I had no idea what to expect from this series. I had mentioned to my husband that we should DVR it, and then later he said we should DVR it…like it was his idea. LOL. Anyway, I thought it would be a little weird…but I had no idea.
This couple buys a house that’s apparently haunted, because you get to see glimpses of ghosts from time to time. But I find the characters on the show to be weirder than the haunting. There’s some nudity in the first show of the series, especially with Dylan McDermott walking around naked. I’ve always thought he was really cute, but I’ve never thought of him as sexy. I still don’t. There’s a neighbor who’s older, and she has a Down Syndrome daughter. This woman is very strange. I still can’t decide if she’s just weird or if she’s something supernatural. There’s a psycho teenage boy, a housekeeper who looks different to the husband than she does to the wife (I won’t spoil things by telling you how it’s different), and various other unusual characters. I’m not going to say any more because I don’t do spoilers.
This is the thing. As repulsed as I was about parts of this show, I couldn’t stop watching it. I sat through both episodes we had recorded, mesmerized. I’ll say the same thing about this show that I’ve said about True Blood. It’s like a train wreck…you don’t WANT to look, but you can’t help it. I can’t wait to see what happens in the next episode. One important thing I’ve learned…do NOT watch this show while you’re eating. I made that mistake.
lauralynnelliott.com 
I’m definitely in agreement with you on this one, Lauralynn. I haven’t caught this week’s episode since we don’t have cable this week with the move, but the first one was definitely bizarre. I really enjoy bizarre, but certain parts of the pilot were just plain…off-kilter. Other parts were positively brilliant, and then there was the fact that the opening credits threw me through a loop because I hadn’t realized Ryan Murphy created it (so half the time all I could do was make comparisons and comments about what I know of him and Glee). I’m a little on the fence with this one. Part of me doesn’t like it and then part of me really does, and part of me really likes how some things are being done but are a little uncertain on others.
There’s no doubt that I’m interested to see where things wind up going. I have a feeling, though, that, like Glee, I’ll be shaking my head a lot, wondering why something’s happening on one level while kind of getting it on another level (but not really), and then just keep watching.
And then I slightly feel bad, because part of the reason I’m interested in watching it has nothing to do with the show itself, but merely because I’ve got a big WIP in the same genre and theme and I’ve been trying to absorb a ton of media on haunted houses and spooky films and show to help inspire me or remind me of what to avoid.
….like eating before, during, or after, yes.
The second episode was weirder than the first one. There was no nudity in that one. But a lot of weird stuff was going on. I’ll probably keep watching it, but it may be too weird for my husband. LOL.
I love ghost stories (I’ve written three), but this one is really over the top.
There are so many good tv shows out this year. If I let myself, I’d be watching hours of TV every week, and that would be the end of my writing career! So I’m having to be really choosy, and American Horror Story is quickly replacing other shows in my lineup. You are so right- it’s creepy and compelling. I have a hard time pointing to any one thing and saying, “This is what I like,” but it’s just that good.
Hi, Vicki. Hawaii Five-O is definitely my favorite because my favorite actor is on it. LOL. Criminal Minds used to be second, but it’s been bumped down by Person of Interest. You’re right…there are so many good shows.
Definitely creepy and compelling!
I didn’t like first episode at all. I felt like they tried to cram too much into one hour. I also found the main characters unlikeable.
The second episode was a little better, but still not making want to watch a whole season. I’ll watch one more before I totally give up.
I think what makes me want to watch it is that it’s so weird that I wonder what will happen next. I like to watch weird stuff sometimes. My husband doesn’t like it at all.
AHS is growing on me. I love horror, and so obviously I was gonna watch. I love TV, so obviously I was gonna watch. LOL
The first episode was a bit jumpy, but I know that was for the creepy effect. I like how each episode gives us a bit more history on the “murder house” and Jessica Lange STEALS the show, IMO. I like it.
I was watching it without my guy thinking he wouldn’t be into it (he never wants to watch my horror shows), but he walked in on me watching episode two and before we knew it we were on OnDemand watching the pilot again. It reminds me a bit of Nip/Tuck – weird, creepy, but hooking! I’m a big fan of FX programs.
My guy definitely doesn’t like it. But I do. It’s just weird enough to keep me hooked.
[…] Speaking of haunting TV, who’s watching FX’s new show, American Horror Story? Creepy….check out Lauralynn Elliot’s thoughts on her blog post of the same name, American Horror Story. […]
Thanks for the mention, Tiffany!
I am hooked. Horror is my “relax” genre. I know it’s going to be over the top, gross, and repellant. AHS was all those things and more.
The little mysteries, like the part where Jessica Lange tells Frances Conroy (the maid), “Don’t make me kill you again,” have me wanting more. I also wonder if Dylan McDermott or the Rubber Man got Connie Britton (Vivian) pregnant.
Anyway, glad to see another fan. 😀
Hi Catie!
I want to know more about Jessica Lange’s statement, too. I think the maid is a ghost…in fact, I wonder if the psycho boy is, too.
Oh, and the rubber man. Who the heck is he??? LOL
I had totally forgotten about AHS when it first came out, so I got into it by the second episode. Watched the third last night and now I have to go back and watch the first! I don’t care for the present-time storyline, but I love the flashbacks into the house’s history…that and Jessica Lange. She’s absolutely fabulous. The one thing I don’t like about the show is the setting. The house just doesn’t make sense in L.A. It should have been the other way around…moving from L.A. to Boston.
Isn’t Jessica Lange great? Everyone is so messed up in this story. There’s not a normal person on this show. The wife is probably the sanest, and she has her issues.
I don’t know much about L.A., but it never struck me as a place that would have a haunted house. Boston does make more sense.