Ryan Murphy has a few new shows out, including the horror dramaGrotesquerie, and the series is whatAmerican Horror Storyhas needed since its 2019 season. Reception of the horror anthology’s seasons will vary from viewer to viewer, butAmerican Horror Storyhasn’t had a well-received season since1984, the slasher-inspired installment that notably incorporated the Night Stalker. Threeseasons ofAmerican Horror Storyhave been released since then, withDouble Feature, NYC, andDelicate, but each has been underwhelming.
There’s a reason whyAmerican Horror Storyis still airing 13 years since its debut. That said, the show that was once a must-watch hit seemed to lose what made it so enticing. Co-creator Ryan Murphy has confirmedAmerican Horror Storyseason 13, but his body of work has also grown a lot since then. Aside from the spinoffs likeAmerican Horror Stories, American Crime Story, andAmerican Sports Story, his name has been attached to other notable shows like9-1-1, The Watcher,Monster, and, of course,Grotesquerie.
Grotesquerie Isn’t Connected To American Horror Story, But It Feels Like An AHS Season
The New FX Show Hits A Lot Of The Same Notes As AHS
Grotesquerieis the third new show released in 2024 with Ryan Murphy’s name attached, followingAmerican Sports StoryandDoctor Odyssey. WhereasAmerican Sports Storypresents the life of former NFL player Aaron Hernandez andDoctor Odysseyserves as a fictional medical drama on network TV,Grotesquerieis a haunting crime drama that could’ve easily been used as the basis of anAmerican Horror Storyseason. Though the new FX show isn’t connected toAHS, they share a lot in common.
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Grotesqueriefollows Detective Lois (Niecy Nash), who investigates a series of gruesome murders while dealing with serious matters in her own life. LikeAmerican Horror Story, the content is unsettling, with the subject matter being tough to handle at times.Grotesquerie’s charactersdrive the story, but the horror stems from the disturbing crime scenes and lurking threats, indicating that evil is ever-present in the story.American Horror Storywas once a master at crafting intriguing tales through a disturbingly spooky lense, but that’s been lost in recent years.
Grotesquerie Accomplishes What Recent American Horror Story Seasons Have Failed To Do
Grotesquerie Is Going For Quality Over Quantity
Since1984released in 2019,American Horror Storyhas declinedwhen allowing the scope of the season to grow too large. Whereas early seasons had a specific setting or central mystery at the focus,the last three seasons ofAHSbecame convoluted with their ambitious forms of storytelling.Double Featurehad potential, but each half felt underdeveloped and rushed.NYCtook on more realism before being held back by its various mysteries and moving parts, whileDelicateexperienced pacing issues with a story that lacked a gripping focus.Grotesquerieisn’t falling intoAHS’s recent pitfalls, at least not in its debut season.
Grotesquerieis starting small by primarily focusing on Lois and those she encounters while dealing with her current investigation
Rather than have multiple lead characters,Grotesquerieis starting small by primarily focusing on Lois and those she encounters while dealing with her current investigation. This allows the series to introduce a variety of offbeat side characters, like the crime reporter, Sister Megan, and Nurse Redd, who seemingly stepped right out of Murphy’s 2020 showRatched. Lois is deeply flawed, much like the characters seen throughoutAmerican Horror Story, but Nash’s captivating performance as the lead detective is akin toAHS’s early casts, pushing the show to new levels of success.
What American Horror Story Season 13 Can Learn From Grotesquerie
AHS Can Still Get Back On Track
The last few seasons ofAmerican Horror Storyhad potential, but the narratives didn’t allow for any truly standout performances or memorable characters. That’s not to say the casts didn’t do a good job, but compared to previous installments,elements ofAHSseasons since1984haven’t left lasting impressions. By going back to the basics with a central character like Lois or a primary mystery/threat as seen inGrotesquerie,American Horror Storycan get back on track in season 13.
American Horror Storyhas been at its best when it had well-crafted characters confined to a central location. If not, it’s important to have the characters fully interconnected, like inCovenorCult, to avoid clouding the plot or losing the scope of the main storyline. IfSarah Paulson and Evan Peters return toAmerican Horror Storyfor season 13, the upcoming installment will already have an advantage, but the installment will still need to utilize the cast with a great narrative.
Past seasons ofAmerican Horror Storyhave featured heavy-hitting cast members but still had poor results.Grotesqueriehas a handful of notable cast members, including Travis Kelce, but the show still found a way to balance cast appeal and worthwhile storytelling. It also wouldn’t hurt to have an antagonist similar toAHS’s notable villains, such as Rubber Man, Bloody Face, Twisty the Clown, and The Butcher.Grotesquerie’s killer may still just be getting started, but the nature of the crimes is already hard to forget.
