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American Horror Story: Hotel |OT| Uh oh! There was a monster in my bed!

Monocle

Member
This damn show! Amazing episode. Best of the season, and certainly one of the best in the series.

First of all, Hypodermic Sally is dead weight no more. A meaty backstory? Check. An integral role in the main plot that has her closely involved with other key characters? Check. Well defined motives that drive her actions? Check! I did not anticipate her of all people aiding the Countess's recovery, but what a great turn. Their snippy back-and-forth was delightful. I appreciated how well the whole situation highlighted Sally's sordid codependent tendencies. That's good writing.

Get a load of Miss Evers! Tart, bubbly, incorrigible. Her twisted connection to Mr. March was deepened in this episode, and in such a delicious way. How fitting that it was she who arranged their deaths. Her sad dignity when he sent her away was so well played. And what a parting line! Bravo, Mare Winningham. 

Then we have the Countess. Gaga is superb. This was her best performance yet, by a large margin. From agonized helplessness, to raw grief, to towering authority, to stately sorrow. What range! I've prepared a nine course meal of crow, and everyone who jeered at her supposed stunt casting is invited. She's rocked the fuck out of this season with real gravitas and unparalleled style. Respect where respect is due.

Up until now, the interconnectedness of AHS's seasons felt rather slight. But Queenie's appearance completely seals the deal for me. What a joy to watch Ramona and Queenie, two sassy and insanely charismatic women, square off. And when March intervened... damn. I know some people are going to hate how Queenie was killed, but talk about a bold twist. I loved it. March, that magnificent bastard (who was absolutely on fire in this episode), did have the home ground advantage. This is a world with witches, vampires, and ghosts—and we just witnessed one of each in the same room. Let's face it, that's awesome. One happy consequence of that confrontation: Queenie is now a resident of the Hotel Cortez. 

At long last, AHS has produced a wholly well rounded cast. These are fully realized characters who share complex relationships. Characters who make choices and deal with challenges like thinking feeling people. Hotel has made good on AHS's longstanding potential to tell a cohesive, richly developed story. This is the across-the-board upgrade the show needed. AHS has always had trouble connecting its own dots, and now, finally, we have a season of style and substance that dots every i and crosses every t, yet pulls back to fill in the broader picture when needed. This is the kind of story that can take a character like Liz, whose flamboyant appearance and larger than life persona would be ends to themselves on a lesser show, and give her heart and dimension as a father, a lover, a friend. In fact, every important character has been dignified with a history and a (more or less) relatable perspective. No one is marginalized in Hotel, and nothing is careless or accidental.

This season is doing everything right, and this episode is proof like no other. Just fantastic.

P.S. RIP in peace Matt Bomer. Your dynamite cheekbones and tight bod will live forever in the Countess's memory. And mine.
 
The opening scene was kind of fun in a campy way, and the episode wasn't horrible. Just more of the same boring, melodramatic crap.

I'm so glad this finishes next week.
 
Your relentless negativity is extremely fucking tiresome.

I was positive at the beginning. The first episode was pretty decent.

Sorry my opinion is different from yours. And it's not like I'm spamming the thread. I comment once every week or two, after actively watching the show.
 

enigmatic_alex44

Whenever a game uses "middleware," I expect mediocrity. Just see how poor TLOU looks.
No clue what the Precious with voodoo doll powers witch thing was all about but enjoyed her scene. Hoping Jon gets what's coming to him as well in the finale.

Poor GhostGa having to spend eternity with Mr. March now what a terrible end for her :/
 

Matt_

World's #1 One Direction Fan: Everyone else in the room can see it, everyone else but you~~~
No clue what the Precious with voodoo doll powers witch thing was all about but enjoyed her scene. Hoping Jon gets what's coming to him as well in the finale.

Poor GhostGa having to spend eternity with Mr. March now what a terrible end for her :/

A character from Season 3 Coven
 

Matt_

World's #1 One Direction Fan: Everyone else in the room can see it, everyone else but you~~~
Oh I see.
I never watched any of the previous seasons, tuned into this one for Gaga, is Coven worth watching?

Given that you're ex popgaf I'd say yes
The first half is great, just wall to wall sass and bitchiness
Loses its way towards the end of the season but the setting is still really interesting
 
Just caught last night's episode and my girlfriend and I seem to agree that this season, and the show as a whole, has gone completely off the rails.

What was once a solid, chaotic, blood soaked tribute to horror cinema that used occasional visceral imagery to shock and chill has become nothing more than a pretentious, confused mess of dropped plot threads, absurdity, and pathetic attempts at being "boundary pushing" which comes off about as edgy as the inside of a Hot Topic.

I get that sexuality and gore was utilized heavily in the show as a way to honor those themes found so heavily in classic horror films, but it's gotten to the point of hilarity. This is perfectly highlighted in the
anal rape scene
in the season premiere which made me roll my eyes and feel embarrassed not only in myself for watching but in the cast for having to participate in such an idiotic, desperate attempt to seem adult and mature.

Ever since Coven, it's clear that the show only has an interest in controversy and attracting the teenage audience that tweet shit like "Yes Gaga, slayyy queen!"

More power to those who enjoy it, I suppose. To me, and most of my friends who watch the show who all seem to be in agreement, the show seems sad and desperate, like a cheap imitation of the original two seasons that begs to be taken serious by cramming in as much shock imagery and violent sex that FX would allow.

Such a shame, but next season isn't getting my time. Not after three shitty seasons that have only gotten progressively worse.

P.S.
To those who will inevitably attack me for my negativity, I have the same right to voice my negative opinion as you do to express your positive opinions.
 

enigmatic_alex44

Whenever a game uses "middleware," I expect mediocrity. Just see how poor TLOU looks.
Given that you're ex popgaf I'd say yes
The first half is great, just wall to wall sass and bitchiness
Loses its way towards the end of the season but the setting is still really interesting

ddd
Def sounds like I'd enjoy Coven let me add it to my "to watch" list.

Speaking of wall to wall sass and bitchiness, make sure to watch Scream Queens if you haven't already. Best new show this season I loved every episode.
 

RatskyWatsky

Hunky Nostradamus
Okay, bringing Queenie back and doing a witch vs. vampire showdown was inspired - easily the best thing they've done this season.

btw, since I've seen some confusion, next week (episode 12) is actually the finale. This season is only 12 episodes for some reason.

First of all, Hypodermic Sally is dead weight no more. A meaty backstory? Check. An integral role in the main plot that has her closely involved with other key characters? Check. Well defined motives that drive her actions? Check!

And it only took 11 episodes! :p

One happy consequence of that confrontation: Queenie is now a resident of the Hotel Cortez.

Hmm, I didn't think of that. Maybe she'll pop up again in the finale.

Ever since Coven, it's clear that the show only has an interest in controversy and attracting the teenage audience that tweet shit like

"Yes Gaga, slayyy queen!"

the show seems sad and desperate by cramming in as much shock imagery and violent sex that FX would allow.

You're not wrong.
 

Astral Dog

Member
This is my favorite AHS season thanks to the characters and slightly more focused story,i know not a very high bar to pass but has been fun so far.
The battle between Ramona and the other Witch was unexpected, and the ending a total surprise but now if they want to truly end the plot i feel only the burning/destruction of the Hotel can end the plot next episode.
L
 

Monocle

Member
I was positive at the beginning. The first episode was pretty decent.

Sorry my opinion is different from yours. And it's not like I'm spamming the thread. I comment once every week or two, after actively watching the show.
Sure, but when you post just to bash the show with a sentence or two, what's the point? It's fine if you don't like this season, but popping in only to say how bad it is and speaking in generalities adds nothing at all to the conversation. I've at least attempted to explain why I like what this season is doing. It's not just "best season ever" or "yaaaaaaaaasss queen" from me.

Just caught last night's episode and my girlfriend and I seem to agree that this season, and the show as a whole, has gone completely off the rails.

What was once a solid, chaotic, blood soaked tribute to horror cinema that used occasional visceral imagery to shock and chill has become nothing more than a pretentious, confused mess of dropped plot threads, absurdity, and pathetic attempts at being "boundary pushing" which comes off about as edgy as the inside of a Hot Topic.
Dropped plot threads? In this season? Try this, just for fun: Pick any character and think of one to three side plots that involved them. Vampire kids, estranged relatives, a jilted lover, unrequited love, a murder mystery, a lost child, a strained marriage, etc. Now ask yourself first if the stories were suitable for the character based on their history and motives, and second whether they were resolved in a coherent way that didn't involve out of character behavior or a deus ex machina.

I would be very surprised if you could come up with anywhere near as many dropped storylines as any of the previous seasons, or more than a couple instances where someone behaved totally out of character.

I get that sexuality and gore was utilized heavily in the show as a way to honor those themes found so heavily in classic horror films, but it's gotten to the point of hilarity. This is perfectly highlighted in the
anal rape scene
in the season premiere which made me roll my eyes and feel embarrassed not only in myself for watching but in the cast for having to participate in such an idiotic, desperate attempt to seem adult and mature.
Murder House had a guy get a poker rammed up his ass, rape, and a lot of other shit. Asylum had grotesque medical experiments, institutionalized abuse, and a lot of other shit. Coven had torture, tongue cutting, eye gouging, drowning, coercive incest, an off-screen bleach enema, and a lot of other shit. Freak Show had a guy get all his limbs chopped off, quite a few more vicious mutilations and murders, and a lot of other shit.

American Horror Story has always pushed the envelope in a somewhat tasteless way. I honestly don't see how Hotel is very much worse in terms of exploitative and gratuitous content than the other seasons, with the possible exception of Season 1.

Ever since Coven, it's clear that the show only has an interest in controversy and attracting the teenage audience that tweet shit like "Yes Gaga, slayyy queen!"
AHS aims for shock factor and crowd pleasing moments. Those are integral parts of its formula that recur in every season. It is not a highbrow show. It never was, even when it was more staid and less grisly in Murder House, or when it took on serious themes in Asylum.

More power to those who enjoy it, I suppose. To me, and most of my friends who watch the show who all seem to be in agreement, the show seems sad and desperate, like a cheap imitation of the original two seasons that begs to be taken serious by cramming in as much shock imagery and violent sex that FX would allow.
Sad and desperate? That sounds like projection to me. The actors seem to be having fun, and the show has never been more confident in its storytelling or style. What's sad and desperate about Liz Taylor's story of self-realization and human connection with her son, Tristan, and Iris? What's sad and desperate about Countess's story of love, tragedy, and murder? She started out a timid naïf and evolved into a formidable maneater, an icy femme fatale who was revealed to have a carefully guarded core of sentimentality and overwhelming loneliness. I could go on.

Unlike prior seasons, Hotel doesn't suffer from loads of random weirdness crowbarred in without rhyme or reason. Hotel dabbles in many genres and subjects, and involves an equally diverse range of characters with strange quirks and conditions, but it's all organized, connected, and (word of the day) coherent. Vampire school children? Tied directly to the Countess, her choice to turn Alex, and Alex's profession. Drilldo demon? Tied to the hotel's murderous owner (who was established early on as a psychopomp of sorts who mentors murderers and has a certain affinity with supernatural evil), and Sally, whose emotional vampirism and predatory romantic entanglements have major consequences for other important characters. Don't forget, this is a world in which ghosts, witches, demons, and hell were already shown to exist in prior seasons. That a sex demon should show up and start attacking people isn't exactly a wild stretch in AHS's universe.

Again I could go on, but I'm sure you get the idea.

Such a shame, but next season isn't getting my time. Not after three shitty seasons that have only gotten progressively worse.

P.S.
To those who will inevitably attack me for my negativity, I have the same right to voice my negative opinion as you do to express your positive opinions.
There's nothing wrong with negative opinions in themselves. I don't want anyone to be censored. It's just that when some posters are digging into the meat of the episodes while others are popping in week after week to take a runny dump all over the whole season without even suggesting alternatives or articulating an opinion of substance, the discussion is way less rewarding than it could be.

Even the True Detective Season 2 thread had some reasonably engaging conversations, because despite that season's almost universally negative reception, some viewers were taking the time to go further than labeling and dismissing. They talked about what the show was doing as a self-contained story, and in contrast to the previous season. They took the opportunity to develop and express well considered opinions that were worth reading.
 

TheSeks

Blinded by the luminous glory that is David Bowie's physical manifestation.
Edit: QUEENIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE OMFGAAG YAAS

Double Edit: WHAT THE FUCKKKKKKKKKK WAS THAT NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Ryan Murphy: *cackles*

I did like how they brought her back just to show that one of her weaknesses is that she can be harmed by something that isn't alive. I think that zombie episode in Season 3 would've surely killed her.
 
Loved this season, super excited for the finale.

Gaga proved herself as not only a capable actor but she established herself as the heart and soul of this season for me. Despite Countess' various abhorrent acts and killings I still found myself feeling for her this episode. The character is endlessly stylish, has striking presence, and tightropes the balance between steely and delicate. She was born for that role honestly.

Do we think Gaga's winning the Golden Globe tomorrow?
 

MrV4ltor

Member
Ugh, I'm gonna be pissed if Gaga isn't in the final two episodes :mad:

Only one episode left and Gaga is definitely in it.
CWdmwVkWEAEDk6i.jpg
 

Matt_

World's #1 One Direction Fan: Everyone else in the room can see it, everyone else but you~~~
Who are the two guys in that picture? Not Dennis O'hare obv but the others
 

Monocle

Member
Only one episode left and Gaga is definitely in it.
CWdmwVkWEAEDk6i.jpg
I approve of Random Shirtless Dude in that group shot. My kind of set.

Loved this season, super excited for the finale.

Gaga proved herself as not only a capable actor but she established herself as the heart and soul of this season for me. Despite Countess' various abhorrent acts and killings I still found myself feeling for her this episode. The character is endlessly stylish, has striking presence, and tightropes the balance between steely and delicate. She was born for that role honestly.
Totally agreed.

Do we think Gaga's winning the Golden Globe tomorrow?
I don't know who else is up for it, but I hope so. It would be a nice nod to everything she's accomplished in this season. I knew her role would be fun to watch, but I wasn't entirely confident that it would be good. She blew my expectations away.
 

TheSeks

Blinded by the luminous glory that is David Bowie's physical manifestation.
Who are the two guys in that picture? Not Dennis O'hare obv but the others

The Asian Guy that got killed by Donovan, and... the Australian(?) that got killed by the 1920 stars.
 
I'm happy for Gaga, because I respect her. However, it's a travesty that she won over Felicity Huffman, who was great in (underappreciated gem) American Crime. Her performance was a big and memorable part of that show, and she showed much more range.

This also means that Hotel is an award winning show, which makes my head shake.
 
Lady Gaga is so damn awkward to watch on screen. I kind of feel every season besides 1 is like a missed opportunity for something actually good so it's kind of sad to watch.
 

RatskyWatsky

Hunky Nostradamus
The One Theory That May Explain How All of American Horror Story Is Connected - American Horror Story is a modern take on Dante's Inferno

While every season of Horror Story includes a bevy of different sins, each installment can also be seen as having a distinct overarching theme that correlates to one of the circles of Hell, as detailed below:

Murder House: Lust - Everyone in Murder House was imprisoned by their own lust and inability to control their carnal appetites. Ben cheated on Vivien with Hayden. Tate raped Vivien. Patrick cheated on Chad. Larry had an affair with Constance, whose husband raped Moira. If you look back on the season, allmost every problem in Murder House can be traced back to some type of lustful sin.

Asylum: Fraud - While many point to Violence as Asylum's corresponding circle of Hell, that fails to capture the nuance of Asylum's inmates and captors. Nearly everyone in Briarcliffe struggles against some sort of fraud - there's the seducer Shelley, the corrupt members of the Catholic church, the manipulative imposter Oliver Thredson, the hypocritical Dr. Arden and even Lana, whose lies got her trapped in Briarcliffe in the first place.

Coven: Treachery - What separates the treacherous from the fraudulent is that they must betray a special kind of relationship - the betrayal of family ties, community ties, guests or liege lords. Sound familiar? Cordelia is betrayed by her husband Hank and she also betrays her mother Fiona. Kyle and Luke's mothers betray their sons with rape and bleach enemas. Delphine betrays her daughters. All of the witches in Coven betray each other. The list goes on and on.

Freak Show: Greed - Is there anyone more greedy than Elsa Mars? She was willing to do anything - even betray her monsters - in order to get fame and fortune. The same can be said of Stanely and Maggie, who sought nothing more than a few dollars at the expense of the freaks' lives. Even Dandy was motivated by an insatiable hunger for more, going so far as to treat human beings as trophies to collect.

Hotel: Gluttony - Life at the Hotel Cortez is defined by excess. Whether the residents are indulging in blood, alcohol, drugs, sex or violence, they completely surrender themselves to their vices. There's even a literal Addiction Demon haunting the halls lest you had any doubts as to Hotel's overarching theme.

The Dante's Inferno theory could also explain why the same actors recur in different roles. If American Horror Story is the various circles of Hell, then the doppelgängers may represent different incarnations of the same soul being punished for various sins they committed in their lifetime.

I highly doubt Murphy put anywhere near as much thought into the show as this theory suggests, but I thought it was sort of interesting nevertheless.
 
Lady Gaga is so damn awkward to watch on screen. I kind of feel every season besides 1 is like a missed opportunity for something actually good so it's kind of sad to watch.

She's been a bit awkward at times, but is better than expected.

Still can't believe she won an award, especially over Felicity Huffman. There's no comparison there. Then again, the Globes are apparently a joke.
 
She's been a bit awkward at times, but is better than expected.

Still can't believe she won an award, especially over Felicity Huffman. There's no comparison there. Then again, the Globes are apparently a joke.

The Globes tend to award newcomers who exceed expectations. They also prefer to award likable people coz they like the press. That said, Gaga's been really stunning in this role I feel.
 
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