- Release year: 2011–
- Creators: Brad Falchuk and Ryan Murphy.
- Producers: Alexis Martin Woodall and Chip Vucelich.
- Screenplay by: Brad Falchuk, Ryan Murphy, Tim Minear, James Wong, Jennifer Salt, and Jessica Sharzer.
- Cinematography by: Michael Goi.
- Music by: James S. Levine.
Synopsis: A journalist is wrongfully committed in an asylum after investigating the institution too closely for comfort. Her mission is to escape and expose the horrors that take place inside.
Shotgun Commentary: One of the most revolting seasons of the show for anyone with a weak stomach.
Review
The second season of American Horror Story, “Asylum”, taps into very real, historical horrors. Namely, the atrocities committed against human beings in the name of scientific progress and “curing the mind”. The history of medicine is full of mistakes, abominations, injustice, and horrors of all kinds. This season exposes them using AHS’s particular flair.
Context
The story follows Lana Winters (Sarah Paulson). She is a lesbian journalist that dreams of making it big in the conservative, homophobic 60s American society. She lives with her “friend”, a teacher who gets blackmailed into committing Lana into Briarcliff Manor. The manor is a fictional psychiatric hospital whose story is based on the very real Willowbrook State School. That is, a mental institution in Staten Island that was exposed in the 70s for the abuse, overcrowding, and negligence that took place within its walls.
Each patient at Briarcliff has its own sob story, worsened by Sister Jude’s (Jessica Lange) abuses and Dr Arthur Arden’s (James Cromwell) experiments. Nazi experimentation and UFOs meet the hypocrisy of religion in this chilling story where the lines between real and hallucination get blurrier and blurrier. All of this, naturally, sprinkled with a biting social critique about the prejudice against all who are different, a topic that will be discussed in more depth in season four: “Freak Show”. In fact, some characters do overlap between these two seasons.
Undoubtedly, this is Paulson’s season. Her character Lana absolutely steals the show with the best lines and scenes of the story. There are plenty of secondary storylines seasoning the main one, but none of them manage to come even close. The forces of Hell pale against the force of nature that is Lana, played by an even more iconic Sarah Paulson. Complementing her performance beautifully are Zachary Quinto as Dr Oliver Thredson and Lange’s Sister Jude. This season is one of intense emotions and tonnes of trauma, most of which are carried by these three characters with wit and style.
Evolution
Front and centre throughout the season is a strong commentary on the patriarchy and just how thoroughly ripped off and exploited women are in this system. Granted, this is a topic that any good writer would find hard to avoid when basing their story on the reality of any era. Still, the commentary that began in the first season as a clever and charming jab at how much men can resemble pigs is here taken to the next level.
In this season, the portrayal of sexism is harsher and, sadly, way more realistic. Men are not just pesky nuisances that might turn out bad. They are real threats thanks to the system we live in. If a man chooses to, he can destroy a woman’s life without so much as lifting a finger. This goes past physical violence and psychological abuse. It taps into the terrifyingly real fact that men can end a woman’s career and life just by pulling from the right strings. Strings that are really not that hard to access thanks to the patriarchy we live in.
Final thoughts
Of course, this power was significantly more overt in the 60s, but just because it is not marked by neon signs anymore does not mean it is over. Far from it. This is probably the biggest source of horror of the season. Not so much the serial killer that skins women alive, but more so the fact that the system is willing to punish him with a lot less severity than it would a woman just for loving another woman.
All in all, “Asylum” is a strong season for strong stomachs. There is a tonne of body horror, for which one must be prepared, especially those of you who are particularly squeamish. It also features the most random musical number to ever appear on a show and a significant yet completely unnecessary amount of alien talk. So there’s that…
Advice to take from this season:
- If you get abducted, just… don’t bother telling people.
- Don’t have sex in haunted locations. Just in case.
- If someone’s personality changes 180º overnight, I’m not saying they are possessed, but maybe keep an eye on them.
What’s your take? Have you watched American Horror Story: Asylum? Don’t hesitate to let me know your thoughts in the comments section below, or leave a message on my contact page! For more reviews and cinema-related articles, check out the rest of my blog! 😀