousin." She escapes from Briarcliff, ends up somewhere worse, and then escaps back to the asylum. Even should she get out completely, her lover is dead, and her secret homosexuality, a major scandal in the 1960s, could hurt her professionally. While she is the one I most want to see get out, and I would hope that she gets to publish an article blowing the lid off of the facility, I could also see her dying instead, and that might actually be a blessing.

Grace (Lizzie Brochere) actually did die this week, and I'm conflicted as to how I feel about this. On one hand, I don't know where else her character should have gone, and she was the most expendable, in my opinion, of the series leads. On the other, I was somehow rooting for her, even once she has been revealed to actually be a murderer, and she has sex with Kit after telling him that his wife, Alma (Britne Oldford), is still alive. This kind of makes her despicable.

What will be more interesting than Grace's death is what the effect of it will be on Kit. I honestly can't predict this.

So, despite a rocky start, American Horror Story: Aslyum is finally picking up the pace, and making itself worthy of the title. It's not that the first part of the season wasn't good; it was still better than most shows. It just didn't live up to season one. With a third outing already ordered, hopefully season two will only grow from here, continuing the trend of improvement.

American Horror Story: Asylum airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET on FX.

Want to read some of my fiction? It's on my website, JeromeWetzel.com! Also, for the latest updates and article links, as well as commentary on episodes I don't fully review, please follow me on Twitter!

This article first posted on TheTVKing

American Horror Story checks into an Asylum

Grade: 94%

Some who have heard the premise of AMERICAN HORROR STORY ASYLUM might be surprised when the story begins in present day. Leo (Maroon 5′s Adam Levine) and Teresa (Jenna Dewan-Tatum, The Playboy Club) are a fear-addicted couple on their honey moon, intent on having sex in the scariest of places. Their travels bring them to Briarcliff, a former mental hospital. While there, something attacks Leo, making their good times turn to bad.

This glimpse into the present day, while one hell of an opening scene, is not just that. Some scary movies may have a stand-alone tease before getting to the main story, but the fact that Leo and Teresa are visited later in the episode, “Welcome to Briarcliff,” points to a different agenda. Like season one, time is fluid, and what has happened influences what will happen and vice versa. The two are not main characters, but it is very likely we will see them again.

Thus, AMERICAN HORROR STORY ASLYUM establishes right off the bat that it is going to be as good and complex as the first season. The actors are fantastic, the setting is rich and detailed (and even more creepy), and the story is just as interwoven with itself as ever. Little tidbits are teased out, with many things remaining a mystery. The characters are written in such a way that feel authentic, and yet, remain unpredictable. Viewers cannot possibly see where this is going from one episode alone, but the first installment is so tantalizing, they should want to keep coming back.

The main plot, as advertised, happens in 1964, when Briarcliff is still a functioning facility. The institution is run by Monsignor Timothy O’Hara (Joseph Fiennes, Camelot, FlashForward). His favorite nun, Sister Jude (Jessica Lange, American Horror Story), is quick to judge and likes to whip people, considering sin a horrible thing, but not hypocritically above engaging in it herself. She has plans for Briarcliff, and O’Hara has plans for her. She just wishes that they included sex.

Jude is definitely the most interesting, right out of the gate. Played with a strange accent that doesn’t quite define itself, she has an iron fist, and even her compassionate acts come across as trying to force what her narrow mind thinks of as god’s will, rather than to help people. She wants to cleanse the place, making it her own. It would not be surprising if she gets her way, at least for a time, but it won’t help the patients interned there any more than playing the same cheery song on loop, which she insists happen in the common room, does now.

Jude is challenged by Dr. Arden (James Cromwell, The Artist, Six Feet Under), a man of science. Or so he says. His “advanced” techniques include removing brains from still living patients, and he doesn’t use anesthetic because it messes with his tests. As cruel as Jude can be, and make no mistake about it, Jude is cruel, Arden, with whom she clashes, does not present a better option.

And then there’s poor Sister Eunice (Lily Rabe, also AHS), who is torn between Jude and Arden. A pathetic soul, she may just turn out to be a hero of the piece. At least, that’s my initial guess. Or she may remain too weak to do anything of note.

There’s also another doctor played by Zachary Quinto, the lone main character billed who does not appear in the season premiere. I wonder what role he’ll play in this dynamic?

The hospital’s entire world is threatened by a reporter named Lana (Sarah Paulson, AHS again), who wants to know what is really going on in Briarcliff. Jude tries to shut her out, but Lana is determined, which leads her into serious trouble. Unfortunately for her, Jude is not at all above resorting to blackmail to protect her work, and Lana, being a homosexual in 1964, is ripe for the picking.

AMERICAN HORROR STORY ASLYUM deals with bigotry in an interesting way. Jude, the only obvious hater from the start, is, of course, a detestable character. But it’s interesting there is both a lesbian (Paulson and Clea DuVall, Carnivale) and a interracial couple in this episode, given the time period. It’s not that this sort of thing didn’t exist back then, it’s just that both are living as openly as can be expected, given the societal norms, and both are part of this story, which has only a limited view of the world. Credit Murphy and Falchuk for their continued themes of inclusion in the unlikeliest of circumstances.

The black and white pairing are Kit (Evan Peters, AHS) and Alma (Britne Oldford, Skins). When Alma is found dead, skinned alive, Kit is assumed to be the serial killer behind it, and it placed in Briarcliff. Yet, Kit thinks he was abducted by aliens that night, an occurrence backed up when Dr. Arden examines him. So it Kit real, or crazy? And is Dr. Arden’s involvement in the story imagined, or does it actually happen? My instincts tell me that Kit is not the killer, because that was Peters’ character’s secret in the first season. And having aliens actually be a part of this story doesn’t seem likely. But you never know.

It’s this blurring of reality that is bound to make AMERICAN HORROR STORY ASYLUM great. In a mental hospital, who’s to say what is real or not? It is a place stocked with crazies (including Lizzie Brochere, R.I.S. Police scientifique, and Chloe Sevigny, Big Love), and depending on the perspective of the scene, things might be seen that don’t really happen. Add to that, visual fantasies and an actual monster, and this is a very strange, terrifying place.

Let’s be honest. What viewers really want to get out of this series is a good scare in a vivid world. Like season one, maybe even more so, the latest installment delivers this in spades, and with a large, talented cast that will provide plenty of tangents to keep the plot moving at an acceptable intensity. If you liked the first season, season two should not disappoint.

AMERICAN HORROR STORY premieres Wednesday at 10 p.m. ET on FX.

American Horror Story scares up a Blu-ray release

When American Horror Story premiered last fall on FX, it was immediately apparent that this was a different type of show. Going far creepier than most television ever dares to, it's about the Harmon family, who move into a haunted house in L.A. It is, strangely enough, from the team that brought us Glee and Nip/Tuck, Ryan Murphy and Brad Fulchuk, and we were promised the first season, now released on Blu-ray and DVD, was a stand alone story.

What no one told us ahead of time is that it would be so darn good. For 12 hours, viewers were kept on the edge of their seats as twist after twist played out. We learned about all of the past residents of the house, most of whom died gruesomely and still haunt the building. We learned what the Harmons would do under pressure. We learned that a house can have a life of its own, and that the residents who dwell within are only one small chapter of a larger volume.

The Harmons arrive with problems already brewing. Wife, Vivien (Connie Britton, Friday Night Lights), had recently given birth to a stillborn baby, then learned of husband, Ben's (Dylan McDermott, The Practice), cheating ways. The mistress, Ben's student, Hayden (Kate Mara, 127 Hours), actually follows them out from Boston, making sure that the issues they are fleeing from don't just disappear. Daughter, Violet (Taissa Farmiga), is frustrated with all of the adults, who can't seem to grow up, and suffering from depression.

But then they meet a host of new characters that bring their own set of challenges for the Harmons. A man in a rubber suit (Vivien wrongly believes that it's Ben) has sex with Vivien and impregnates her. A burned man named Larry (Denis O'Hare, True Blood) follows Ben around and wants to help him take care of Hayden once and for all. Neighbor Constance (Oscar winner Jessica Lange, Big Fish) knows more than she lets on. And Violet falls in with a possibly homicidal lad named Tate (Evan Peters, Invasion), who has a connection to a strange and violent creature living in the basement.

If that sounds like a lot, it's just the tip of the iceberg. The large recurring cast of season one includes: a maid who usually appears old (Frances Conroy, Six Feet Under), but looks young and hot (Alexandra Breckenridge, Dirt) to Ben; an abortion doctor (Matt Ross, Big Love) and his wife (Lily Rabe), who so desperately wants a baby; a nosy real estate agent (Christine Estabrook, Mad Men, Desperate Housewives); Constance's daughter with Downs syndrome (Jamie Brewer); a noble security guard (Morris Chestnut, V); a psychic (Sarah Paulson, Studio 60 On the Sunset Strip); and the gay couple to whom the rubber suit belonged (Teddy Sears, Raising the Bar, and Zachary Quinto, Star Trek, Heroes). This large ensemble means that no haunted house convention goes ignored.

The writing, acting, and production are all top notch in American Horror Story, which led to seventeen Emmy nominations and a host of other accolades. Jessica Lange won an Emmy, Golden Globe, and Screen Actor's Guild award for her role as Constance. These were completely deserved, as American Horror Story is something truly original, taking the genre to a new level when allowed to live amongst such well developed characters for so many hours.

Blu-ray is definitely the way to go to get the full affect of American Horror Story. Obviously, there are special effects, and you won't want to miss any elements of those. Also, the masterful score will be much more effective in high definition surround sound. American Horror Story creates such a detailed, engrossing world, with its rich blacks and attention to detail, it is best experienced in the most immersive way possible, which is currently Blu-ray.

This Blu-ray set includes a number of special features. There's The Murder House guide done by the fictional Eternal Darkness Tours of Hollywood, a making of featurette, a focus on the title sequence, introductions to the various ghosts that live in the house, and audio commentary for the "Pilot" episode. This is plenty to satisfy most fans of the show.

Plus, how many series actually give you a conclusion after a mere twelve episodes? Season two, premiering soon, will be in a new place and time, with many of the actors returning, but in different roles. Season one is a complete tale, from beginning to end, making this three-disc set like a very long, very good movie.

 American Horror Story The Complete First Season is available now.

If you like my reviews, please follow me on Twitter! Check out my website, JeromeWetzel.com! Article first published as Blu-ray Review: American Horror Story The Complete First Season on Blogcritics.