This is what I was referring to. Basically they didn't because they didn't want to piss off advertisers. I didn't realize we'd gotten to this point.
Tried out the premiere even though I haven't truly enjoyed this show since Freak Show. There's something nostalgic about AHS for me though and this episode was good fun. Looking forward to the next one.
Enjoyed this first episode a decent amount, definitely looking forward to this season. I still think Roanoke was my favorite and most cohesive story wise.
I'm pretty excited for tomorrow's episode. Should be interesting to see the plot start to take shape a little more. Side note: At a restaurant called Roanoke today and I was a little scared tbh.
Am I the only one who thinks Sarah Paulson is a bad actor? She just seems way too overdramatic in every role she plays. Obviously in Roanoke we all loved joking about her "MAAAAAAATTTT" whining, or her lack of being able to emulate any accent, but I also couldn't take her seriously in this season's premiere at all. She pulls me out of the story, tbh.
No, I honestly have not. I'm just basing this on the last 3-4 seasons of AHS. I only watched Murder House, where she wasn't in a huge role, and then Freak Show, Hotel, Roanoke, now this. I guess I just feel like she has that over-the-top dramatic theater kind of acting, rather than modern-day television/movie acting where people actually sound like...real people? Idk. Even when she cries, it's like watching a soap opera to me.
I think her intention last season and this one (of course it's very early to tell) is to play a little bit of an insufferable character. From what we saw in the premiere, part of this season is going to be how selfishly her character reacts to the election. Like when she brought up her (maid?) in the therapy session who she was worried would be deported, it felt like she was worried about herself losing her maid, more than the well being of the maid herself. (I barely remember the scene, but I remember reacting that way).
And that's totally fine, but the way she goes about it still isn't believable to me. I just personally think she acts like she's in a soap opera when she's in serious television roles, and it doesn't do her any favors. I've never met any person who acts or talks how she does, whether they're a shitty person or great person heh, but I guess I'm in the minority here :P
Over-acting is an AHS staple, and also an unfortunate major aspect of trashy/campy horror. Ryan Murphy definitely has AHS characters act like that with the intent to make the viewer feel like they're also losing their shit. American Crime Story definitely fits more in-line with other prestige dramas and, in my opinion, is extremely well-cast and well-acted.
While I don't find other AHS characters being anywhere near as bad as her, I will definitely have to give Crime Story a chance!
I dunno... Jessica Lange over-acted in previous seasons. Finn Wittrock as Dandy too. I think Ryan Murphy just likes characters-as-caricatures in horror, majorly exaggerating aspects of each characters' personality (and what they represent within the greater storyline). I feel like it's intentionally done-- but totally can see why others would find it obnoxious. AHS has always been super hit-or-miss for me and even when it hits, I'm still cringing hard.
Haha I guess the difference is that I would not really consider AHS a serious television role - at least not since Coven. I don't think she's trying to be believable at all in the more recent seasons - she's trying to be a caricature. In Asylum and Coven I think she was way more toned down and believable. Not necessarily disagreeing with you even. I know exactly what you're talking about, and you're right, that's how she acts, and it doesn't always land, so I'm not saying you should like it. Just that it's not meant to be believable.
Liked this episode better, Alison Pill continues to be the best and the addition of Billy Eichner was great! Still very unsure about this season, but this episode was way less corny. Evan Peters killed it this episode, his line comparing embarrassed men to Germany after the First World War legit had my blood boiling. Basically, I'm not sold on the story but the acting thus far is keeping me interested.
Haha I was trying to decide on the phrasing of that sentence between "is killing it" and "killed it". Naturally my mind just combined the two into that catastrophe!
Yeah I was surprised to see the same AV Club reviewer give this episode a C-, I thought this episode was much better and far less cringey than the premier. The direction is very obvious but interesting to me nonetheless, and I'll take that over the complete lack of direction that has plagued AHS in the past. Would gladly take a full season of episodes of this caliber.