The second season ofAmerican Horror Stories has concluded as a marked step up from the first. The anthology series acts as a spin-off from theAmerican Horror Story franchise, telling stand-alone tales of terror set in the same universe without the season-long arcs of its progenitor.
The first season couldn't quite escape that shadow, with a few good episodes (and several fair-to-middling ones) scattered amid multiple unnecessary excursions back tothe franchise's infamous Murder House. Season 2 upped its game, making just a single pointed reference to its parent series and focusing on telling good stories rather than reminding people where it came from. As always,some were better than others, and while the season reflected a general high level of quality,it still slipped in a few misfires here and there. Below is a list of the eight episodes of Season 2, ranked in order from worst to best, and reflecting the variety of stories the series brought.
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8) Milkmaids Is the Worst Episode of American Horror Stories Season 2
Season 2, Episode 4, "Milkmaids" tries to be a dark allegory about fear and demagoguery, as a Puritanical 18th century community is rocked by a devastating plague. It finds an intriguing horror concept as the townsfolk devour the hearts of the recently deceased at the behest of a new minister. However, the concept goes nowhere in favor of pure gross-out tactics, as the titular character saves lives by convincing men to suck pus from her sores. The barf bag theatrics are intended for pure shock value, ignoring the legitimate scares to be had in favor of knee-jerk gross out tactics.
7) Necro Lacks Supernatural Themes and Courage
Season 2, Episode 7, "Necro," tackles a similarly risky topic with its story of a morgue worker who succumbs to her necrophilia and pays the price. Devoid of both supernatural elements or any scares, it instead takes undue glee at destroying its heroine for what amounts to an unusual fetish. While it makes some attempt to connect with her point of view,American Horror Stories has never possessed the subtlety to give such delicate material proper development. What could have been groundbreaking instead feels mean-spirited.
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6) Batgirl Saves Lake With a Stellar Performance
As distasteful as "Milkmaids" and "Necro" could be, they at least have some boldness in their storytelling. Season 2, Episode 8, "Lake" suffers from the exact opposite problem. Its largely bloodless mystery centers around a young man drowning in the local reservoir, unearthing dark secrets about the nearby town founder, who routinely drowned people there when the dam was being built. The payoff is brief and unremarkable -- squandering a decent set-up with a climax that ends far too quickly. The endeavor is rescued, however,by star Alicia Silverstone making her franchise debut as the drowned boy's mother and carrying "Lake" across the finish line almost single-handedly.
5) Drive Updates an Urban Legend
Many of the season's entries take their cue from pro-feminist horror movies of the past. In the case of Season 2, Episode 3, "Drive," it scores by combining an old campfire story about a killer in the back seat of a car with a serial killer stalking casual hook-ups at a nightclub. It draws inspiration from 1978'sLooking for Mr. Goodbar, adding a clever twist by making the woman the killer instead of the victim. Beyond its icy tone and elegant delivery, it tends to stick to well-worn territory, leaving it solid but unremarkable.
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4) Aura Elevates Paranormal Activity
Like "Lake," Season 2, Episode 2, "Aura" aims for quieter scares thanAmerican Horror Story typically delivers. A new security app brings ghosts to the door of a traumatized shut-in, along with dark revelations about her husband's past. The episode sticks to business and finds the right creepy vibe to let the narrative do its job, bolstered by another strong lead performance -- this time by Gabourey Sidibe. It draws heavy inspiration from the likes ofRingu andParanormal Activity --as mundane domestic electronics turn into conduit for the supernatural. Plus, it's final twist is a knock out.
3) Facelift Delivers a Plastic Surger Folk Tale
Season 2, Episode 6, "Facelift" is probably the most daring episode in terms of material, as a vain and aging widow pays a visit to the queen mother of bad plastic surgeons. Though it stumbles with a key subplot involving the woman's stepdaughter, the remainder is everything fans have come to expect from the franchise. The titular facelift reveals a horror show, wrapped in sharp commentary about superficiality and the damage inflicted on older women by patriarchal expectations of beauty. Its smartest step comes in combining all of that with old-fashioned folk horror without missing a step.
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2) Dollhouse Connects Directly to AHS
For its season opener,American Horror Stories sticks comparatively close to home with an outlandish but undeniably creepy entry that serves as an origin story for one of its parent series' characters. The connection toAmerican Horror Story's larger universe is the episode's weakest element, but the remainder is pure gold, as a toy maker builds a life-sized dollhouse and traps young women inside, forcing them to dress and act as "real" playthings. Its compelling visuals dovetail nicely with its darker themes about objectifying women, helped by a brave and clever heroine.
1) Bloody Mary Is the Best Episode of American Horror Stories Season 2
Urban legends are something of a pillar for the second season, with both "Drive" and Season 2, Episode 5, "Bloody Mary" drawing heavy inspiration from them. The latter marks the season's high point, as a quartet of teenage girls summon an evil spirit in the mirror and learn she has plans for them. The episode thrives not only by underpinning the Bloody Mary myth with genuine social commentary -- in this case,America's dark legacy of racism -- but by adding a smart wrinkle to the well-known campfire story on which its based.
All episodes of American Horror Stories are currently streaming on Hulu.
