4/5
Written by Luke Barnes
Summary
The first two episodes of the American Horror Story spin off see us return to Murder House as we witness yet another young person fall under its dark charm.
So yes this is every Ryan Murphy cliché under the sun that you would expect, there is needless over sexualisation, there is a strange S and M theme running throughout and nearly every line is cringe. However, where that falls apart with his other work, like the god awful Ratched, it just works with AHS and feels fitting.
Did I think it was a little lazy that the first two episodes of this supposedly standalone spin off series returned back to a series old haunt? Yes. However, that said I felt like it did manage to add something new to the Murder House lore and gave us another interesting character in the universe.
I did find the morality of the series to be a little twisted when this undeniably evil character, she kills a bunch of people, is allowed to have a happy ending, but again that is very AHS. As far as the performances go Matt Bomer is by far the standout of the episodes, though Sierra McCormick is a strong new addition.
Overall, though it is a little reliant on what came before it, there is still enough here to make this series interesting in its own right.
Pros.
The Rubber Woman
Matt Bomer
The return to Murder House
A few good scares
Cons.
A little too reliant on nostalgia
The ending should have punished the lead
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Another Millennial Reviewer 