S05.E01: Checking In

[Bruinsfan]

One caveat about the rapey vibe, since that's pretty much the core of the vampire myth (seductive, sexualized violence) I don't think you can have an entire season featuring vampires without that as a major recurring motif. That said, I can't believe they got the drilldo past whatever serves for Standards & Practices at FX.

[Dirtybubble]

Ryan Murphy's same ole bag of tricks, meh.  *yawn* At least Lady Gaga and Liz Taylor looked good....

[EdnasEdibles]

I agree the reviews that replacing the acting leadership of Lange with Gaga is a big mistake.  Lange's is superb...she has the ability to anchor the craziness, while being the queen of crazy herself.  It is unfair of asking someone as green as Gaga to take up that mantle.  It is also stupid when you have talent like Bates, Paulson, and Basset as part of the line up.  I do not even need to go into all the talented male actors in the cast.

 

 

AGREE! Angela Bassett would have perfectly been able to handle it with the finesse of Lange. Gaga?  No. 

 

So question - Holden is in Gaga's little family. Is he a vamp?  Was there a very quick shot of him eating someone's blood?

 

I was honestly ready to switch it off in the first 30. Once they moved forward I was willing to give it a chance but I'm not in love with hit yet. 

[ClareWalks]

 

So question - Holden is in Gaga's little family. Is he a vamp?  Was there a very quick shot of him eating someone's blood?

 

 

I'm guessing he is, he looks like he hasn't aged since the flashback so he is probably "immortal" at this point. What an awesome setup those kids have. I would KILL for a video game room with candy dispensers.

[Sakura12]

I think all of Gaga's "kids" are vamps. I also think Holden was older than the girl in the flashback and he hasn't aged and she has. They are also really pale. 

 

Although Matt Bomer's not that pale, but I can chalk that up to being too hot to turn pale. 

Edited October 8, 2015 by Sakura12

[shockermolar]

My hubs and HS senior were watching the Cubs/Pirates games, so I dragged my HS frosh into watching it with me. After it was over he said, WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS? I mean I KNOW what American Horror Story is in a general pop culture sense, but what was going on? Is it all just going to be jump scares? And then I realized that I've never let either of my boys watch it before. This was a pretty rough episode for an introduction in retrospect.

[skotnikov]

It borrows heavy from hundreds of other movies (The Shining, se7en, Inferno, Suspiria, The Hostel, The Hunger, Vacancy, Flesh, the references list can go on and  on and on) without any purpose and sense whatsoever just to show how clever Murphy and Falchuk are. Only the first episode in and it's already a huge mess.     

Edited October 8, 2015 by skotnikov

[SpaghettiTuesdays]

I am not impressed. I thought it was too much nonesense and not enough quality storytelling. I enjoyed what little plot there was but I'm not sure if 2 good minutes is worth an hour of mediocrity. Jury's still out if I will make it. I'll probably go until the third episode, though.

I'm not sure I like Lady Gaga in this. Her acting wasn't that bad to me, but I just wasn't a fan.

Little vampire kids live a sweet life! I predict Wes' wife will come for a surprise visit and little Holden will rip mommy's throat out.

[islandgal140]

I try to operate from the vantage point that Ryan Murphy ain't nuthin' but a big ole stunt queen that way I will never be disappointed but yet still he manages to disappoint me.   I am art deco's bitch so my eyes were feasting. Dear heavens that lobby! But my other senses weren't enticed last night.  I just felt very detached from the happenings on the screen last night, even when Gaga and Boomer slashed throats and took 2 sips of blood. Usually there is some cohesive in the beginning and it all falls apart in the middle. This felt like a collection of short films put together. Pretty but not cohesive. That murder felt particularly tacked on. 

 

-I can't for the life of me understand why after witnessing some stink mutant come up out of their mattress the Swedes instead of running out the front door would go running to the bitch that wouldn't refund their money and lay around for hours in another room of the same hotel with stink mutant still on the loose. 

-Don't get why Det. Wes wouldn't have at least brought a partner or backup unit to the hotel if he got a tip like that. And who doesn't look under the bed? 

- Vampires? Are we really doing this? I hate the whole sexy, seductive vampire trope. Give me the ugly, scary kind like from The Strain. 

- That couple at the movies is ... easily seduced. I hope they put some vampire voodoo on them because otherwise, just damn!

- Liz Taylor outstrutted everyone this episode

- There is never enough Mare Winningham

 

 

When I heard Gaga was cast I was expecting the usual RM guest star stunt casting. Imagine my surprise to see her being so central to the show.  So far she has neither blown be away with her awesome acting skills or offended me with her awfulness so I guess there is that. Time will reveal. Frankly, could have had Chloe do it since she is a good actress and a fashion girl but whatevs. 

 

I really like the song they played to introduce Gaga and Matt.  

 

Cheyenne son, Lachlan (sp?) hair is LAID! 

Edited October 8, 2015 by islandgal140

[PrincessSteel]

The outdoor movie sequence appears to have been shot at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, home of Cinespia, a summertime series of classic and cult movies. All due respect to Tara, NOT lame. You walk among the graves to the screen, which is on the side of a crypt (that of Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. If I recall correctly) and seating is on a huge lawn, not graves.

[Maximum Taco]

This was terrible it was all jump scares.

 

American Horror Story used to have a little subtlety, especially back in Murder House and Asylum. There was a genuine creepy vibe, it wasn't all gore and rape. Sure there was SOME gore and rape, but it wasn't ALL gore and rape, and that's what it seems like in Hotel. You don't even have time to settle into a tense "what's gonna happen?" vibe because it just happens immediately. BO-RING.

 

I'll keep watching for a few more episodes, cause I've loved American Horror Story up to this point, and I had hopes they could overcome the loss of Jessica Lange, but if this is it I'm gonna start giving it a hard pass.

Edited October 8, 2015 by Maximum Taco

[pennymc128]

I'm not sure if Gaga is supposed to be an actual vampire, or if she's supposed to be Countess Bathory.  There was one shot of her wearing a medieval style white dress.  

[peacheslatour]

What, oh what would Ryan Murphy do in a world without tropes?  Not that I'm complaining, because I can appreciate a good trope as much as the next pop culture junkie, but jesus, has the man ever had an original idea?

[Bruinsfan]

My one thought after watching this schlock tonight? If I had to sleep with Ryan Murphy to land a role on this show, you can bet that I'd first make him agree to give me 5 lines of dialogue so that I could at least get my SAG card out of it. So many attractive, dead extras being degraded tonight!

Conversely, if I were one of the extras who found out my silent role would involve cuddling up in bed with a naked Matt Bomer for hours of shooting, I'd have been all "who needs a paycheck?"

[ShannaB]

Ummmmmmm.........huh?.......what the?.......whoa.......ick......huh?

 

Enough said.

[Anela]

Conversely, if I were one of the extras who found out my silent role would involve cuddling up in bed with a naked Matt Bomer for hours of shooting, I'd have been all "who needs a paycheck?"

I had similar thoughts. :) Not a bad day's work.

 

The episode was mostly disappointing for me. I didn't know if it was my mood, since I generally like the first episodes of this series, but I'm not waiting impatiently for next week. I agree with those who have said it's too much gore and too many shocking scenes. I loved the first two seasons. I think it would be more shocking (and more interesting - to me) if he toned it all down, and went with more of a regular spooky story. I've stopped watching other shows, because of their need to increase the shock value, year after year. 

 

I do wonder how they got the little boy, unless vampires can be out in the sunlight in this series. 

The best part of this was the ghostly maid, for me. Her amused little comments, all cheery and friendly. 

I'll have to watch it again, when I'm in a better mood, to see if I like it any more than I do this morning. 

[BananaRama]

Remember when we were young and thought our parents were prudes because they were offended by Marilyn Manson videos? I think I have turned into my parents. Except their tipping point was a pale skinny guy in latex and mine was a pale skinny guy in latex using a drilldo. That was disturbing. Watching Matt Bomer, Cheyenne Jackson and Wes Bentley - make-up for it. The actors (all of whom I generally respect) must know when they sign on to do this show that it is going to be FRICKIN' NUTS and so are just having fun with it.

[Chaos Theory]

What storyline? There was a storyline?

Murder House and Asylum did have overreaching storylines that everything circled around. I think that is the problem with the later seasons. There was no far reaching storylines evident from the beginning. Murder House was about a fractured family that moved into the most deadly house in America and were haunted by its former residents both living and dead. Asylum was about a young man in 1964 who may or may not be a serial killer and the lesbian reporter who both end up being institutionalized in an asylum. Later seasons are harder to explain even simply. I do have high hopes for Hotel though. I have a high tolerance for psycho sexual horror and the pilot episode mostly heald my interest.

[Kat From Jersey]

...They were all "Ok", and I always love me some gore and sex and eye-candy, but there was no Harmon family or a Constance. No Sister Mary Eunice-Satan, Myrtle Snow, Dandy and Gloria Mott, no Lana Winters or Madame LaLurie or Amazon Eve. No one that made me go: Ah, yes, I am watching characters! Fun, interesting characters!...

 

Exactly!  It's all about the characters for me, and though Freak Show was quite uneven, that season contained some of the best characters ever, with Dandy and Gloria at the top.  If Ryan Murphy is going to show me gore and rape, at least have some over-the-top, self-aware, awesome scenery-chewing to balance it out.

 

I was shocked there were only 3 Parental Warnings at the beginning.  I thought I was watching re-runs of Spartacus.  Their one ep with 6 warnings didn't have nearly as much violence and gore.

Edited October 8, 2015 by Kat From Jersey

[Maximum Taco]

It was fine. I'm always excited about a new season (shame on me) but my expectations weren't very high. I liked the Swedish girls, probably mostly because I'm Swedish so it's always fun to watch and listen to some Swedes on American television. However, not one of the regular characters drew me in one bit or even peaked my interest very much at all. They were all "Ok", and I always love me some gore and sex and eye-candy, but there was no Harmon family or a Constance. No Sister Mary Eunice-Satan, Myrtle Snow, Dandy and Gloria Mott, no Lana Winters or Madame LaLurie or Amazon Eve. No one that made me go: Ah, yes, I am watching characters! Fun, interesting characters!

 

Here's the other problem that I just realized.

 

None of the characters are at all likeable as protagonists, I feel the need to root for nobody. Pretty much everyone is an unsympathetic asshole. The only one who is remotely likeable is Bentley's John Lowe, and he's so hard boiled that it's hard to care. The scenes with his daughter helped to soften him a bit I guess, but I still don't care about him.

 

In every other American Horror Story there was someone who was genuinely good, or at the very least nice but flawed, and also vulnerable who you could root for. Is it because Evan Peters is usually that guy every season and he hasn't shown up yet?

 

If that's true, not only do we need that guy in episode 1 but there needs to be more. In Murder House we had the Harmons who were all likable. In Asylum we had Lana and Grace. In Coven there was Zoe, and Misty. In Freak Show there was a ton of them.

Edited October 8, 2015 by Maximum Taco

[Tara Ariano]

In case you missed it, here's the Previously.TV post on the episode!

 

It's Check-In Time At American Horror Story: Hotel
Welcome to the Hotel Cortez! You'll wish the only thing that had contaminated the bedspread was semen.

[Chrissytd]

So question - Holden is in Gaga's little family. Is he a vamp? Was there a very quick shot of him eating someone's blood?

Wasn't he one of the kids feeding on the Swedish girl's body in the bathroom?

[Snookums]

So his wife wasn't there? Was there? Huh? All of a sudden they were home and everything was fine.

 

 

Wasn't there. The taunting murderer/prank caller had cloned her phone somehow so the text appeared to be coming from it. Loved Chole's "Do you think he knows where we live?" Yes, I'd say that's a pretty safe bet. Also? That Village of the Damned creature you call a son looks NOTHING like your husband. Not one scrap. That she managed to sell that whole "I see him every time I look at your face" speech at all is testimony to the level of professionalism among these actors. 

 

So why, exactly, are Gaga and Bohmer collecting tiny blonde children? Do they routinely troll fairs and carnivals for wee Swedish tots? Are they starting a band?

[Dancingjaneway]

I was worried when the episode started because it wasn't really grabbing my attention and I couldn't have cared less about what happened to the two girls. About halfway through it started to pick up and by the end I was hooked. I have a few theories as to what is going on but I'll wait until a few more episodes in to delve into them.  I also think the song that's been playing during the commercials "Du Hast" by Rammstein holds a few clues as to what is going on this season. 

[Surrealist]

It borrows heavy from hundreds of other movies (The Shining, se7en, Inferno, Suspiria, The Hostel, The Hunger, Vacancy, Flesh, the references list can go on and  on and on) without any purpose and sense whatsoever just to show how clever Murphy and Falchuk are. Only the first episode in and it's already a huge mess.     

 

I think you could add in Argento's The Stendhal Syndrome too.  ;-)

[SPLAIN]

I think I will stick through this one. That's how I feel this week. We shall see how I feel in three weeks. I dismissed Coven rather quickly, and apparently I was right in not pursuing it further since it appears many felt Coven was not up to par.

 

I hit on "The Shining" rather quickly once I saw the carpet in Hotel Cortez as the two Swedes walked in. I am boggled by their failure to just turn around and leave that place, especially after that thing that came out of the mattress. I have never had a moment where I smelled an odor in a hotel room, removed the blankets and found the mattress stitched up. I think if that ever happened to me, the last thing I would do is grab a knife and cut the mattress open. I had this feeling that Murphy was playing on the horror movie cliche of people who make stupid decisions in a horror movie as the viewers yell "Nooooo!" I was so annoyed by their stupidity that I had hoped they would be killed off soon just so I didn't have to see them anymore.

 

I got the "Silence of the Lambs" vibe from the scene of the two dead guys hanging there with their bellies cut open.

[monkeypox]

Dramatization of Sid and Nancy and Cory Monteith at the Overlook Hotel. And the latter gets raped to death. I'm out.

[BatmanBeatles]

I'm so glad Jyote (Ma Petite) isn't in this one. It's too gruesome for someone so cute.

[jnymph]

I can't believe how bad that was.  I don't even know what else to say.  

[peacheslatour]

 

I also think the song that's been playing during the commercials "Du Hast" by Rammstein holds a few clues as to what is going on this season.

Did I imagine it or did one of the characters refer to a "German amputee actress" from the Hotel's sordid past?

[FlowerofCarnage]

I was worried when the episode started because it wasn't really grabbing my attention and I couldn't have cared less about what happened to the two girls. About halfway through it started to pick up and by the end I was hooked. I have a few theories as to what is going on but I'll wait until a few more episodes in to delve into them. I also think the song that's been playing during the commercials "Du Hast" by Rammstein holds a few clues as to what is going on this season.

I don't thing it does given how the song is about not wanting to get married.

[2AT]

Same as it ever was, with seemingly unrelated random acts of violence. We'll see how the season progresses, but I am officially only here for Matt Bomer, Lady Gaga, a little bit of Wes Bentley and Dennis O'Hare who was EVERYTHING in that episode.

Who else went straight to ITunes after this? I hope that She Wants Revenge at least sent Ryan Murphy a gift basket.

[JenE4]

I hated the first hour. It seemed like disturbing gore just for disturbing gore's sake, and there didn't appear to be much of a storyline other than: You thought that last thing was disturbingly gory? Well, here's something gorily disturbing! And throw in The Shining twins for good measure! But then the last half hour they finally slowed down and focused on the characterization and back stories and then I finally thought I'll give this show another chance. What I loved about the other seasons was that the horror was secondary to a richer storyline. I could handle the 5 minutes of creepy/scary/shocking/disturbing scenes each episode because the greater storylines were intriguing (with the exception of Coven, which just all-around sucked). So when it appeared that this was just some slasher movie sellout, I was about ready to bail. But you turned in around at the end there, show. I'm hoping this was just in hyper shock mode for the premiere and that the rest of the season will be more like the last third of the premiere.

[bohochickn]

It borrows heavy from hundreds of other movies (The Shining, se7en, Inferno, Suspiria, The Hostel, The Hunger, Vacancy, Flesh, the references list can go on and  on and on) without any purpose and sense whatsoever just to show how clever Murphy and Falchuk are. Only the first episode in and it's already a huge mess.     

It always surprises me when AHS gets a bad rap for borrowing from other movies...I mean, it's called AMERICAN HORROR STORY....I have always thought they were paying homage to these classics, not ripping them off.

[ratgirlagogo]

I think season one of this show they made an effort to have some kind of story, but even with that some of the most intriguing stuff (the maid that looked young and beautiful to the father and old to everyone else) were fantastic visuals that ultimately had nothing to do with the plot such as it was.

 

EVERY season after that has been even more plotless and focused on art direction and gore, kind of like a Lucio Fulci movie with a bigger budget.  I'd say like Mario Bava or Dario Argento, but those guys were fucking ARTISTS even when they blew off their plots.  

 

I mean, if you just fast forward and admire each gory set piece - there's plenty to admire, as there was in every previous season.  But it's really ADHD Theatre, this show and while I could deal with it as a two hour film it makes it hard to watch twelve hours of it.  I'm having the same problem with Scream Queens - the whole cast seems kind of squandered and the randomness makes it not just hard to care about what happens but even to be able to follow what happens.

Edited October 8, 2015 by ratgirlagogo

[skotnikov]

It always surprises me when AHS gets a bad rap for borrowing from other movies...I mean, it's called AMERICAN HORROR STORY....I have always thought they were paying homage to these classics, not ripping them off.

 

AHS always dealt with specific American topics and this season's reference to Holmes's Hotel is obvious and the whole Murder House discourse is very American indeed. But they now borrow to the level of ridiculousness, for me it just doesn't work anymore.    

I got the "Silence of the Lambs" vibe from the scene of the two dead guys hanging there with their bellies cut open.

 

Wasn't it from the first season of Hannibal? 

[RedheadZombie]

After two attempts, I've made it half way through. This show has devolved into complete camp, and I prefer my horror to have more raw intensity and fewer laughs.

Vampires are among my favorite horror tropes, along with zombies and demonic possession. But these vamps - if they are vamps - seem to be post-Twilight, fangless vampires.

I was hoping for no Denis O'Hare this season, because his characters tend to be so revolting. Not minding him so far.

Kathy Bates finally gets a chance to come out of Jessica Lange's shadow and this is what she gets? Not liking her character at all. I recently watched a clip (on the Emmy's) of last season when she tells the doctor he was the first person to ever treat her with dignity. It made me tear up. I want to either root for her like last season, or marvel at her amazing ability to give even the worst sociopath depth. Her character seems like a gutless apathetic blah at this point.

The dim-witted Swedish meatballs were irritatingly dense. Were they supposed to be twins? I just found it so stereotypical to cast blonde/blue eyes when the entire Swedish Royal Family has dark hair, and half of them are dark-eyed. It felt like RM cast what he guessed was a straight male's fantasy. God forbid a show doesn't have a blonde bombshell running around in her underwear.

[coppersin]

That was fucking awful. It has now fully tilted toward style without a hint of substance.

 

 

• Ryan Murphy continues his trend of using rape as a plot device. He has to have heard people tell him how much they hate that but obviously he does not care or else he'd at least not make it "shock value" and pointless.  

 

Bryan Fuller really needs to sit Ryan Murphy down for a loooong talk.

 

I'm not invested in any of the storylines yet, but some of the characters appeal to me and the actors are clearly loving it, so I'm in until the Halloween episode at least. Longer if we get the yummiest bits of Bomer every episode, because I'm cheap like that.

[Miles]

I really liked this episode. There were a few wtf-moments in it, but then it wouldn't be American Horror Story without those.

I like that this season seems extremely fictional/fantastical again. Last season had way too many components of human cruelty that were very real not too long ago, for my comfort. I couldn't even finish it.

Lady Gaga actually wasn't half bad. Sure, she wasn't given any heavy lifting, but the light lifting she was given, she did very well. Often singers won't even be able to do that.

I also don't get the fuss that is made about rape. There are much worse things than being raped and we have seen much worse fates befall characters in past seasons than being raped to death. What do you guys find so horrible about it?

But tbh, I guess if it stirs such strong emotions in the audience it's the right thing for a horror-show and I can see why Murphy keeps using it.

Only thing I had forgotten was how bad of an idea it is to watch AHS on the bus. I had to hide the screen soooo many times.

 

I've never seen this show before, but everyone raves about it.  Just happened to catch it this evening, and I'm beyond appalled.  It's the most vile thing I've ever seen.  How is this on a nonpay channel?  Also, it seems like a ripoff of The Shining, and the movie Seven (which I also hated).  Anyway, sorry to be negative.  I'm just wondering if the other seasons are like this?

Every season has a different story and location. So it might be that other seasons are more to your liking. But shit is always fucked up. It's a Horror Story, afterall.

I have to say I didn't really get how drill-dick fit in with the general vampire story, but I'll give the show some time to explain.

 

And I'm never staying in a hotel ever again. To think, there's something worse than bedbugs. Murderous ghost crawling out of the mattress...ew. I'm not sure I want to go to bed now.

That was not a ghost. Since we are in vampire-lore here, I'd say it was a ghoul.

 

Note to FX: that last terrible season of Sons of Anarchy completely ruined any sort of musical montage for me, even with a song as cool as Hotel California. All I could hear was Gemma warbling Greensleeves.

I didn't even watch that anymore, because, you know, the two really terrible seasons before that one. Good to know that I dodged a bullet.

 

Can I get an Amen? Why hire compelling actors if you're just going to have them wander through nonsensical vignettes while having them reprise earlier roles? Kathy Bates can be more than just a mom in distress, Ryan! Get some damn therapy already!

This is only the second seaosn where she is a mom in distress and two times does not a pattern make. In coven she was a ruthless sadistic serial killer.

 

Ripping off: The Hunger, The Shining, The Chelsea Hotel, Seven, Village of the Damned.

If you can list so many things that are imilar in some way, it is not ripping off anymore. There is nothing original left under the sun, but if it draws inspirations from so many sources, it clearly is something new. The problem would be if it was similar to only one or two things.

 

At the fair where Holden (is that the detective'a son's name?) went missing I got a distinctly Lost Boys vibe.

it reminded me very much of Heavy Rain. "Jason! Jason!... Jason!"

I also think the song that's been playing during the commercials "Du Hast" by Rammstein holds a few clues as to what is going on this season.

Do you have a link to that commercial? I couldn't find it.

What clues do you think it holds?

Edited October 8, 2015 by Miles

[BaseOps]

At this point, we can't be surprised that the show is all over the place and reliant on some shocks and interesting points rather than concrete story. It's bugged the hell out of me in some past seasons (especially Freak Show, which could have been great with a tighter focus.) But it is what it is, and as a piece of entertainment and an addition to the AHS universe, I thought the premiere was fucking fantastic. The cast, as always, is top-notch. Paulson was amazing, Bomer is one of the most underrated actors in Hollywood, O'Hare and Bates are always great... Gaga I'm still iffy on; her presence is a perfect fit for the show, but her dialogue delivery was stiff in some parts. Still, her intro scene with Donovan was one of my favourite things the show has ever done. It was creepy, sexy, over-the-top... exactly what we've come to expect from this show. The tone reminded me a lot of season 1... 

 

Which is another thing I loved. 5 seasons in, of course there will be some nostalgia for the early years. Asylum is still my favourite by far, but Murder House is what hooked me. I like that they've come back to the notion of ghosts haunting a premise (Sally died at the Hotel, so she's forced to stay there... except on Halloween!) I'm guessing Donovan didn't really die that night in 1994, just got close - and then The Countess saved him. So they're not quite dead, as they can roam free. Or maybe the season 1 rules are thrown out the window for them? 

 

I'm never one to really get scared, but I liked that this went back to 'creepy'. The scene of John walking through the hotel the first time was awesomely dark, especially cutting back to that gruesome rape scene. I know some people hate rape depicted at all in entertainment, but this is a horror series and rape is horrifying. That was some scary shit. Max Greenfield and Paulson were both awesome. 

 

Like others have said, the set is absolutely beautiful. It's so perfectly realized, and the direction by Murphy last night was great. It felt totally claustrophobic, which I assume was the intention. Fisheye lens can get tedious, but it worked here. So overall I really dug it. It was cheesy in parts, some clunky dialogue, and yes it relied much more on art than substance... but it was entertaining as hell. 

Edited October 8, 2015 by BaseOps

[AngelKitty]

So, vampires then. I had no idea what the were going to do with the Hotel and I'm glad it's vampires. I loved it! Of course I could live without any more pointy rapes, I'm hoping they got that all out of their system.

 

I loved the Hotel, the kid vamps, the questions and confusion (on my part. I have to admit sometimes I get a little confused but when I come here, you guys seem to have the answers.  So thanks, y'all.) I loved the fish eye lens and all the corridors. And I think there might be some sort of timey-whimey thing going on.

 

Can't wait for the next episode!

 

I'm not sure I want to go to bed now.

 

 

This is why I watched it during the day.

[ratgirlagogo]

 

Of course I could live without any more pointy rapes, I'm hoping they got that all out of their system.

Wow, keep dreaming.

[Bruinsfan]

I get the impression that at least some of the assorted monsters lurking about aren't actually vampires. And, of course, the vampires themselves don't tick all the Hollywood trope checkboxes; no fangs, no obvious supernatural powers beyond immortality, dislike sunlight but don't seem harmed by it.

[Surrealist]

 

Vampires are among my favorite horror tropes, along with zombies and demonic possession. But these vamps - if they are vamps - seem to be post-Twilight, fangless vampires.

 

At first, I thought Gaga and Bomer were supposed to be vampires. Maybe they are. Their lack of fangs and the fact that they appear to be bathing in the blood rather than actually drinking it is why I think there's more of a Elizabeth Báthory-feel to who Gaga is supposed to be. After all, her character is named Elizabeth. Báthory believed that bathing in blood would help her retain her youth.

 

Even in Hostel 2, the female murderer reenacted one of Elizabeth Báthory's murders.

Edited October 8, 2015 by Surrealist

[Avaleigh]

I'm in.

We got rape in the pilot episode in this show. Am I wrong in also thinking that a character in Murder House was sexually assaulted with a fire poker? I guess I'm not seeing how this season is more violent or gorey than any of the other seasons.

So far I'm interested in the Wes Bentley character and like what I've seen of most of the other AHS regulars. I'm very happy that Chloe is back.

I do hope there's going to be more humor with this season though. I know a lot of people disliked Coven but I actually enjoyed it and think it was easily the funniest season. Kathy Bates was such a treat in that season. I still giggle when I think of the "LIES!" scene. So far it seems like the humor is going to come from Mare, Denis, and maybe Sarah.

As for this show supposedly not having any likeable characters, I'd actually argue that this is typically the case with this show. Characters like Kit from Asylum are few and far between.I've never really needed characters to be likeable or rootworthy in order to find them interesting. Each one of JL's characters was fucked up and dangerous and I liked them all.

That being said, I think that the Wes character is someone who could be rootworthy in terms of him finding out what happened to his son.

Regarding this being too risque for basic cable, I think it's interesting how more and more is being allowed these days. I noticed it with Mr. Robot too.

I will say that I also wish this wasn't airing during the same period as Scream Queens. I am feeling a touch overwhelmed with all of this Ryan Murphy.

[XtremeOne1]

Lady Gaga is an awful actress.

[Tallulahbaby]

God why in heaven didn't Ryan make Angela Bassett The Countess . She would have been absolutely wonderful and boo to her not being in this episode at all.

That episode last night has disturbed my spirit. I need to figure out life. From a purely shallow standpoint I'm in love. I loved the clothes, the look of the hotel, and that shot of Denis O Hare walking down the hallway had me like weeeeeeeeeerk.

If half of this shit makes sense it will probably be my favorite season after 1 and 2

It was

Girl, I loved the walk down the hallway with that diaphanous robe, flowing. Tht was magical. With his Cleopatra eye makeup..loved.

The set, Gaga's clothes and Matt Bomer are giving me life.

[Avaleigh]

We get rape every season on this show so I wasn't expecting this season to be different. There were at least two rapes in Murder House, at least three in Asylum, a gang rape in Coven in addition to rape by minotaur and incest, Freak Show had a gang rape and a would be snuff film among other things. The drilldo rape sounds like it fits right in with the AHS world. It is a horror story at the end of the day so if people were horrified then to me that suggests that RM is doing something right.

[Nutjob]

I checked out the first episode just to make sure RM hadn't somehow righted this ship back to the first two seasons before I totally dismissed it, and I was right in my assumption. I felt like I needed a shower after watching... the only word I can use to describe the amped up level of violence, sexual and otherwise, without a sufficient amount of plot to justify it is "vulgar." I won't be tuning back in after this episode.

[BigBlueMastiff]

 

I also don't get the fuss that is made about rape. There are much worse things than being raped and we have seen much worse fates befall characters in past seasons than being raped to death. What do you guys find so horrible about it?

I can't imagine anything worse than getting raped, oh yeah, getting raped to death.