I has watched the first season as it aired on TV, but stopped watching because I stopped getting cable. I just started getting the DVDs of S2 Asylum and WOW… only three episodes in and I’m thinking, “how are they going to top this??”
So, in looking forward to the rest of the S2 episodes and moving on to the other seasons… any thoughts as to which seasons have been most effective so far? Just wanting to know how much I can anticipate with eagerness!
So far, Season 2 is my favorite. I especially loved Frances Conroy’s scenes as the Angel of Death.
I only watched the first few episodes of Season 3 before I lost interest. I watched most of Season 4, but there was no real story - just a bunch of mean characters doing horrible things to each other.
I’ve heard good things and bad things about Season 5, but I haven’t watched any episodes. At some point, I’ll take a look.
Coven, with Asylum a close second. I liked Murder House, was meh about Freak Show, and never finished Hotel (and was totally OK with that).
I really hate Evan Peters as an actor, so the less he does the better, IMO.
First one by far. The third one with the witches was interesting but it wasn’t even trying to be scary. The others didn’t interest me in the least.
I actually loved the beginning of Freak Show, if we could’ve stopped it after the “unmasking.” But in order:
Asylum (despite the stupid alien angle, which I hated)
Coven
Freak Show
I was non-plussed by Murder House, although I liked Evan Peters’ Kurt Cobain turn. As for Hotel, GaGa needs to stick to singing, but I could’ve watched Sarah Paulson and Denis O’Hare all day. Both are wonderful actors and they’re portrayals that season were awesome. I adore lots of the cast regulars each season. I wish James Cromwell and Jamie Brewer both come back. Talk about excellent.
I’ve only seen the first 3 seasons. Season one was the best by a wide margin.
Asylum and Hotel are my favorites. I would put Murder House next, then Coven, then Freak Show.
Lady Gaga isn’t a great actor but she fit her role well for Hotel. I love Jessica Lange but her roles in all the seasons started being a bit similar, as the aging former beauty who is resentful of younger up and comers, and willing to murder to hold onto what power she has. Overall the casting has been fantastic, with a lot of great people. The show would be better if each season was a few episodes shorter, but I’ll probably keep watching.
Coven was my favorite so far, it was over the top but light-hearted. Asylum a close number two. Freak Show and Hotel were just too mean and I thought Season one was just hum drum.
Freakshow was definitely my least favorite. I don’t recall if I ever actually finished it. Asylum had too many plots overall, but was probably the best. Coven had the same problem as Murder House, which was more or less that they did one episode too many and kind of botched the ending. Hotel wasn’t terrible, I’d probably rank it second or third.
It’s really the actors that keep me coming back. Kathy Bates, Dennis O’Hare, and Sarah Paulson just absolutely kill it every time. Angela Bassett as Marie Laveau was the best part of Coven, hands down. I loved watching Jessica Lange, but as Sam said above, eventually the characters paled because their motivation was the same in each season.
I guess I’m in the minority; Freak Show was by far my favorite. Asylum was a close second. The rest were all good too, but not as good as those two.
Asylum (loved Pepper and Dr. Arden)
Freakshow
Murder House (super creepy!)
Missed Coven and Hotel was too violent for me.
Couldn’t agree more - incredible acting on this show in each season. Angela Bassett was PHENOMENAL in Coven.
I’ve liked them all, but I have to give the nod to Asylum. That was the most disturbing season, and to me, that’s what the show is all about.
We started with Coven - then watched Murder House and Asylum - we were very surprised hwo well we liked all three of these - and I think Asylum is the better of the three over all.
Creep Show was fantastic in the first half - and then quickly fell apart.
Hotel was similar - beautifully started, but seemed to fall apart as it continued.
Not really sure yet what they are doing for 6 - I hope it gets back to form.
Pepper was the bomb! Loved her.
The two main theories I’ve heard tossed about is either something to do with the mystique around Manson or a Texas Chainsaw-type setup where the whole season revolves around a clan in the sticks. I think either could be interesting, but I feel the latter would have more potential.
Murder House (season one, originally just simply called “American Horror Story” before they started using season titles with Asylum) is the best IMO.
Second place would be Coven, then Asylum, then Hotel, with Freak Show a distant 5th. They just had so much wasted potential and squandered story lines with Freak Show. They could have done so much more with that setting. Hotel started off pretty good, until it just became so jokey with everyone dying but not really dying and meh.
I saw a teaser for season 6 before a movie last weekend, and I *still *have no idea what it will be about!
OK, as I said I was getting the series through Netflix DVDs, and this past weekend I saw the episode “The Name Game.” The titular scene where Judy plays "The Name Game on the jukebox and the cast launches into a song and dance number was SO FUN and unexpected in the midst of all the horror that I had to rewatch it like 6 times in a row. Everyone in the scene looks like they’re genuinely have so much fun!
Asylum and Coven were my favorites, with just the right amount of camp vs horror. Freak Show was probably my least favorite, as it seemed to focus more on simplistic cruelty instead of any story or interesting character interaction.
I’m halfway through Hotel right now and really enjoying it, I was worried that GaGa would just be stunt casting, but she’s surprisingly good.
I gotta rank Hotel first, followed closely by Asylum, then Season 1.
Coven was just stupid, even with its incredible cast, and Freak Show got pretty boring.
The one where they chain-smoked and had lots of sex and worked in some gay stuff.