Crown MRS. AMERICA

Article first published as TV Review: MRS. AMERICA on Seat42F.

FX and Hulu both make terrific shows in their own right. Now, a partnership has formed where viewers get FX series exclusively on the streaming platform. One of the first of those is MRS. AMERICA, a new miniseries based on the true story of the push for the Equal Rights Amendment in the 1970s. It completely lives up to the best programming from both sides.

Setting aside the politics, MRS. AMERICA is an extremely well-made, well-acted, compelling history lesson. It’s fantastic as a story, brilliantly directed and executed, with terrific production design. As a piece of television, it’s wonderful.

MRS. AMERICA begins with Phyllis Schlafly (Cate Blanchett, Carol), a housewife who has run for Congress twice. When the opportunity comes up for her to run again, her husband, Fred (John Slattery, Mad Men), balks because she might actually win. So to satisfy her own political ambitions and keep the peace in a marriage where she is subservient, she pours her attentions into organizing a national effort to stop the newly-passed Equal Rights Amendment, which must be ratified by thirty-eight states to become law.

It’s a good thing MRS. AMERICA shows us Phyllis before she embarks down this path. It doesn’t stop her from being a villain, but it does make her sympathetic at first, which viewers can hold in their minds as the rest of the story plays out. We get to see what motivates her, and why she makes some of the choices she makes. She is trapped in a patriarchal world and tries to grab power playing by the mens’ rules, even though her desire for power is antithetical to the system in the first place. This does allow for some sympathy, even when she’s being heartless.

Along for the ride with Phyllis are, most notably, Alice (Sarah Paulson, American Horror Story), Rosemary (Melanie Lynskey, Togetherness), and Phyllis’ sister, Eleanor (Jeanne Tripplehorn). Alice and Rosemary want the movement to succeed, and struggle with Phyllis’ leadership. But Eleanor’s story is the most tragic, as Phyllis describes the enemy to be pretty similar to her own sibling, while acting totally ignorant to how it sounds to Eleanor.

Lest you think MRS. AMERICA is just a liberal fantasy version of reality, the women on the other side are far from perfect. Gloria Steinem (Rose Byrne, Spy) finds it hard to fit in with the organized opposition, preferring to chart her own course without oversight. Shirley Chisholm (Uzo Aduba, Orange Is the New Black) risks wrecking party unity by staying in the presidential race too long. Betty Friedan (Tracey Ullman) is opinionated and has the tendency to rub just about everyone the wrong way. Bella Abzug (Margo Martindale, The Americans) is willing to compromise far beyond what some of her compatriots are willing to accept. And hell, Jill Ruckelshaus (Elizabeth Banks, The Hunger Games) is somehow still a Republican! They can’t get on message together to actually accomplish anything, and they fail to take the threat Phyllis poses seriously until it’s too late, blind to people whose opinions are so different from their own.

Each of the leads could support their own miniseries. One might argue they’re lumped together because of their gender, rather than just because of the cause. I still like the format. Each hour includes all the leads, but the episode title reveals with woman will get a little more focus for that offering. Phyllis and Gloria are probably the two biggest characters overall, and that shows.

I’ll admit, that it’s impossible to judge MRS. AMERICA without political views creeping in. At least it is for me. So the next portion is written from the perspective of a liberal, straight, white man, which comes with much bias and unearned privilege.

It would be hard for many conservatives to enjoy a show, even one featuring flawed liberal women, when their own position is so blatantly misguided. But I hope they watch anyway. The liberal in me wants to say, if you have a problem with MRS. AMERICA, then don’t have such evil viewpoints. But here’s the thing: this is an inspiring underdog story of the rise of feminism, made all the more tragic by the lack of progress of the heroes’ central goals nearly fifty years later. Though, now it’s common for both parents to be forced to work outside the home to make ends meet and the classic family dynamic has eroded by necessity, not choice, so really, we all lost.

The real take-away, in my opinion, is the reflection on modern society. We see the misinformation and twisting of facts to serve an agenda, and how masses of people buy into it. We also see what happens when good people fighting for a just cause fail to unite in their mission. There are plenty of strong reasons for individuals to draw the line in different places, but speaking with one voice can prove very effective, even when that voice is wrong.

Will this story have a happy ending? That remains to be seen, and it certainly won’t within the span of nine episodes, as the battle still rages on in 2020, reignited by the last presidential election in ways it hasn’t been since the events depicted in MRS. AMERICA. Hopefully, those that want to finish what was started learn a few lessons and draw inspiration from this story.

The first three episodes of MRS. AMERICA are available now on Hulu, with new installments weekly.

THE PEOPLE V. O.J. SIMPSON: AMERICAN CRIME STORY

Article originally published as THE PEOPLE V. O.J. SIMPSON: AMERICAN CRIME STORY Review on Seat42F.

American Horror Story is FX’s most popular program, so it’s no surprise that the network has doubled down on the creative team, ordering a second series by them, AMERICAN CRIME STORY. The official title of the first season, premiering tomorrow, is THE PEOPLE V. O.J. SIMPSON: AMERICAN CRIME STORY, which is a bit longer than it probably should be. That’s not the only thing that’s different from the Horror franchise, though, which typically only allows one or two words beside its core moniker.

The biggest change is the level of quality present. While American Horror Story is extremely artistic and surreal, with the style and tone of the piece being as much of a draw as the story, AMERICAN CRIME STORY is much more grounded in reality, to its detriment. Though, Murphy and company managed to maintain an excellent product when delivering The Normal Heart for HBO, so pulling the new series away from the fantasy realm can’t fully excuse the jolting adjustment.

AMERICAN CRIME STORY, rather than being in the Murphy vein, is very much a true crime story. This is in vogue right now, with Serial being a hugely successful podcast and Making a Murderer getting lots of attention over at Netflix. The network’s own Fargo qualifies as one of these, too, though is more hyper-realistic, so doesn’t have the same limitations as this series, which has the added challenge of telling a story practically everyone is at least a little familiar with.

The crux of this series will be in showing the human side of the tale, getting into the emotional state of those involved and making a compelling character study, which is where it is best. There are a number of intriguing personalities involved in this case. It takes about a full hour of THE PEOPLE V. O.J. SIMPSON: AMERICAN CRIME STORY for the audience to get used to this new format, and for the story to get to that all-important element. This means, perhaps coincidentally, perhaps not, that the series begins slow, then picks up quickly thereafter.

Hour two is what hooks me. Featuring remarkable performances by both Cuba Gooding Jr. (Jerry Maguire) as O.J. Simpson and David Schwimmer (Friends) as Robert Kadashian, this is where THE PEOPLE V. O.J. SIMPSON: AMERICAN CRIME STORY figures out what it needs to be. Sure, there’s the spectacle of the case, and that does come through. But taking us behind the spectacle, to the parts at-home watchers weren’t privy to the first time around, it is where things really soar.

There is no shortage of performers poised to follow up those brilliant moments of the second installment, giving me hope that the rest of the season will be just as good. From Sarah Paulson (American Horror Story) as Marcia Clark, to Bruce Greenwood (Star Trek) as Gil Garcetti, to Christopher Darden (Army Wives) as Sterling K. Brown, to Christian Clemenson (Boston Legal) as Bill Hodgman, and, of course, Courtney B. Vance (Law & Order: Criminal Intent) as Johnnie Cochran, the casting is terrific. And I haven’t even seen the great Nathan Lane (The Producers), credited as a main player, yet! Plus, there are a host of terrific guest stars lining up, a few of which already appear early on.

The one possible weak link is John Travolta (Grease, Hairspray), who is playing Robert Shapiro. I say possible because, quickly reviewing some clips of the actual Shaprio, I’m not sure Travolta’s choices are all that far off from who he’s supposed to be. And yet, there’s something so plastic about his Shapiro that I’m not convinced he’s doing his best. Travolta has oodles of talent, but it’s been awhile since he’s really shone. It will be interesting to see if he rises to the level of his co-stars, or continues is professional descent.

The second thing, besides character, that AMERICAN CRIME STORY does well is to tell the story in context. No, I’m not talking about how this trial gave birth to the Kadashian infestation in the public spotlight, though that certainly is a regrettable consequence. Instead, I’m speaking of race relations in Los Angeles at the time, which plays a very big role in what motivates a number of character decisions. Some of the early mistakes made by the prosecution and law enforcement seem to be related to combating negative images brought about after the Rodney King riots, making context very relevant.

So, even if Travolta never really steps up, there verdict is likely to be positive on THE PEOPLE V. O.J. SIMPSON: AMERICAN CRIME STORY. There is so much going right here that it can likely overcome a few minor missteps with ease. Just give it an hour to get its footing first.

THE PEOPLE V. O.J. SIMPSON: AMERICAN CRIME STORY premieres Tuesday at 10 p.m. on FX.

"Checking In" to AMERICAN HORROR STORY: HOTEL

Article first published as AMERICAN HORROR STORY: HOTEL Review on Seat42F.

AMERICAN HORROR STORY -- "Checking In" Episode 501 (Airs Wednesday, October 7, 10:00 pm/ep) Pictured: Kathy Bates as Iris. CR: Suzanne Tenner/FX

The acclaimed AMERICAN HORROR STORY is back for its new series, HOTEL. As fans have come to expect, AMERICAN HORROR STORY: HOTEL keeps much of the familiar cast, including Kathy Bates, Sarah Paulson, Angela Bassett, Evan Peters, and Denis O’Hare, with some other Murphy favorites, like Wes Bentley, Cheyenne Jackson, and Matt Bomer, thrown in. This time, the setting is an old hotel in modern-day Los Angeles, and the scary begins right away.

To help viewers ease into the world, the premiere, “Checking In,” starts with a couple of ‘normal’ people (Kamilla Alnes and 666 Park Avenue’s Helena Mattsson) arriving at the Hotel Cortez on vacation. This is nice because it gives viewers an ‘in’ to experience the world of the hotel, without needing any prior knowledge. We find out what the girls find out, and the disturbing, weird bits happen slowly at first, but not too slowly, to give the audience time to adjust.

We need the time to adjust because AMERICAN HORROR STORY: HOTEL is probably the weirdest of the five seasons thus far. It’s less clear who the characters are and what is going on than in the first four years, “Checking In” keeping plenty of secrets. This is not a complaint, but it certainly feels like a bit of a different approach, as past seasons generally gave us at least a few main people whom we could understand right off the bat.

The closest we get to that in episode one is Iris (Kathy Bates), who works the reception desk. The reason she is at the Hotel Cortez is explored in the first hour, helped along by a flashback to the mid-1990s. I believe we’ll get others as time goes on, but most of the main cast, including The Countess (singer Lady Gaga), are much more shrouded in secrecy, and it will take some weeks before viewers will begin to understand them.

As usual, the entire main contingent does not show up right away. But those that are present are, without fail, very interesting. Wes Bentley makes a great hero (presumably) as police detective John Lowe. Sarah Paulson finds yet another completely different personality as Hypodermic Sally. Matt Bomer is magnetic as The Countess’s lover. Chloe Sevigny makes Alex Lowe anything but the typical housewife, and is already showing a lot of complexity. Denis O’Hare is particularly marvelous as Liz Taylor. And we get a disturbing scene with guest star Max Greenfield, who departs quite far from his role of Schmidt on New Girl.

Those people are the reasons viewers will want to tune in weekly for AMERICAN HORROR STORY: HOTEL. Creators Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk have become experts at taking a bunch of very, very talented actors and letting them play parts that showcase their range and stretch their skills. It’s an absolute pleasure just to see the roles that these actors create, and even the most villainous of them find a way to make us care about them. “Checking In” only teases what this season has in store, but even with it being light on the mythology of the miniseries, it finds a way to hook the audience.

Will AMERICAN HORROR STORY: HOTEL be as great as Freak Show or the first season, my two favorites? My gut instinct tells me no, but it’s pretty early to make that judgment. I already like it a bit better than the worst of the bunch Asylum, which was still a very good batch of television installments. The important thing is that it is worthy of the franchise and kicks off the season in an intriguing manner.

AMERICAN HORROR STORY: HOTEL airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET on FX.

"Curtain" Closes on AMERICAN HORROR STORY: FREAK SHOW

Article first published as TV Review: 'American Horror Story: Freak Show' - 'Curtain Call' on Blogcritics.

The fourth season of FX’s American Horror Story, subtitled Freak Show, concluded this week with “Curtain Call.” Perhaps the most satisfying season finale of the show yet, capping a season which, in my opinion, tied with the first for best of the series, it gave almost everyone who deserved it a happy ending. Mixing tears and joy in moving pathos, “Curtain Call” is the ending fans deserve.

Right away this year, American Horror Story: Freak Show made us care about the freaks. It is the people outside of the carnival that are the problem. Those with the deformities are the persecuted, and the ones to root for. The story tears down prejudice among those who watch, building sympathy for the outcasts. This continues right on through to the end.

As “Curtain Call” opens, the freak show has been sold to Dandy (Finn Wittrock), the biggest beast of the year. But the freaks, who have suffered enough, don’t put up with his gruff for long. They quit, prompting him to go on a killing spree and murder almost every performer left. Thankfully, four survive long enough to punish Dandy.

Wittrock’s performance in American Horror Story: Freak Show is nothing short of amazing. Even as he dramatically dies, drowning in Houdini’s water escape tank, we see the pain and anger in his eyes. He feels misunderstood, miscast in life. The more he tries to carve out his place and hone his talents, the worse he does. He’s deeply damaged, far from emotionless, desperate to find acceptance. He does horrific things, though, and like a diseased dog, the most merciful thing is to put him down, which our heroes do.

One might think that being slain by a madman is not a happy ending, and I mentioned in the opening that the ending is satisfying. “Curtain Call” toys with an afterlife, though, a specific fulfillment of the wishes of those who died. The freaks who are killed, and not just in the season finale, are reunited in an eternal caravan, performing nightly for packed houses. It may not be the ideal existence for most of us, nor even what many of them thought they wanted in life, but it’s what these people end up valuing most, enhanced by perfect circumstances and surrounded by beloved family.

Even Elsa (Jessica Lange) gets to go there, despite her sins. She achieves the Hollywood fame she desires, and finds it’s far less than she wishes for. As she gets bigger and bigger, she feels less and less at home, missing the family she built. In the end, she commits suicide on Halloween, letting us glimpse terrific guest stars Wes Bentley and John Carroll Lynch again, and ends up at the heavenly fair, rather than roaming with the cursed troupe. It’s a reward for the good she does before she does wrong. Ethel’s (Kathy Bates) gentle scolding that Elsa was not a good friend, boss, or cook but that she was born to perform is the perfect emotional chord, reuniting the oldest of friends in a tear-worthy scene that, as usual, proves what a considerable talent Lange is.

Speaking of Ethel, Bates is killed off far too early in American Horror Story: Freak Show. I miss her the moment she leaves, and while we do see her twice more, it only makes me wish for more of her. Angela Bassett’s Desiree, who survives, is also less featured than I’d like. I hope that, if Lange does step down or back in season five, a regrettable circumstance for sure, Bassett and Bates rise to take her place. They have earned a showcase like the one Lange has been getting these past few years.

The quartet that make it through “Curtain Call” intact are Desiree, Jimmy (Evan Peters), and Dot and Bette (Sarah Paulson). All end up happily married with children, having gotten away with the multiple murders they justly committed. My only small complaint about this is that it feels extremely familiar to have Paulson and Peters’ players achieve their bright futures, the two actors among the small number in past seasons who have similar conclusions. That’s likely because they keep getting cast in certain types of roles, the ones that naturally survive, but it still feels a tad bit like a repeat.

In the end, I’m left amazed by the tale told and the characters created. So many impressive performances, so many fascinating guest stars, and so many terrific twists. The plot feels more substantial than in the past couple of seasons, and the emotions run deeper. While half of the main characters sit out the finale (not unusual for this franchise), there are enough supporting characters appearing to keep it feeling full. “Curtain Call” is a great culmination of what builds up, and I cannot think of a better way to wind the various threads together.

American Horror Story has been renewed for a fifth season, which will feature as-of-yet unannounced new cast, setting, and subtitle.

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.

TV Review: ‘American Horror Story: Freak Show’ – ‘Massacres and Matinees’

Article first published as TV Review: ‘American Horror Story: Freak Show’ – ‘Massacres and Matinees’ on Blogcritics.

The latest miniseries in the American Horror Story franchise, Freak Show, presents, this week, “Massacres and Matinees.” The people of Jupiter are suspicious of the freaks camped just outside of town as more bodies pile up.  Strongman Dell Toldeo (Michael Chiklis, The Shield), on the run after killing a man in Chicago, offers to keep the carnival safe, and given an inch, he takes a mile. This is much to the dismay of Jimmy Darling (Evan Peters), who doesn’t know he’s Toldeo’s son, and whom thinks he can protect this family on his own. Neither seems to understand the threat brewing, though, when the real killer gets a dangerous new partner.

One thing that strikes me about American Horror Story: Freak Show so far, is that the freaks, those who look abnormal make people uncomfortable, are pretty darn sympathetic. The show almost skews too much this way, hitting us over the head that these are ‘normal people,’ while showing just how monstrous normal-seeming they are. Whether it’s a bratty rich boy with a sadistic streak or judgmental diner customers, the most “average” freaks are the ones of whom to be aware.

This is both important and preachy. Creator Ryan Murphy is all about inclusiveness–and portraying the disabled as strong personalities with much to contribute, very obvious in his network dramedy Glee. It’s a laudable goal, and he’s done much to further the cause. But at the same time, he doesn’t have to hit us over the head quite so heavily. Most viewers are intelligent, and we can form our own opinions without the lectures.

Still, despite the preachiness, or perhaps because of it, American Horror Story: Freak Show is shaping up to be terrific, with wonderful characters. When Jimmy takes a group to the diner and they are kicked out, we feel their pain. As Elsa (Jessica Lange) grows jealous of talented up-and-comers Dot and Bette (both Sarah Paulson), we feel her jealousy and desperation. Ethel’s (Kathy Bates) desire to keep her ex, Dell, away from her son, whom she loves and protects, is quite compelling. Similarly, it’s easy to feel for mother Gloria Mott (Frances Conroy), who would really like a grandbaby but is saddled with a difficult son, to put it mildly. These are all fully realized individuals, played by very strong performers, and along with the rest of the cast, to which Angela Bassett (AHS: Coven), playing a humorous hermaphrodite, is added this week, they sell this series well.

The first of the band dies in “Massacres and Matinees,” as Dell thwarts Jimmy’s attempt to frame him for murder and shifts the blame to Meep the Geek (Ben Woolf). Meep is arrested and slain by his fellow inmates. As disturbing as I find Meep, especially when he is shown biting off bird heads, his passing is moving, both because of the grief he sparks in Jimmy, and because he’s an innocent who doesn’t deserve what happens. I can’t say I’ll miss him exactly, but his demise is masterfully crafted for impact.

As we fall in love with the freaks, viewers still get their fright from Dandy Mott (Finn Wittrock). Wittrock is a stand-out surprise in American Horror Story: Freak Show, and his arc really takes off in “Massacres and Matinees.” As the rich kid who wants to find his place and uses demented means to do so, he creates a monster that is truly terrifying. As Dandy joins forces with creepy clown, Twisty (John Carroll Lynch), the two make a beautifully twisted, unexpected pair that will cause much havoc in Jupiter. I’m not sure where their story is going, but the scenes between them are intense and well-crafted, definitely among the best moments of the hour.

There are just a few things that puzzle me about “Massacres and Matinees.” Why does Elsa kowtow to Dell so easily? Sure, his masculine energy may be attractive to her, but she’s been in charge a long time, and she doesn’t seem the type to give up so easily, a conclusion echoed when she indicates multiple times that he displeases her. I’m also not sure why Dell frames Meep instead of Jimmy, whom he doesn’t seem to care about it, even with their blood connection. But overall, it’s pretty good, and I’m getting used to the musical numbers of songs not yet written in the time period the show takes place, 1952, now that it’s clearly a deliberate decision.

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

Welcome to the FREAK SHOW

Article first published as AMERICAN HORROR STORY FREAK SHOW Review on Seat42F.

AMERICAN HORROR STORY is back for a fourth season, subtitled FREAK SHOW, with “Monsters Among Us,” airing this week. As in past seasons, the characters and story are new, but many of the performers will look familiar to fans of the anthology series, as actors have returned and taken on new roles. This year’s entry is set at a carnival freak show in Jupiter, Florida, 1952, and thus far, those who make up the troupe seem a whole lot less freaky than the local people surrounding them.

This revelation comes as quite a surprise. When FREAK SHOW was announced, I assumed much of the terror would be delivered at the hands of those who look different. After all, such circuses have always put off a bit of a creepy vibe, and having characters that appear monstrous actually act scary, too, makes sense. But the writers make a different choice here, quickly showing the troupe as a family and those who would threaten them, be they law enforcement, or a bitchy candy striper (Grace Gummer, The Newsroom), or an entitled rich brat (Finn Wittrock, The Normal Heart) and his doting mother (Frances Conroy), as the people to look out for. Nice idea.

The group is led by Elsa Mars (Jessica Lange), the benefactor, boss, and recruiter. She is assisted by bearded lady Ethel Darling (Kathy Bates) and her son, Jimmy (Evan Peters), as well as a bunch of other members of the clan. These people are outcasts from society and Elsa brings them together not only for their own protection, but also to provide a place for them to shine. She is quick to protect her charges, and while she is a bit controlling, she understands and appreciates those who fall in with her, which is how she can inspire loyalty among her followers. After all, she is one of them, of course.

We don’t yet have the whole lay of the land; four main players are completely MIA in the AMERICAN HORROR STORY: FREAK SHOW premiere. This is par for the series, and as the story unfolds, others will naturally be added in. AHS takes its time in crafting a plot, unconcerned with forcing characters into a crowded field or at an unnatural time just because the actor’s name is in the opening credits, as many other shows do.

Among this troupe, there is one person that somewhat stands out because she’s been seen before, and that’s Pepper (Naomi Grossman). Pepper lived in the Asylum of season two, and she is the first character to appear in more than one season of AMERICAN HORROR STORY. Since Asylum is set more than a decade later than FREAK SHOW, we know where she ends up, but not yet how she gets there. It’s an interesting precedent that I hope will be repeated, and fits very well into the new season.

There is one freak that is scary in “Monsters Among Us.” We’re introduced to Twisty the Clown (John Carroll Lynch, Body of Proof), a homicidal clown with a very scary mask (or is it a mask?). Twisty is not one to mess with, and he doesn’t even require a reason to strike. But thankfully he is not part of the main contingent, so hopefully, while there will be some interaction, we’re not asked to care about him as we do the others.

For the most part, I really like “Monsters Among Us,” a cool story that intrigues and entices, but there are a couple of strange choices made. For instance, the camera teases around conjoined twins Bette and Dot Tattler (Sarah Paulson), waiting awhile to reveal them to be two heads on one body. This makes sense to be repeated later in the episode for budgetary reasons, but in the initial introduction, there’s not much reason to build suspense and mystery given that pictures of the character have been widely circulated prior to this. Also, Elsa sings “Life on Mars,” a song written by David Bowie in 1971. It’s a neat performance, but one that definitely feels out-of-time for the early 1950s.

I’m curious about the planetary themes in AMERICAN HORROR STORY: FREAK SHOW. As mentioned, Elsa’s last name is Mars and she sings “Life on Mars,” plus the show is set in Jupiter, Florida. These things cannot be coincidence. Are they meant to evoke otherworldly images, aliens come to Earth, as Asylum showed? Or are they referencing gods, better than men, sitting above us in judgment? Either way could be interesting.

While I was trepidatious about FREAK SHOW, given the content, I am happy to report that the first episode is quite good, up to the standards of the franchise. Check it out when it airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET on FX beginning this week.

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.

AMERICAN HORROR STORY: COVEN Far From "Dead"

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

***Note: This series is rated TV-MA for good reason, and viewer discretion is advised due to mature content. It is impossible to discuss the latest episode without referencing said content, so while I will keep things as light and profanity-free as possible, some of the subject matter will definitely be offensive to some readers. Please let this serve as your warning.

FX’s American Horror Story: Coven has been hitting it out of the park by delivering a more character-driven story than in years past, and providing the material and actresses to back it up. This week’s installment, “The Dead,” which serves as the mid-point of the season, reveals a lot about several of the players, and, through death and sex, some peace is found, as temporary as it might be.
“The Dead” starts with Kyle (Evan Peters) before his death. He’s joking with his frat pals and talking of his dreams in a tattoo parlor. There is little doubt that he has the drive and talent to back up his goals, and his future will be bright, indeed. Except, he’s now dead, reanimated bits of those friends sewn to him, as demonstrated by the glimpses of their tattoos on his patchwork body.

It’s no wonder Kyle is having trouble adjusting to the circumstances. Besides not being able to speak the words in his brain, which has not been dulled, he’s frustrated at his predicament. He didn’t ask to become the monster he’s been made into, and every thing he had hoped for has been flushed down the toilet. As far as he’s concerned, his life is (literally) over, but he has the added torture of being conscious of the wasted potential.

Peters captures all of this internal monologue brilliantly, eyes dancing with un-vocalized emotions. We feel his pain, and find a way to sympathize with him despite the horrible things he’s done, like slaughtering his mother. Clearly, anger and confusion is driving his actions, and he can’t be blamed for everything. By the end of “The Dead,” he is starting to find himself again, and surely he can heal. Maybe.

Madison (Emma Roberts) is going through the exact opposite problem. Instead of having feelings she can’t understand or express, she’s plagued by a lack of feeling, which Roberts plays with such effect as to impress any who watch. She’s going to be an actress to watch. Her numbness starts before she’s killed and brought back, by the way, citing her utter lack of caring about being gang-raped in an earlier episode. Burning herself doesn’t work, in fact, nothing does. Until she finds Kyle’s penis. Inside of her.

Since Madison has only murdered those who deservd it (except Kyle, accidentally), it’s easier to get behind her. She’s not a nice person, to be sure, but that can be chalked up to a young girl who found fame at an early age and is putting on a brave face to hide fear. She is more talk than action, and she did not deserve to die, or to feel this helpless and broken.
There’s something kind of sweet about Madison and Kyle finding one another in this situation. They have the death thing in common, something no one else would understand. It seems to give them both pleasure and helps them stay centered. They’re technically consenting adults, or close enough to it. What harm would their relations cause anyone?

Besides Zoe (Taissa Farmiga, this season’s MVP in an intensely crowded field), I mean. She’s used to not being the prettiest girl in the room, so she is disappointed, but not surprised, when she catches Kyle with Madison. I feel bad for Zoe here, I really do, but she has to understand why and how her two sort-of friends ended up together right? Plus, they are nice enough to invite her to join in.

Now, anytime a threesome crops up in movies or television, it’s a recipe for disaster, probably much like in the real world (I assume). There is bound to be jealousy and hurt feelings and doubts about the depth of attachment. That’s unfortunate, because American Horror Story: Coven has worked so hard to make us like all three of these individuals that the viewer will be loathe to side against one or more of them. But I guess that’s life, and since Kyle is dead, Zoe probably can’t snuff him out with her fatal nether regions, which makes their pairing ideal.

The beauty about this crazy sex hookup is that Zoe needs love and support right now, so getting it doubly should boost her confidence. See, Cordelia (Sarah Paulson) has warned Zoe that Fiona (Jessica Lange) might have it out for her since Fiona killed Madison just because the elder witch suspected Madison might be her replacement. With Spalding’s (Denis O’Hare) tongue restored long enough to confirm Fiona’s misdeeds and Zoe’s own power growing, the teenage witch needs to watch her back.

On a side note, does anyone really think Spalding will stay dead? He’s like the fifth major character to die this season in only seven episodes. It kind of takes the bite out of death when everyone keeps coming back, though, admittedly, I haven’t been ready to lose anyone that is killed off, and it would sure be novel of an American Horror Story run to still have all of its main players intact for the finale.

Fiona does have other things on her mind, which might give Zoe some breathing room. Throughout “The Dead,” Fiona is hooking up with The Axeman (Danny Huston, Magic City). Like Zoe, Fiona is having a crisis of faith in herself, feeling her abilities waning and her age creeping up on her. The Axeman provides Fiona with a similar injection of, um, bravado, which is even enough to override the creepy confession by The Axeman that he has been watching Fiona since she was eight.
“The Dead” seems to equate sex with a source of comfort and strength. I feel like this is a just and apt statement to make. While sex does require the baring of one’s soul, it also gets the blood coursing, sure to pump up the energy level of those effected. It’s an obvious and blatant metaphor, but it works.

Let’s hope it’s enough to get both Zoe and Fiona back in fighting form. With Hank (Josh Hamilton) packing as much firepower as he is, the house of witches is in deep trouble. This is an especially bad time for him to attack as the coven is missing two of its own.

Yep, there’s yet another subplot unfolding this hour. Queenie (Gabourey Sidibe) and Madame Delphine (Kathy Bates) seem to be bonding quite swimmingly, sharing some super-sized fast food in the middle of the night, even getting over Delphine’s racism just a bit. But after Delphine confides a dark secret to Queenie, thinking her friend, who is helping her turn a new leaf, will be able to look past this latest darkness, Queenie gives Delphine to her sworn enemy, Marie Laveau (Angela Bassett), earning Queenie a place in Marie’s group.

This is a very sad twist. The women really did seem like pals and were finding some legitimate common ground. Queenie’s disgust is understandable, of course, but Delphine really is making an effort to change. And Delphine’s comments about Queenie’s skin color are not completely off the mark, an observation that Marie seconds. I want Queenie to fit in back under Fiona’s roof, but maybe she just doesn’t.
Is American Horror Story telling us that some people don’t deserve second chances? Had Delphine continued her life style these past centuries, I would absolutely be in favor of flaying her, as Marie and Queenie do. However, Delphine served a long prison sentence buried in a box and seems to have learned her lesson. She deserves better.

Viewers deserve exactly what we’re getting: a sharp, witty, well-written, phenomenally-acted, highly engrossing tale. American Horror Story: Coven has surpassed the second go-round of the anthology series and is vying with year one for the best run of this fantastic show. If every season is this good, I hope it runs for many years to come.

American Horror Story: Coven returns in two weeks, Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET on FX.

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.

The "Madness Ends" for American Horror Story: Asylum

Article first published as TV Review: American Horror Story: Asylum - "Madness Ends" on Blogcritics.

FX's American Horror Story: Aslyum brings its thirteen episode limited run to an end this week with "Madness Ends." With most of the main characters dead or out of Briarcliff, the primary setting, weeks ago, "Madness Ends" feels like an extended epilogue, combined with the previous installment or two. But it all ties together by the close.

My early complaints about the second series of American Horror Story stem from the lack of character development. While the first season has a family as its heart, people we care about, the second season tends to be more about disturbing visuals and events. There are characters, to be sure, but things are happening to them, rather than seeing them take control of their destiny.

This sorts itself out as the season goes on. Once we can get past the disgust of the place, and the extremely evil souls that flourish within, then we can begin to root for Lana (Sarah Paulson) and Kit (Evan Peters), the victims / heroes of the story. This mirrors their own journey, having to get used to the place, and then find their courage, before they can attempt to change their circumstances.

In last week's episode, which is also set mainly post-Briarcliff, Lana and Kit are not in good places. Kit's misfortune comes by circumstance, while Lana just makes bad choices, but it's not a good way to leave their characters. Thus, we definitely need "Madness Ends" to not only redeem the two, but tie up loose ends so that a semi-happy ending might be found.

First, Kit, since he's the slightly smaller of the two stories. Kit is a good, good man. He manages to forgive Sister Jude (Jessica Lange) for locking him up unfairly and treating him so cruelly. But, while for most, finding forgiveness in their heart would be enough, Kit goes a step further and rescues Jude, both from the asylum, and from herself.

It's an incredibly touching story, to see Kit and his children (Brady Allen and Sade Kimora Young) welcome Jude into their home, caring for her, and bringing her out of her shell, restoring her in all of her glory, maybe more glory than she's ever had before. It goes well above and beyond what is expected of people, and they do truly save her, allowing Jude to become kind and have a family, living out her last days in comfort. By the time Death (Frances Conroy) arrives for the last time, Jude is finally ready to go.

What a story of redemption! Jude is run through the gamut, beginning the season as a victim, getting a deep back story, and then being the most tortured soul on the program. She comes full circle as a doting grandmother figure, and Lange has got to be enjoying playing such a wonderful, fully realized character.

As for Kit himself, this great generosity of spirit must be what the aliens see in him. While some may complain about the extra-terrestrial subplot, and the lack of real explanation, I feel like they come to help us, meaning mankind, move into the next stage of evolution. They pick the best man they can find, and help him on his way. The good die young, and Kit is spent by age forty, so they take him somewhere for his reward. It's all a very spiritual and uplifting arc.

Now, onto Lana. Much of "Madness Ends" takes place nearly five decades after the rest of the story, with Lana as an old, well-respected journalist and writer, about to receive a Kennedy Center Honors ceremony. She builds the life that she wants, but she still doesn't seem quite happy, haunted by those dark days that she suffered, and the wrong decisions she made in the aftermath.

But that doesn't mean Lana is a pushover, or ready to die. When her grown up son, Johnny (Dylan McDermott), comes to kill her, she is prepared. She talks him down, feigning love for her child, and then coldly shoots him, finishing the job she should have completed years ago.

I think some of old Lana's guilt definitely comes from letting her son live. Despite the lies that she tells Johnny, completely in character with the fibs in her work, she already knows who he is and what he has been doing. She knows that she should have gone through with the abortion, and that her attempts to give him a better life failed. What's more, she herself inadvertently sabotages Johnny's chance at happiness because she can't resist checking in on him as a child.

Lana may live, the triumphant hero in some eyes, but she will never be happy like Kit. I half expected her to turn the gun on herself after murdering her son, as while she has accepted some of her misery, I feel like this could be what pushes her over the edge. Or perhaps the days she spends with Kit's family aren't enough to crack that hard shell she builds up immediately after Briarcliff, and she is too far gone for this latest tragedy to affect her too severely.

The capstone, seeing Lana and Jude together at the beginning again, watching Johnny go to the places his parents were at and continue his father's work, and even finding out what happens to Cardinal Howard (Joseph Fiennes), also destroyed by guilt and Lana, all serve to really bind the story together in a fitting conclusion. Some things are regrettable, like what happens to the women that Kit initially loves, but, in the end, American Horror Story: Asylum tells a complete and gripping tale, one not likely to be soon forgotten.

My only slight complaint about the hour is that ending old Lana where she does, sitting on a couch near her son's body, feels slightly unfinished. This isn't fully erased for me by the flashback scene, and I wanted just a touch more there.

But other than that, "Madness Ends" is a fantastic episode in a really good miniseries.

I'd also like to mention, even though it didn't really fit in the flow of this review, that the parts of the story involving Lana's expose and her interview are extremely well done. The grainy camera style back then and the expert make-up in the now are both superb, and make "Madness Ends" one of my favorite episode of the year.

American Horror Story will return for a third season, with a new cast of characters, and returning performers including Lange, Paulson, and Peters, next fall 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!

Golden Globe's TV Categories Need Updating

Another awards season is upon us, with the Golden Globes just passed, and the Oscars approaching. There will be endless debates about people and films that are undeservedly left off of these lists. This column is not about that.

No, my complaint today is with the Golden Globes in particular, and the way that they treat television. Excellent hosts Tina Fey and Amy Poehler opened with a joke this year about how TV actors (like themselves) are looked at unfavorably compared to film performers (also, like themselves, though they are less known for film). In an era where the lines between the two have become increasingly blurred, this is an archaic notion, and one that should have been abandoned long ago, as television has moved into a golden age.

Also, it's quite funny that a film industry that thinks they are better than television airs their awards shows on the small screen, rather than making people go to the theater to witness the proceedings. Wouldn't that make more sense with the persistent attitude?

I'm not saying everything that graces the small screen is great, of course. But having moved through a decade that brought us Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Lost, Battlestar Galactica, The Wire, and The Sopranos, and being well into a decade with Homeland, Mad Men, The Walking Dead, Downton Abbey, Game of Thrones, Breaking Bad, Justified, and so many others, it is very hard to argue that television is an inferior medium.

I feel like the lack of understanding of television by an awards show that airs on, you guessed it, television, is best proven by a look at their categories.

First, the supporting actor and actress awards are separate from everything else because they do not get divided into two genres: drama or comedy. Well, three, because miniseries is rightly given its own standing. But for supporting players, they are all lumped in together. How do you possibly compare Sofia Vergara's work on Modern Family with Sarah Paulson in Game Change? You don't. You just reward the well respected Dame Maggie Smith, who is in a British miniseries, and ignore everyone else.

The main actor and actress, as well as the best program, are divided into three distinct genres, and they should be. Just as comedy movies are almost completely ignored by the Oscars, you won't catch the Golden Globes giving a supporting performance trophy to a sitcom star very often, if ever. It's completely unfair to put them together, even when effort is made to divide the nominations between all three arenas.

However, this separation has some trouble, too. Calling the comedy category "Comedy or Musical" comes from an era when all movie musicals were light-hearted, thus not belonging in the heavy drama world. That might work for Glee, but Smash and Nashville are every bit dramas, and should not be tossed in with the half hour situation comedies.

Those aside, you used to be able to tell if a series was a comedy or a drama simply by its running time. Dramas are typically hour-long shows, while comedies are half hours. But as HBO and Showtime have entered the arena with Nurse Jackie, The Big C, How To Make It In America, Weeds, and Enlightenment, this is no longer the case.

The problem becomes in how you define these types of series. I look at comedies as programs where the characters act a certain way to get a laugh, and the situations arise just to make the characters do funny things. If there are some jokes, but the main point of the story is an ongoing personal experience that fundamentally gets to the core of a person and forces them to look at themselves, not a humorous device, then it's a drama. I sometimes laugh at Nurse Jackie, but the show is about Jackie struggling with addiction and lies. This is not a comedy.

The Golden Globes haven't gotten wise to the shift, though. Which is probably why these types of series have come in and stolen the trophies from more traditional fare on the broadcast networks.

This year, Lena Dunham's win for Girls kind of throws a wrench into the entire thing. Her series is definitely drama, because serious things happen, and self-reflection is a large part of the story. Yet, Girls provides many more chuckles than its premium peers, and the arrogant, self-involved way in which Dunham's character behaves is inherently comedic. It's really, really hard to put this show in either box.

Which means that she won, of course, over actresses like Fey and Poehler who are following the comedy guidelines in the more traditional sense. Is this fair? Isn't what they are doing two completely different things?

The problem is, how can we solve this conundrum? The bloated Golden Globes is already too long, and diluting the field by adding more genres isn't doing anyone any favors. And yet, it certainly isn't fair that the smarter, bold, definition busting series take away from the broad comedies like 30 Rock and Community that still have something valuable to say, and can be outstanding examples of the art.
I do think we should move the HBO and Showtime series into the drama world. They may straddle the line, especially Girls, but the characters have more in common with broadcast dramas than comedies.

The fact that the Hollywood Foreign Press hasn't seen this, or chosen to do anything about it, just makes them feel out of touch with what really defines a genre. Considering that the purpose of the organization is to serve these programs, exhibiting such a glaring, fundamental fault takes away from their credibility greatly.

And then there's the argument that award shows themselves are dumb, at least for the viewing public, and should be private, industry-only events, and the number of them should be reduced drastically. I do actually agree with this argument, but that's a whole other column. Maybe next year.

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!

Article first published as Golden Globe's TV categories Need Updating on Blogcritics.

Game Change on Blu-ray

Game Change won five Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Miniseries/Movie, Outstanding Casting, Outstanding Directing, Outstanding Writing, and Outstanding Lead Actress. It was also nominated for seven other awards. Now it awaits its fate with multiple nominations for the Golden Globes, Writers Guild, and Screen Actors Guild Awards.

If you haven't already gotten the chance to watch Game Change, you're in luck. On January 8th, the HBO movie will be released on Blu-ray and DVD.

The story is based on a book of the same name by Mark Halperin and John Heilemann, which tells the tale of the 2008 U.S. presidential election. Actually, the book covers much, much more territory than the movie, especially the Democratic primary. but to adapt it all would have been too massive an undertaking. Instead, the HBO adaptation focuses on the last part of the book, which covers the selection Sarah Palin (Julianne Moore, 30 Rock, Crazy, Stupid, Love) as John McCain's running mate and the race to the finish line with a vice presidential candidate not ready to handle a national campaign.

Before you dismiss Game Change as partisan nonsense, as some on the right have accused it of being, you should first watch it. As a character study, it stays pretty fair, thanks to writer Danny Strong (Recount)'s reliance on real events, without pushing a specific agenda, letting viewers make their own judgments. It is also like watching a disaster movie in a way, as we observe the inept and unprepared Palin come very close to the heights of power, admittedly a view made based solely on my own judgment.

Game Change goes beyond Palin's missteps and slip ups and allows viewers behind the scenes of a hotly contested presidential election. John McCain's (Ed Harris, Appaloosa, The Hours) staff, and in particular advisor Steve Schmidt (Woody Harrelson, Cheers, Zombieland), tries to manage Palin, and keep her from costing them the victory. The trouble is, Palin isn't willing to just follow their orders, though why she resists is up for debate.

As the Emmys acknowledged, the casting is fantastic. Moore gives a sincere performance as Palin, far from Tina Fey's Saturday Night Live caricature, while Harrelson delivers something far beyond an impersonation. The supporting players include Peter MacNicol (Numb3rs), Sarah Paulson (American Horror Story), Jamey Sheridan (Homeland), and Ron Livingston (Office Space), each of whom really add to the complete picture.

What emerges is a strong movie, with wonderful acting, and an authentic feel. It may come a little too soon for some who don't wish to relive those days only four years later, but it will definitely serve as a nice historical film, maybe even used in history classes to keep events a bit more alive than dry text.

Blu-ray is a nice way to purchase Game Change because of the clarity of image. Viewers will get to see every nuance of Moore's performance in HD, as well as appreciate the detail that went into the sets, costumes, and makeup. Obviously, Game Change isn't full of special effects, but visually, it's near perfect, and will definitely allow one to easily get sucked into the story. Even the color variations don't feel like mistakes, because of the documentary-style filming, and the blacks are deep and gradational, rather than flat.

There isn't a lot to say about sound, since not much is going on, other than speaking, though the score by Theodore Shapiro is nice for what it is, delivered with nary a pop or hiss, flowing smoothly below the action. More importantly, the dialogue is clear, and what sound effects are present come across just as they should.

Sadly, there are only two special features with this release. One ponders the qualities needed to make a viable candidate for the highest office in the land. The other, more relevant, is about the film, how it was adapted from the book, and the real-life drama that inspired it. This second featurette was interesting, but I wish there would have been a bit more in depth.

Game Change will be available on Blu-ray January 8th.

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!

Article first published as Blu-ray Review: Game Change on Blogcritics.