Why American Horror Story is disappointing but gets watched anyway

American Horror Story has consistently high ratings and has already been renewed for a tenth season in advance. But at the same time, literally every year the same story repeats itself: after several episodes, the plot begins to be scolded and many quit watching. But by the next season, part of the audience will return, since the anthology format allows you to watch each new part separately.

Why American Horror Story is consistently disappointing

The seasons are too long

Ryan Murphy and longtime collaborator Brad Falchuck are good at creating a very upbeat and exciting start. They perfectly introduce characters and escalate the atmosphere.

But sometimes there is a feeling that by the middle of the season they get tired of working, and the project is handed over to other authors, who simply have to make the plot up to the required number of episodes.

If you look at the list of writers who are working on the series, these assumptions are confirmed. Of course, few of the major directors personally direct the entire series. Flamboyant projects like the third season of "Twin Peaks" by David Lynch and "Young Pope" by Paolo Sorrentino can rather be considered an exception. But in most TV shows, showrunners write and often film the first episodes and the finale. Murphy and Falchuk don't always do that.

Here it is enough to remember, for example, the second season. Its plot perfectly mixes the depressive atmosphere of a psychiatric hospital, demonic possession and even alien abduction.

And it was not bad until about the tenth episode, where the action was unexpectedly diluted with a bright musical number. But instead of ending the season with a clear point, viewers were shown three more episodes, where they smoothly led to an too unnatural happy ending.

By the way, over the years, the length of the seasons has decreased from 13 episodes to 10. But still, "Freak Show" after the death of the creepy clown Twisty becomes much less interesting: it again takes too long to say goodbye to the characters.

In the sixth season, Roanoke tried to dilute this with an unexpected twist. From the middle, the authors seem to expose all previous events, showing them in the form of a reality show. But still, even such a move seems too far-fetched and, perhaps, Murphy should have shot shorter scenes for 6-8 episodes. Then the dynamics would increase, and the viewer did not have time to get bored.

Screenwriters get confused about their own canons

Until a certain point, each season of American Horror Story developed independently. But already in "Freak Show" the heroine Pepper in the finale is taken to a psychiatric hospital, as if explaining that in the second season the same character was shown. And this means that they exist in the same world.

But then questions already arise for the rest of the characters, played by the actors who appeared in previous seasons. They seem to be completely different characters. But they look the same.

And then it gets even more difficult. The medium Billy Dean Howard, played by Sarah Paulson, appears in the first season of Murder House. And then she appears in the Hotel. At the same time, Sarah Paulson is also playing a new character this season - Sally McKenna. And on top of that, the journalist Lana Winters from Mental Hospital appears in the seventh part of "The Cult" and interviews the main character Ellie. Both are played by Sarah Paulson again.

But the apotheosis comes in the crossover season "Apocalypse", which links the events of "House of the Assassin" and "Sabbat". There are already several actors appearing in two roles, which can be completely confusing. And all the same Sarah Paulson is given three images at once, not connected in any way with each other.

All this is not explained in any way, forcing the viewer to simply believe that such similar people can appear in the world of the series. Of course, one should not look for 100% life logic in science fiction and horror. But sometimes it starts to resemble the authors' goal in itself. Or it leads to the next point.

Authors love the same actors too much

Ryan Murphy's affection for the permanent caste is evident not only in American Horror Story. He invites many regular project participants to other series: Angela Bassett and Connie Britton starred in 9-1-1, Jessica Lange in Feud, Emma Roberts in Scream Queens.

Still from the anthology "American Horror Story"

Of course, many directors have favorites. For example, Christopher Nolan invites Michael Kane to many of his films, and Quentin Tarantino invites Samuel L. Jackson. Only there are completely different images and characters that will never meet.

But the problem with American Horror Story is not only the constant clashes of Sarah Paulson's heroines with each other. Another favorite of the author Jessica Lange from season to season appears in approximately the same way. In "Psychiatric Hospital" she plays a strict manager of the institution, in "Sabbat" - a strict supreme witch, leading the students, in "Freak Show" - a strict mistress of the circus.

Still from American Horror Story: The Freak Show

And it turns out, while the rest of the heroes are prescribed new and completely unexpected characters, her heroines are literally the same. Of course, by the fourth season, it's just boring. Fortunately, then the authors decided to say goodbye to her (though later returned in "Apocalypse"). And then Murphy invited her to play exactly the same type in "Feud".

Social topics are not always appropriate

The first seasons of American Horror Story did not address global issues. These were classic horror films about ghosts or maniacs.

But gradually, more serious social themes began to appear in the series. They are, of course, important, but not always suitable for such a project. For example, in The Cult, the heroine suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) due to the events of 9/11. And the catalyst for problems with her psyche is the victory of Donald Trump in the presidential election.

Still from American Horror Story: The Cult

Of course, Murphy is an ardent opponent of the current president of the United States, but still there are enough unexpected twists in the plots. When a person with PTSD begins to be persecuted by criminals, and no one believes him, this is already an interesting topic. Was it worth it to place such a strong emphasis on politics.

And in the same way, the horrors of the patriarchal order are too clearly shown in "Apocalypse". The Antichrist is behind the destruction of the world, and the witches who are trying to prevent the tragedy are opposed by male sorcerers. Of course, they want to put women in their place.

A lot of projects are now devoted to the topic of equality. And they often turn out to be really important and impressive. But "American Horror Story" shows this too head-on, often losing in artistry.

What is still good about "American Horror Story"

It would seem that with all this criticism, the series could fail after the first couple of seasons. If the viewers are bored, the ratings of the project fall, and it is either somehow changed or simply closed.

However, it continues every year, which means that the audience as a whole remains satisfied. There are several reasons for this.

This is an incredibly stylish series

Ryan Murphy is a great visionary. He knows how to create a stunningly beautiful picture. In such bright seasons as "Sabbath", "Freak Show" or "Hotel", each character is perfectly remembered, and the grotesque images only help this. Moreover, the authors manage to interest the viewer even before the start of the season, releasing very unusual and stylish promotional materials.

In addition, Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk are famous for the creation of the TV series "Glee". American Horror Story has some great musical numbers. So, in the third season, the famous vocalist of Fleetwood Mac, Stevie Nix, appeared, from whom one of the heroines was a fan.

But the invited guests are not limited to songs only. In The Hotel, Lady Gaga played a full-fledged role, and the legendary actress Joan Collins appeared in Apocalypse.

This is a return to classic horror films

The peak of traditional horror plots is a thing of the past. Now, either new, more serious horror films, or rethinking of classic plots are coming out on the screens.

And in terms of styling, American Horror Story is second to none. These are stories familiar to many for a long time about haunted houses, scary clowns or witches. And for those who miss the eerie retro atmosphere, the plots of this series will cause pleasant nostalgia.

Moreover, in the ninth season, the authors decided to make direct references to slashers of the eighties, probably picking up the fashion set by "Stranger Things".

There are many references to real stories in the project

No matter how fantastic the plots of this series may seem, in many of them you can be surprised to find a connection with historical facts.

For example, in Mental Hospital, the image of the creepy institution is very reminiscent of the infamous Willowbrook School for the mentally retarded, which was closed due to staff abuse of children.

The Freak Show twist is an allusion to the maniac John Gacy, acting as the clown Pogo. And there Edward Mordrake appears - one of the most famous people with physical disabilities: this man had a second face on the back of his head. Well, "Roanoke" refers to the English colony of the same name, which disappeared without a trace in America in the 16th century.

The bottom line is that every season of American Horror Story is at least fun to start watching. But, alas, usually after a few episodes, delight is replaced by boredom. And so on until next time.