# American Horror Story: Hotel **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 8, 2015, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-horror-story-hotel/733923 "2015-10-08T14:17:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-horror-story-hotel/733923/21 "2015-10-09T14:09:44Z")
> [@freckafree](#): > > Also, one of the previews I’ve read said it is revealed at the end of the first episode that the Hotel Cortez acquires a new owner. I totally missed that. I watched it after having watched only Freak Show last year. (I have not seen any of the earlier seasons.) Yes, at the end of the first episode, Cheyenne Jackson shows up as a fashion designer moving from Manhattan. He’s buying the hotel to use as his new base. He brings his son, who is about ten years old, with him. The son is brought to a weird room with large video displays on the wall of older video games (which are being played by the kids already there, including the detective’s missing son). (And actually, I kind of liked the wall-mounted video games.) Someone upthread thought this too gory, and keeping in mind that I’ve seen only one previous season, I thought that’s how the show goes. Last season in Freak Show, for example, there were flashbacks showing how Elsa Mars (played by Jessica Lange) lost her legs during the Weimar Republic, and that was pretty gory. By the way, what’s with the use of the spoiler tags? I think anyone coming into a thread about a running show can expect open discussion of plot points. ---
**Author:** ![SykoSkotty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@SykoSkotty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SykoSkotty)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-horror-story-hotel/733923/22 "2015-10-09T14:11:12Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > By the way, what’s with the use of the spoiler tags? I think anyone coming into a thread about a running show can expect open discussion of plot points. Bravo, sir! Totally agree! ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-horror-story-hotel/733923/23 "2015-10-09T14:11:27Z")
> [@SykoSkotty](#): > > Near the end of the episode, Will Drake (Cheyenne Jackson), a designer from New York, and his son, enter the hotel with a realtor. They inform Iris (Kathy Bates) that he’s the new owner, (which causes panic in all the current residents) and are taken upstairs to the penthouse (where they will live) to meet the current owner - Countess (Lady Gaga) who then leads the son to a secret room where children are kept, distracted by candy and video games…it is there Countess says hello to Holden, and we learn that he is indeed the detective’s missing son. > > Now then, I’ve read comments that suggest a total lack of story telling. Maybe it’s just me, but I was rather impressed with how much story telling they managed to pack into the first episode, and still keep the shock/gore/horror factor turned up to ten : > > [spoiler]We learned all about what kind of person the detective is: his home life, his son being abducted, what kind of dedicated father he is, his case history, etc etc. > > We learned the backstory for Iris and her son - the heroin addiction and why she stays at the hotel; also how Countess fell for him and keeps him close so they can go out together and seduce fresh blood. This was what led me to think they’re all vampires. > [/spoiler] > > Now, all that being said, let’s remember it’s only been ONE episode. There are many more to come, and several other characters we’ve yet to meet. Couldn’t agree more - first episode was setting up lots of threads to pull at - it wasn’t meant to be ‘one story’ here - the fuller story should take shape over the season. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-horror-story-hotel/733923/24 "2015-10-09T14:14:05Z")
‘Freak Show’ was really the weakest so far - the last half of the season fell apart (IMHO) - I was very suprised at how much I liked Asylum as the story progressed . ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-horror-story-hotel/733923/25 "2015-10-09T14:16:36Z")
I was using spoiler tags because I thought most people here don’t watch shows “live” and I didn’t want to ruin anything but if everyone thinks it’s unnecessary we can stop now. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-horror-story-hotel/733923/26 "2015-10-09T14:21:01Z")
Personally, if I tape a show and watch it later, I don’t open the thread about it until after I’ve watched it. Or if I do open a thread about a show or movie I haven’t yet watched, I’m not surprised when details are revealed in the thread discussion. And the spoiler tags make it slightly inconvenient to read the thread. ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2015, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-horror-story-hotel/733923/27 "2015-10-09T15:46:16Z")
Is the Sarah Paulson character a ghost? ---
**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2015, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-horror-story-hotel/733923/28 "2015-10-10T16:11:55Z")
> [@salinqmind](#): > > Is the Sarah Paulson character a ghost? I’m thinking yes, since Kathy Bates’ character pushed her out of the window, but in AHS, one never knows, does one? BTW, I went back and watched the last part of the episode and realized I’d turned off the TV after the two eviscerated guys scene, because I thought it was over. :smack: That explains my confusion. ---
**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2015, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-horror-story-hotel/733923/29 "2015-10-10T16:40:29Z")
Double post - ooops. ---
**Author:** ![Jennshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Jennshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jennshark)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2015, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-horror-story-hotel/733923/30 "2015-10-10T19:42:38Z")
Watched it last night. Zowks! Is Jessica Lange not in the series anymore? She was the major reason I watched previous seasons. Please say it ain’t so! Several times last night I gasped aloud: “Is this really on FX?!! How do they pull that off?” Pretty graphic anal rape, a foursome that showed _everything_ but private parts . . . wow. Is FX not censored, the same as HBO and Showtime? ---
**Author:** ![Jennshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Jennshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jennshark)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2015, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-horror-story-hotel/733923/31 "2015-10-10T19:51:00Z")
Soundtrack was awesome, dude! Took me back to my '80s New Wave clubbing . . . we were so dork – I mean dark – and sexy, writhing to Bauhaus. ---
**Author:** ![WolfpackJeep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpackjeep/32/2921_2.png) [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2015, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-horror-story-hotel/733923/32 "2015-10-10T21:35:09Z")
> [@Jennshark](#): > > Is Jessica Lange not in the series anymore? She was the major reason I watched previous seasons. Please say it ain’t so! [Yes and no?](http://www.avclub.com/article/jessica-lange-talks-return-american-horror-story-224594) I thought her departure was official, but articles like that one have started popping up, so… ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Lowry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Sam\_Lowry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Lowry)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2015, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-horror-story-hotel/733923/33 "2015-10-12T13:36:12Z")
> [@Jennshark](#): > > Several times last night I gasped aloud: “Is this really on FX?!! How do they pull that off?” Pretty graphic anal rape, a foursome that showed _everything_ but private parts . . . wow. Is FX not censored, the same as HBO and Showtime? FX is basic cable, and I believe that no basic cable is censored by the government or anyone else, it’s just self-censoring. The episode did have a parental guidance rating of TV-MA and I think mentioned violence, language, nudity, and graphic content. FX has built it’s brand on more edgy shows so it feels okay going pretty far. Advertisers will keep advertising with them, while if a channel that doesn’t usually go so far like TNT tried having a show like this, there might be more complaints from viewers, and more advertisers pulling their ads. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2015, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-horror-story-hotel/733923/34 "2015-10-15T23:29:50Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#): > > I don’t think I’m giving anything away when I say I believe Mr. Murphy’s trolley has finally jumped the track. Was it ever on the track. That said, this doesn’t look nearly as far off track as Scream Queens is. So far, anyway, I’m sure he’ll get it pretty far off track before it’s done. And I really didn’t need to see Schmidt getting assraped to death by some sort of… thing… with a drill for a penis. Poor Schmidt. ---
**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2015, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-horror-story-hotel/733923/35 "2015-10-30T22:16:00Z")
I must say, I thought that was some damned fine work by Lily Rabe as Aileen Wuornos. (OK, her accent was a little inconsistent, but I am willing to overlook that.) ---
**Author:** ![What\_the](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f4b2a3/32.png) [@What\_the](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_the)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2015, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-horror-story-hotel/733923/36 "2015-11-02T15:09:40Z")
Agreed. . Gacy and Dahmer were pretty good too…but the Richard Ramirez that I remember was an ugly, skinny looking POS. ---
**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2015, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-horror-story-hotel/733923/37 "2015-11-02T15:31:08Z")
I had to go look up photos of the others to see how close they were. The actor playing Richard Ramirez was hawt. The actual Richard Ramirez…not so much. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-horror-story-hotel/733923.md?page=1)