For nearly a decade, Ryan Murphy has petrified people with a range of horror stories. Freaky properties, wacky characters, and life-questioning scenarios have wormed their way into the hearts of many. Murphy’s newest project,American Horror Stories, looks to expand on the workAmerican Horror Storyhas done, but how will it stack up?
With three episodes under its belt,American Horror Storiesproves that it isn’t theAmerican Horror Storypeople have come to love. While the first two episodes “Rubber (Wo)man: Part One” and “Two,” borrowed Murder House and the rubber suit fromAmerican Horror Story’sfirst season, the spin-off fell flat.
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As a separate project, the spin-off needs to explore new horror avenues that wouldn’t necessarily need an entire season to explain. They must be shocking but short enough to wrap up in one or two episodes. So far, the “Rubber (Wo)man” is the only story that has been divided into two episodes. Truthfully, the story would have benefitted from ending after the first episode. For viewers, the odd jump and cringe acting seen in the second episode, was enough to make them skeptical for the remainder of the series.
To sell the spin-off, Murphy givesa range of new talentthe chance to shine. While the first two episodes seemed to falter, its third episode, “Drive In,” shows that the series can’t be counted out just yet. Competing with nine already completed seasons,American Horror Storieshas big shoes to fill in a short amount of time.
As the first season ofAmerican Horror Storyproved, Murder House is not an ideal place for a family to live. The Harmons, who move in during the pilot, are already on rocky terms. Once they begin living at Murder House and learn of the countless horrors that occurred there, in addition to the freaky incidents that never end, the Harmons realize the mistake they’ve made. Unfortunately, they come to that realization far too late.
The Harmons also introduced the rubber suit and it was one of the early mysteries of the series. It was revealed that it had been purchased by the couple that resided in the home before them, and it was ultimately used to kill them. Whoever wore the suit neverinherited someone else’s motivebut fulfilled their own.American Horror Storymade it clear that it was never the suit itself that inspired the thirst to kill, but the person who wore the costume.
American Horror Storiescompletely abandons the suit’s past. Instead, Scarlett (the newest moody teen to move into Murder House) finds the suit and uses it to play a series of harmful pranks and eventually, assume a lethal alter ego. Whenever Scarlett wears the suit, her eyes turn black, making it seem as if she and the suit become one. Instead of giving confidence oramplifying the dark personalityof whoever wears it, the suit quite literally consumes them. Based on the history ofAmerican Horror Storyprovided, it makes no sense.
In an attempt to appeal toAmerican Horror Storyfans, the spin-off features a few familiar faces from the original franchise. Matt Bomer, who notoriously played Donovan alongside Lady Gaga in the fifth season,AHS: Hotel, stars in the “Rubber (Wo)man” as one of Scarlett’s dads. Bomer isn’t the only starAmerican Horror Storyfans may recognize. “Drive In” features Naomi Grossman and John Carroll Lynch in new roles. Grossman most notably starred as Pepper in theAmerican Horror Storyfranchise and Lynch has played a series of characters including Twisty the Clown, John Wayne Gacy, and Mr. Jingles.
“Drive In” redeemsAmerican Horror Stories. Rather than poaching and reiterating the same story fromAmerican Horror Story, “Drive In” is original. Starring Rhenzy Feliz and Madison Bailey as the leads, “Drive In"frightens its audienceby making them witness everyone become unwilling participants of the horror movie they’ve come to see.
While there arereal-life horror stories that raise concern, “Drive In” takes the fear to an entirely new level by proposing a frighteningly plausible scenario. A banned film,Rabbit Rabbit, resurfaces for a once-in-a-lifetime showing. In the 80s,Rabbit Rabbitdrove six people to experience violent deaths, injuring and traumatizing a number of others. According to the survivors, it was the film that drove the six to become killers.
Yearning to score points with his girlfriend, Kelley (played by Bailey), Chad (played by Feliz) agrees to take her to the horrendous film. Ignoring the very clear warnings, the teens find themselves in the middle of a blood bath with no way out. As the only survivors of the massacre, their attempts to shut down the film once and for all are thwarted bystreaming services.
Released in weekly installments on Hulu every Thursday,American Horror Storieshas maintained a steady rhythm thus far. While the “Rubber (Wo)man” episodes were drug out, “Drive In” proved that the spin-off can deliver a concise, sinister tale.
While it is concise, “Drive In” has a slightly ambiguous ending. WithRabbit Rabbit’saddition to Netflix, the rest of the world will likely descend into chaos. “Rubber (Wo)man” ended definitively with no room for interpretation. Over the years,American Horror Storyhas featured both ambiguous and concrete endings, and with horror,a definitive endingisn’t always the best way to go.
“Drive In’s” improvement is what the spin-off needed and it bodes well for the episodes that are still to come. IfAmerican Horror Storiesfollows along the path that “Drive In” has started, the series has the potential to become as infamous as its predecessor.
The first three episodes ofAmerican Horror Storiesare now streaming through FX on Hulu.
