American Horror Story: Hotel premiered this past Wednesday to a whopping 5.8 million viewers. The highly anticipated fifth season of the horror anthology lived up its hype despite lacking the supreme Jessica Lange and gaining Lady Gaga.
The first episode “Checking In” gave me a feeling reminiscent of the Shining. The floors had a similar geometric shape that left an eerie vibe. The entire Hotel Cortez has an instant feeling of dread. Iris, played by Kathy Bates, only adds to the dreadful feeling. Iris gives off a sinister, quiet vibe. The episode begins with two Swedish tourists checking into the Hotel Cortez despite their best instincts. Not long after getting to their room, the horror begins. The girls encounter a ghostly maid cleaning a bloody sheet, bloodsucking children, and a frantic man inside of their mattress.
We also are introduced to John Lowe, played by Wes Bentley. Lowe is a detective investigating a series of murders by the “10 Commandments Killer.” We also learn that Lowe’s son was abducted in 2010 under mysterious circumstances.
We are finally introduced to the Countess, played by Lady Gaga and Donovan, played by Mat Boomer. Their opening scene was like a silent movie. The scene begins with the deadly couple getting ready for a night of sinful fun. The two snort heavy lines of coke, stroll through a cemetery, and attend an outside viewing of Nosferatu. The two entice a couple to head back to the Hotel Cortex with them. There, they begin a foursome that ends in bloodshed. The Countess and Donovan slice the couple’s neck open and feast on their blood. The whole scene plays the band She Wants Revenge song “Tear You Apart” which only makes the scene even scarier. The entire fiasco is bloody, erotic, horrifying, and still sexy. They end the scene with the Countess lipping, “And you didn’t want to go out tonight.”
After the bloodshed, we get to meet Cheyenne Jackson’s character, Will Drake, and his son. They are touring the penthouse at the Cortez with Murderhouse alum and realtor from hell, Marcy. We even get a season one connection. Marcy talks about putting her dog down which she received from the deceased Harmon family of season one. Further into the scene, The Countess takes his son to the side and shows him a secret room where she holds the ghostly children.
The episode ends with my favorite new character Sally, portrayed by the incomparable Sarah Paulson. Sally is a junkie who appears in a flashback with Donovan doing heroine. It ends with Iris pushing Sally from a window to her death.
Hotel is already on its way to becoming my favorite season of the show. The show has returned to its original darkness of the first two seasons. The first episode showed that every character is not to be messed with. The pilot also showed that the season is only going to get darker as the season continues. We still haven’t even met all of the characters. Hotel has checked viewers into its nightmarish realm of drugs, murder, and eroticism. Deeply reminiscent of the Shining, American Horror Story: Hotel is going to continue its television rampage. This season has me hooked, and will have you hooked as well by the time the credits begin.
