For 10 seasons AHS took place in limited spaces - a house, a small town, underground - and focused completely on the main cast. Here we are in a metropolis of millions, and the cast is stuck in crowds most of the times, loud parties, dark bunkers, large halls full of dancing, socialising people in colorful costumes or intimidating leather.
So far they have a hard time getting through all the noise, and so does the central story - that seems to deal with a serial killer (or more than one) who may or may not be supernatural, and the uncooperative behavior of the police force that unfortunately was all too real at that time.
Some of the new arrivals, especially Russel Tovey, manage to shine through, but the usually fantastic acting that saved some of the older seasons sees some real dips in quality as well. The AHS-veterans pull through as one would suspect.
But so far the plot is just bumbling around and gets interrupted by a second horror - one that wasn't supernatural at all and makes any serial killer look puny. I'm not even totally sure it's about the rise of HIV, and the fact that in this episode it gets mixed up with a vintage conspiracy theory doesn't help. It has barely any connection to the already foggy and wobbly mystery at the center, and I can't say that I'm too excited looking forward to yet another murder spree while the world we are watching is literally coming to an end in a crushing wave of death and self-imposed monogamy.
As usual every department outside of the writing office is doing a great job, bringing the 80s to life - even though there's pretty much only one body type present, and everyone looks like they are carrying around whatever they found in the fruit baskets on the set in their front pockets, from plums to bananas.
Costumes, hair, make-up, but also everyone behind the cameras did what they could; it's unfortunate that their hard work seems a little wasted so far. The writing is also not bad, it just has no grip on the story, and so far there hasn't been a single big moment of any kind. Which could mean that this all just very meta and we are actually watching AHS , once again, trying to kill itself. This time it might get the job done.
So far they have a hard time getting through all the noise, and so does the central story - that seems to deal with a serial killer (or more than one) who may or may not be supernatural, and the uncooperative behavior of the police force that unfortunately was all too real at that time.
Some of the new arrivals, especially Russel Tovey, manage to shine through, but the usually fantastic acting that saved some of the older seasons sees some real dips in quality as well. The AHS-veterans pull through as one would suspect.
But so far the plot is just bumbling around and gets interrupted by a second horror - one that wasn't supernatural at all and makes any serial killer look puny. I'm not even totally sure it's about the rise of HIV, and the fact that in this episode it gets mixed up with a vintage conspiracy theory doesn't help. It has barely any connection to the already foggy and wobbly mystery at the center, and I can't say that I'm too excited looking forward to yet another murder spree while the world we are watching is literally coming to an end in a crushing wave of death and self-imposed monogamy.
As usual every department outside of the writing office is doing a great job, bringing the 80s to life - even though there's pretty much only one body type present, and everyone looks like they are carrying around whatever they found in the fruit baskets on the set in their front pockets, from plums to bananas.
Costumes, hair, make-up, but also everyone behind the cameras did what they could; it's unfortunate that their hard work seems a little wasted so far. The writing is also not bad, it just has no grip on the story, and so far there hasn't been a single big moment of any kind. Which could mean that this all just very meta and we are actually watching AHS , once again, trying to kill itself. This time it might get the job done.