By Spencer Coile
;)
A Ryan Murphy production is anything but subtle. They rely on over-the-top scares, extravagant set pieces, and his usual band of actors (notably Sarah Paulson). American Horror Story: Cult is no exception. It begins with the bleakest opening imaginable, a night that will live in infamy: 2016 election night. As characters rejoice, cry, vent their frustrations, it felt as though Murphy was attempting to hone in on the social panic that swept the country in the wake of the election results. It was a bold opening, one that hit close to home.
And then the rest of the episode happened.
After seven spooky years, American Horror Story returned to FX with much fanfare, including a slew of advertisements showcasing 2016 presidential candidate masks, creepy clowns, and bees (Oh my). But two episodes in (to an eight episode season) Cult is already being pulled in too many different directions. The plot is already veering off the rails.
Sarah Paulson plays Ally, wife and mother, proud restaurant owner. She harbors various phobias (clowns and different types of holes -- like honeycombs) and takes Clinton's loss for the presidency the worst of those around her. When a barrage of clown-like images begin popping up, it is clear the series is interested in exploring Ally's descent into madness. In a country that's unhinged, it only feels natural that she join that spiral.
She is joined by fellow AHS cast members Evan Peters and Cheyenne Jackson, as well as newcomers to Murphy's world Alison Pill, Billy Eichner, and Lena Dunham. What we are left to believe is that the world is a miserable, bleak place to live, and that even those who believed themselves to be politically aligned with the right candidate still fall victim to the chaos that ensued after that fateful night.
That truly is a menacing thought.
Unfortunately, as is often the case with AHS, Murphy does not seem interested in diving into the complexities of the premises and exploring those emotions. Rather, the real-life stakes of that night are shoe-horned into another story altogether. Implying that our current political system is a nightmare unto itself is a compelling story worth telling, but instead Murphy reaches back into his old bag of tricks and tries toshock his audience. Yes, clowns are creepy. But what about exploring what gets under our skin even more? Each other.
What's at play here is a dance between liberals and conservatives, between those who incite fear and those who dwell in it. Unfortunately, as the first two episodes indicate, the series does not invest much time in these themes aside from the occasional spat between Ally and Evan Peter's Kai. Ultimately we have to ask ourselves: what does this achieve? For many who were outraged by the election of Trump, anger is reignited. For those who celebrated, this serves as a spooky allegory for a world in which we might someday live. There is still so much potential ahead in this season (we've only seen two episodes), but currently, Murphy's world is simply another loud, brash, concoction of evil. But if he wants to tackle something that hits close to home for everyone, perhaps exploring that should be the first priority.