I admit it. I was highly psyched. By 10PM, when things began, I was at fever pitch. One hour later, I felt a tremendous letdown. But I have some thoughts and suggestions.
It started with the Election. Sarah Paulson went hysterical.
Then everything went off the rails.
What Ryan Murphy and Company may think of as macabre social criticism turns out to be parody. Evan Peters and Sarah Paulson's arcs were non-existent; it was all one note. Now, the behavior of a character like Kai is one note, like some of my relatives, so maybe Murphy thought he was being accurate. But, if I were going to write about my own dumb, low class relatives, I would supply a back story. Who knows, maybe we will get one.
Now, I love Sarah Paulson. She is a wonderful actress. But, by the time of the final scene, with the house next door being broken too, and Winter and the child Oz running about like maniacs without a script, I had an inspirational thought. By this time, though Sarah was doing an admirable job, I could see her hysterics were acting. For genuine hysteria, and a boost to the series, why not get the Queen Of Hysterics, Veronica Cartwright, a record holder since 1961, in on the action?????????? Veronica conveys genuine terror with just one eye twitch; no one can beat her in the hysteria department.
As for Evan Peters, while he may having a field day acting up a storm, to what purpose? He needs a back story, because I know, for a fact, that when children are raised to SO follow their parents program, thinking and voting like them, they turn into miserable, dumb human beings, even more miserable than their folks. Like those aforementioned relations of mine!!!!!!!!!!!
You know who stole the show last night! Twisty and Winter!!!!!!!!!!! It was so nice to see Twisty again, and I hope we see more of him. The great character actor John Carroll Lynch makes him so lovable! I just want to give Twisty a big hug!
Now, that Winter Anderson, sister of Kai (Peters) is something else. I bet there is an incestuous relationship, there. The minute she is being interviewed with that twisted spinster bun, and Mary Jane collar, I knew she was trouble. But here's the thing--maybe she can stir up some trouble by converting Oz into a pre-pubescent Michael Myers, who will go around stabbing people. Maybe those dumb Right Wingers, like Kai!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I cannot wait for Frances Conroy. On the basis of what I have seen, someone has to step in, and organize this mess into some cohesiveness.
The whole thing cannot depend on Winter's hair bun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Twas nice to see Twisty again, although disappointing that they didn't give him a new scene (inexplicably, they-re-created his entrance from Freak Show with no changes other than cast and more gore).
ReplyDeleteThe show itself? Oy, what an incoherent mess: exactly what I was expecting. Agree 100% with your critique: this was even worse than the disastrous first episode of Roanoke (clearly, Murphy/Falchuk are not good at learning from mistakes). The only bright spots were Billie Lourd as the disturbing babysitter, and the (perhaps unintentional) evisceration of liberal over-reactions to the election.
It would be nice if the satire stays even-handed, because theres plenty of idiocy on both sides thats ripe for tweaking. Watching the various melt-downs in the opening scenes was amusing but uncomfortably familiar: I've had to endure such scenes repeatedly with friends and family for months. Its like everyone on every point of the political spectrum lost their minds this year, as well as all memory of prior elections. They forgot every president since Nixon won on a paper-thin Electoral margin, causing a kerfuffle, but nothing of the current magnitude. Obama was a historic aberration in his landslide victory: its unrealistic to use him as a yardstick. Nothing will ever again motivate voters like "first black president" - not even "first woman president', a misconception that cost Hillary dearly (in both 2008 and 2016).
The DNC and RNC had better get their acts together before 2020 and start taking things seriously again. Otherwise, the next pair of contenders is likely to be Kanye West vs De Blasio. People think nothing could be worse than Trump? Oh dear, how naive- it can get SO much worse from here. By cynically pandering to a narcissistic fringe base instead of telling them to grow the fuck up already, Hillary opened a Pandora's Box of populist candidates- there's no closing it now. President Kardashian, anyone?
ReplyDeleteI had to watch it again, because
things moved at such a frantic pace,
I lost some details. Like Ally having
voted for Jill Stein. And Evan Peters
pissing into a condom and allowing
himself to be attacked.
I want to know Kai's back story.
Thank God for Winter and Oz. Something
is up with those two.
And even I thought Peters covering his
face with Cheez Doodles was too much!
President Kardashian? At this point, sadly,
it is possible. I would, however, go with
Anna Wintour!