When they initially said none of the cast would be back, I wasn't happy. When they announced at the very least Jessica Lang would be back, I was thrilled. Her take on Constance last year, a woman tormented by circumstance and loss but not as blameless as other victims, was brilliant. If they were to win only one Emmy this past season, I'm glad it was for her performance. By the time they announced slowly over the months that Zachary Quinto, Evan Peters, Lily Rabe, and Sarah Paulson would also be returning abiet in different roles, I was ecstatic. And did the new plot, location, or cacophony of same actors different situation confuse, disappoint, or otherwise taint the otherwise wonderfully twisted record AHS had carved out for itself? No. And I'm going to tell you why.
Starting this year in the now, AHS introduces us to a pair of thrill seekers on their honeymoon. They're soon menaced by whatever remains in the institution after what happened in 64. Back in the past, we're introduced to Evan Peters whose new hair cut, I am happy to report,has not detracted his attractiveness in the slightest. Relatively quickly after that, we meet his lovely but doomed wife. In the time period it was just as likely that a couple of unhappy neighbors would have killed one or both of them for their mixed marriage. Mercifully we live in a time period where just relationships can be shown on TV in all the steamy romanticism one would hope for with newlyweds so pretty. After a truly artful sex scene, Tate -- strike that -- Kit's wife is abducted by aliens. Or at least I think that's what happened. They all think he's crazy for believing it and with this show, you can't always believe your eyes no matter how interesting a picture they may present. Kit is admitted with everyone in town seemingly believing him to be Bloody Face a serial decapitator of women who also seemlingly takes joy in ripping their skin off.
A little before Kit is reintroduced as a ward of the state,
Sarah Paulson makes her appearance as a reporter doing a piece on the institution's bakery. Sister Eunice seems a bit dense as she leads her into the room where Chloe ... is getting her head shaved partly for the sin of being lustful. Sister Jude, Jessica Lang, makes a funny remark about thinking that shrinks compared Chloe to woodland creatures as opposed to be a nymphomaniac and can see right thru Miss Paulson's attempts to get her to talk about anything but the bakery. Later that night, her lady lover encourages her to follow up on the story at Briarwood not knowing it will cost her her girl but also potentially her career and reputation as being a lesbian school teacher in 1964 was frowned upon. It's when Miss Paulson attempts to break into the asylum late at night and discover things for her article that she runs into trouble. Not having the knowledge of twenties years of horror films behind her, she walks right up to one of the doors and is attacked by whomever is inside. This proves her downfall for now as she is trapped within Briarwood.Sister Jude has a firm grasp on the inhabitants of Briarwood but not her desires considering Monsenoir. She sounds half in love with him as she defends him initially to Miss Paulson and only later is it revealed that under her robes is a stunning red hot teddy. Having dinner with Monsenior, played by Joseph Finnes, she imagines unbuttoning her drab and stiff clothes, tossing her her habit off her head to reveal a magnificent set of curls and present herself as a sex kitten much unlike the more matronly way she was presented last season as the mother of half the cast.
This was an incredible way to start the season. With a number of potentially major in their own right plots and side plots, AHS juggles them all well. Tonight will see the reintroduction of Zachary Quinto despite his having had top billing last week but without an appearance. Excited for tonight?
