Review: The “American Horror Stories” Premiere Feels Too Familiar

The AHS spin-off “American Horror Stories” has now premiered and is available on both FX and Hulu, and we’ve got thoughts.
 
In the premiere, titled “Rubber(wo)Man”, a young woman (Sierra McCormick) and her two dads (Matt Bomer and Gavin Creel )move into the infamous “Murder House” from season one of “AHS.” Her dark killer instinct comes out as she discovers the gimp suit worn by Tate. You may remember that anyone who dies inside the house, has their spirit trapped there forever, that’s key to the story as the body count quickly rises in the premiere.
 
“American Horror Stories” has been described as delving into “myths, legends, and more.” But we see none of that in the premiere. What we get is kill after kill that feels too familiar. It’s just like another episode of “Murder House,” but with a female serial killer instead of Tate. I can’t say I’m impressed.
 
Much of Ryan Murphy’s “AHS” and “American Horror Stories” carries a heavy dose of shame, with it being a driving force with many of the characters in both series. In the spin-off, Sierra McCormick’s Scarlett is struggling to feel accepted because of her lesbianism and her dark, violent desires. After a group of girls humiliates her, her desire to kill evolves at warp speed out of her masochistic sexual fantasies. It doesn’t help that her dads confront her and shame her after seeing her browser history, triggering a killing spree. I’m not sure how to feel about the constant message of shame. What we get throughout both series is a message that our sexual orientation, our tastes in kink, or who we love should be shameful. I don’t think that’s okay. We get enough of that in the real world.
 
If you’re a fan of “Murder House” and wanted more episodes, the premiere will leave you pleased, but if you were hoping for something fresh, something new, you may find yourself disappointed.
 
In the next episode of the anthology series, “Scarlett enters a twisted new romance while Michael and Troy are forced to confront their rocky relationship.”