So, American Horror
Story started its fifth season this past week. The new series, subtitled ‘Hotel,’ is a major change up for
the show as it’s the first season that won’t feature the return of series
regular Jessica Lange. Since the
show started in 2011 they’ve kept a very tight knit core group of actors from
season to season in what’s been called a modern update of the classical concept
of an actor’s company. They’ve
added to the group certainly, like Kathy Bates who joined the show in its 3rd
season Coven, but by enlarge the core group from season 1 hasn’t changed up to
this season. In an attempt to fill
the hole Lange left in the production American
Horror Story has brought in Lady Gaga to basically serve as their
overacting and deadly series matriarch.
Personally I’ve always had a complicated relationship with American Horror Story that I’ll get more
into later in this review but Gaga’s involvement was entirely what brought me
back for the fifth season. I’ve
always maintained that Lady Gaga has a unique and commanding screen presence
and her history of elaborate and evocative music videos is right in American Horror Story’s wheelhouse. If anyone could propel American Horror Story into the realms of
compelling quality it would be her…it’s just too bad she didn’t do that.
