credit: American Horror Stories
A great deal of criticism launched at American Horror Stories in the first season, yet plenty of people stood up and tried to defend the stories that were an extension of the original idea. Sadly, it’s getting more demanding and more challenging as the second season wears on, as the previous few episodes have shown some promise, only to fade into obscurity shortly after. In the current episode, Bloody Mary, there was an expectation that things might pick up since this famous urban legend has been around long enough to become a genuinely diverse story that can take on many different forms. Unfortunately, that doesn’t appear to matter since this episode took the Bloody Mary legend and turned it into something that is, like so many other things, woke in a manner that is being pushed to the public in a way that isn’t meant to be off-putting but is anyway. While the episode doesn’t lean heavily into the idea that women are superior or that men are little more than tools to be used by women, it still fails to grab the audience meaningfully.
credit@AHS
It feels like an amateur hour this season, and that’s putting it nicely.
So far, the stories have been less and less like the initial AHS stories that have come before, meaning that the storytelling doesn’t feel as on point as it could be, and the overall horror is, well, kind of bland. Bloody Mary is a great legend that many people have made use of in the past, but something about this telling forces it to lose a great deal of its power, as the revenge story that dissolves into the desire for the trapped spirit to escape falls flat at just the wrong moment. The story that the four girls initiate by daring to look in the mirror and summon a spirit that many people don’t believe in didn’t hit a single high note, to begin with. There was a lot of potentials for this tale to be one of the best in the series thus far, but like the others, it’s become yet another lackluster entry into a season that a lot of people were hoping would surpass the first season that a lot of people felt wasn’t that great.
The story moves along in a way that feels rough and unpolished.
The use of history and the retconning of specific moments in the past might make many people laugh despite the seriousness of the subject matter used. Anything that utilizes slavery at this point, or any facet of it, tends to spark something in a lot of people that invites a great deal of trouble. But thankfully, it doesn’t feel as though this episode would be enough to cause another fire for social justice since the ridiculous nature of the episode is something that can be looked at and discarded just as quickly as schlock horror that has just enough entertainment value to appease those who think that it’s worth something. But looking at this episode from another point of view is still just as ridiculous.
credit: American Horror Stories
The actors felt more relaxed and natural in the first season.
The veteran AHS actors don’t appear to be having too many issues as they know what’s expected, but thus far, it would appear that some of those who are new to AHS isn’t setting the pace as they try to tell a story without sounding, well, ridiculous. Some might say that this is an unfair criticism, but those same people should be aware that at one point during each season of the initial American Horror Story season, everyone was new to this at some point. And yet, those who came in for the first time often did just fine, either because they were veteran actors or were far better than some of those who have been brought in recently. One thing that can derail an episode, a movie, or even a season, is poor acting, and thus far, season 2 is suffering more than a little as many of the actors don’t appear to be fully engaged.
Will AHS Season 2 be able to get back on track?
It’s hard to tell if there will even be a possibility of a season 3 when all is said and done since this season isn’t that impressive thus far. But if things do turn around, it will be interesting to see since there’s still enough time to impress the audience and possibly deliver the type of material that AHS fans have grown used to. Likely, some folks aren’t going to admit that this season has been a bust since they’re diehard superfans who don’t want to say anything wrong about one of their favorite franchises. Hey, it happens.
One thing is for sure, though; if AHS doesn’t pick up, then a season three is going to be a tough sell.
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