“FREAK SHOW” // NEW PLOT, NEW CHARACTERS, NEW SEASON

Television series that have more than one season usually keep the same plot, characters, and subplots in each season, to keep the watcher interested in the show. Viewers fall in love with a character and watch the show for said character. Other shows have had better luck changing plots a little, like adding different subplots in each season. “American Horror Story” is a different case, with each season featuring a new plot, new characters, and new setting.

With three complete seasons under its belt, “American Horror Story” is booming right now, as each season is a different story. Season one, just titled “American Horror Story”, featured a place called “Murder House” and the family that moves there. Ben, Vivien, and their daughter Violet move into the famous house to try and fix their family after Ben cheats on Vivien with a younger woman. The family endures horrors such as murder, ghosts, and eerie neighbors, all the while trying to stay alive. Season one featured Dylan McDermott as Ben Harmon, Connie Britton as Vivien Harmon and Taissa Farmiga as Violet Harmon. Other actors included Evan Peters, Jessica Lange, Jamie Brewer and Zachary Quinto. Season One aired in 2011.

Season two, aptly titled “American Horror Story”: Asylum, was set in Briarcliff Asylum in the 1960’s. Instead of following just one plot, Asylum followed two characters, Kit Walker and Lana Winters, and their journies into the asylum. Kit Walker, played by Evan Peters, claims he was abducted and probed by aliens. The police, needing a scapegoat to make up for not having found him, sends Walker to the asylum as a criminal, accused of being the notorious killer Bloody Face. Lana Winters, played by newcomer Sarah Paulson, is a lesbian journalist who is trying to get an in depth story on the asylum and it’s newest inhabitant. After digging too deeply, she is locked away by the proprietor of Briarcliff, Sister Jude. Kit and Lana meet all different kinds of inmates, some there for a reason, others prisoners, and get into trouble themselves. Season two left Britton, Brewer and Farmiga out of their line up, adding Sarah Paulson to the cast and keeping the rest of the cast members. Season two aired in 2012.

Season three, titled Coven, was set in the historic city of New Orleans. Zoe Benson, after putting her boyfriend in the hospital in a very peculiar way, is whisked away by her mother and Aunt Myrtle to a special school in New Orleans, Miss Robichaux’s Academy For Girls. It turns out the school isn’t an ordinary school. It houses a sacred coven of witches, and Zoe joins their ranks. The coven is rocky and small, mostly consisting of new witches, and is lead by Cordelia Foxx, the headmistress of the school. Delia’s mother, Fiona Goode, returns to the school after a health crises and takes her place as headmistress. The girls try to fight off people wishing to destroy the last witches in the coven, all the while growing into their new powers and dealing with problems they get themselves into. Coven kept some of the veteran actors, including Taissa Farmiga, Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, and Jessica Lange. They added new cast members, including Emma Roberts, and brought back supporting actors from season one.

Just as quickly as season three ended, the show was renewed for a fourth season. Director Ryan Murphy made the announcement on his twitter, saying the new season would air in October, as all the other season have. Little is known about the new season, with only a few promotional pictures released. Finally, on March 24th via his Twitter, Murphy made a big announcement for four, releasing the title. The newest installment of the anthology will be titled Freak Show. Entertainment Weekly released new details, including setting, plot, and actors. Jessica Lange returns as a German ex-pat who flees to Jupiter, Florida in the 1950’s. She ends up running a freak show, rescuing her “acts” and bringing them to the safety of her show. Her band of characters include former actor Evan Peters, who has acted in all of the seasons, and brings back Kathy Bates, Angela Bassett, and Frances Conroy, all of whom were in Coven. Nothing else has been released about four, except that it will air in October of this year.

The show held its own in ratings, but Coven reigned supreme with the season finale bringing a whopping 4.2 million viewers. Fans of psychological thriller shows will adore the twists and turns that keep the viewer on the edges of their seats. Seasons one and two of “American Horror Story” are available for streaming on Netflix, and Coven is available online. “American Horror Story” airs on FX, and there has been no official release date for “Freak Show.”