AMERICAN HORROR STORY on FX — Page 18

Mossy Bank is perhaps not only my favorite vaginal euphemism, but also the basis of my new drag character:

Mossy Banks, Tyra's hairier sister.

James Cromwell had one of those Dabney Coleman/William Fichtner style nude scenes in the movie Tank where you were surprised just how good he looks naked.

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Don't really understand all the Lily Rabe hate. I saw her in "As You Like It", but I think she's doing very well in this. Fully committed to an increasingly bizarre and (intentionally?) pathetic role.

That scene with Chloe Sevigny was painful to watch. The whole show is so poorly written and heavy handed that it's neither remotely scary or campy fun.

Wait - you mean I contributed positively to your life? I'm honored!!!!!

I think Apatow actually suggested he produce Girls, requesting something based on Tiny Furniture (essentially). But yeah, it remains to be seen if she has any other type of writing in her. (She co-wrote the new film Nobody Walks, starring John Krasinski, but it doesn't sound all that different, but it has Justin Kirk so I'll probably see it...)

And, wha? Are you suggesting I stop watching The New Normal?! What an idea!

Eric, I think Namo was talking to other Erik about American Horror Story.

I don't really hate this season of AHS, but I'm just wildly underwhelmed and I'm not finding it very scary or suspenseful. I keep sticking it out for Jessica Lange (who I think looks younger as her 1964 self than she did in the flashback last night). I should probably check out soon, because it's not really doing anything for me. But I guess I'm hoping from some real balls to the wall crazy, instead of the anachronisms and uncomfortable views on race and gender and sexuality. That's pretty much every Ryan Murphy show, the anachronisms notwithstanding.

Sometimes I think that shows the board is wildly divided on should have two threads - one for lovers and one for haters. I really would like to see that happen with Smash next year, since the haters in that thread drive me bananas, but with different shows I'm different sides of the divide, so I guess I just try to suck up the ranting on stuff I like and feel entitled to rant about the stuff I hate.

But I get hate-watching stuff. I hate-watch New Normal (as do most people on this board, it seems) and I hate-watched AHS last year. I was glad I stuck out the whole season, though, because even though I still thought it was one of the most redonkulous, borderline nonsensical things I'd ever seen, the last four or five episodes made it all work for me and I felt some sense of satisfaction when it was over. But I do think there's also some (much) logic into not watching stuff you hate, but sometimes it's fun, sometimes it's a way to keep up with what everyone else is into (and for me, that's important, since my tastes so often seem to skew really narrow and impenetrable to most) and sometimes I think it's just masochism.

Updated On: 10/26/12 at 12:24 AM

Apologies Namo. I am used to people spelling my name Erik, unintentionally, and didn't think who else it could be directed to.

Betty, exactly! I'm glad to see others on here felt the same. I guess it set up the encounter between the Doctor and the prostitute he hired (and I admit, I was kinda relieved that they let her get away), but otherwise it was just embarassingly written, and I don't blame the actors for having to deliver it.

One reason I do find this season creepy, I guess, is that the idea of being thought to be crazy, and not being able to convince others otherwise, is one of my top fears.

The anachronisms are lazy. Some, I can justify (some critics complained about the doctor saying mossy bank, but he does have issues about sexuality, and has been shown to use weird expressions and terms that seem fifty years out of date, since the start). Also, the attempts to explain some of them, seem forced (just as last year, some of the plot points--like keeping certain characters inthe house--seemed forced). Just because you have a character say that in 1964 they don't do certain practices, and then have a character reply "Well, here we do", doesn't justify it...

Phyllis, I feel exactly the same way as you about "hate-watching". For me, it boils down to if I'm getting any enjoyment (however perverse) from still watching it. I used to have a habit of hating to give up on any show (meaning, usually, shows I initially enjoy and then kinda fall apart)--I'd feel guilty. But as I get older, I've, slowly, realized that that's a waste of time... (The same goes for finishing some novels).

Well... I think it's over-the-top fun! Enjoying it even more than last season. Loving the whole Asylum setting. And loving the characters and performances. This week's episode pushed the boundaries of basic cable about as far as it's ever gone. Would it be a better series if it was on HBO or Showtime? Who knows? But even HBO and Showtime have their limits, and I doubt either would have taken things much farther. The only thing that bugs me about FX are the commercial breaks. They take you out of the moment and give you a chance to catch your breath. So from now on I'm recording and FF through commercials or watching On Demand. It makes a big difference. Just finished rewatching the first season of AHS on Blu-ray, and it plays so much better without the breaks.

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I download and watch all my US cable stuff (yes, I admit it)--until this year we didn't even get FX programming except a year after the fact--but it always fascinates me what rules seem to be there when it comes to nudity and language. From watching (most of) Nip/Tuck, and AHS, FX seems able to basically say anything except f*ck and only show rear nudity. I hard that AMC, which I assume is on the same level, is allowed one f word an episode.

Murphy claims he'll be in more episodes. Knowing Murphy maybe he is Bloody Face.

Yay!!! Murphy took my Zombie suggestion from above. I guess I was right that he really is trying to get every single horror cliche into this one season.

Also reported last week Dylan McDermott is returning as well!