by Melissa Parkin
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Photo by Suzanne Tenner/FX |
AHS’s TV teasers are
always frighteningly weird and oddly wonderful. They’re essentially works of
distressingly beautiful art. This time around with Hotel, it appears
showrunners Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk aimed to produce a full 90-minute
commercial and slap the label “episode one” on it. This anthology series
is notorious for pushing the envelope, but it seems that the creators threw
everything but the kitchen sink into the chaotically paced, aimless premiere.
The plot centers on Homicide Detective John Lowe
(Wes Bentley) who finds himself at the center of a series of grisly murders
committed by an unknown assailant simply labeled as the Ten Commandments
Killer. Aside from him, we’re introduced to a slew of societal misfits all
suffering from a variety of addictions. They include Sarah Palson’s hypodermic
Sally, Kathy Bates’ obsessive Iris, Matt Bomer and Lady Gaga’s blood lustful
Donovan and the Countess, and so on. Is it an interesting set of characters?
Definitely. Their purpose in relationship to the main story-line? Seemingly
nothing. And therein lies the rub. The grandiose scenery of the Hotel Cortez is
undeniably glorious, but it’s not enough to sustain viewers’ interest, when
there’s virtually no plot or purpose behind most of the characters.
Everything’s essentially all shot and no powder, in
the most disturbing, self-indulgent fashion. American Horror Story is no
stranger to disturbing content, and neither are its loyal viewers. Previous seasons
gifted us with plenty of nightmare-inducing images, like Asylum’s
murderous St. Nick, Freakshow’s killer clown Twisty, and Murder House’s
school massacre. What made these scenarios so effectively terrifying was the
realistic fear behind the individual stories. Hotel handles its horror
factor a bit…differently, to say the absolute least, and it can leave even the
most permissive viewers uncomfortable.
The erratic storytelling jumps nonsensically from one
bloodcurdling scene to the next with no rhyme or reason. We see a woman being
pushed out a window at high heights, two female tourists being held captive to
be drained of their blood, a creepy guy climbing out of a sewn up mattress for
whatever reason, children being abducted, a man’s eyes and tongue being
removed, graphic crime scene images including men being strung up by their
innards, and a sexual graphic foursome that ends with two participants having
their throats slashed open as the other pair drinks their blood.
But AHS makes sure to scar its audience right
out of the gate with its most painfully gratuitous display to date when a
wildly foppish heroin addict comes strutting through the Hotel Cortez’s lobby.
All the man wants is a quiet little place for him to ride out his high, but
that plan goes to hell after he shoots up in his recently rented room. He’s
attacked by the brother of that eye monster from Pan's Labyrinth, who
proceeds to rape the addict with a large drill-bit tipped metallic dildo. As
they’d say in Battlestar Galactica, “What the frak?” I’m no prude when
it comes to the horror genre, but honestly, the premiere feels like Ryan Murphy
and Brad Falchuk accidentally aired their showcase of sexual fetish snuff film
fantasies instead of an actual episode.
As far as the cast is concerned, with the exception of
Wes Bentley’s John Lowe, not a single character is the least bit likeable. For
anyone curious as to Lady Gaga’s acting chops, just check out her “Telephone”
music video. Her physicality works to her benefit, but whether she has any real
emotional range remains to be seen. It’s not until episode two that we get
someone truly captivating. Yes, as always, Evan Peters steals the show. This
time, in the form of the charming, campy, and utterly psychotic James March,
the hotel’s builder and original owner. Despite this bright beacon of hope, the
rest of the episode falls flat. As Hotel’s premiere suffers from having
virtually no plot, “Chutes And Ladders” fails from having almost nothing but
pure exposition. Any creative storyteller knows that it’s always more effective
to show rather than tell, so it’s a wonder why Murphy and Falchuk decided to
have every plot point discussed through literal guidelines and lengthy
explanations.
What makes Hotel even
more cringe-worthy is its blatant lack of originality. You can argue that the
show is simply paying homage to other horror projects, but in essence, that’s
all the show is. Nothing is organic. The biblically inspired central crime is a
rip-off of David Fincher’s Se7en; it’s the Ten Commandments in place of
the seven deadly sins. James March’s back story comprises of H.H. Holmes and Sweeney
Todd, with the body disposal system and the grisly throat slashing.
Countless The Shining references can be spotted everywhere from the
creepy children in the halls to a cryptic room number to the similarly shaped
patterned carpets. Yes, it’s obvious. And there’s a transparent imitation of
1983’s The Hunger. It’s clear that this season favors style over
substance, yet remains unclear as to whether it will ever have an
identity of its own. If you dare to place a reservation for Hotel, don’t be surprised if you find
yourself checking out prematurely.
American Horror Story: Hotel Rating: D+
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