Warning: review contains snip-its of spoilers and an image possible disturbing to some
With three episodes out for this new season of American Horror Story, it felt like it was time to write a review of the beginning Hotel story line. The start of Hotel has left lots of people shocked and mildly appalled, which can be completely understandable... if this is your first time watching anything from the series. American Horror Story has graced us with quite the oddities, from Murder House, the Asylum, to even facing a Coven and a shocking tale of the Freak Show. Each season is it’s own tale of intrigue, occasional fright, focusing on the fears that are common to that of the human mind.
Hotel brought forth a strange curiosity, a storyline that seems slightly jumbled and crippled in fluidity. Within the first episode, viewers witnessed concepts of a very graphic nature, which is common to the first episode of just about every season; Ryan Murphy likes to surprise and leave the watcher unsure if they want more. Those who have seen season one through four (and now the first three episodes of five) were not nearly as shocked and appalled as those who had just joined. In the first episode, there was a man who was raped whose mind was simultaneously being attacked by drugs mentally and a new AHS creature physically. Later, Lady Gaga appeared in a four-way that turned the bed sheets from white to vivid red.
Viewers have met a wide variety of strange characters, some even making the freaks of season four appear to be rather normal. And with the Detective wandering around the Hotel Cortez, will things finally cool down around this hotel? It would be foolish to think so, I believe.
This season started with a bang, and there are lots of fan theories going around about what this seasons's main human fear will be about. The main idea that best represents everything has been seen in the first three episodes: the fear of addiction, a rather common fear. There are studies that show one of every 12 adults is addicted to alcohol. It is said that there are almost 1.5 million people who are daily heroin users in the US alone. So it is common for people to be scared of addiction, for one can become addicted to anything; this is the focus of season five.
While I and other long-standing fans know that Ryan Murphy is bound to add more to this season than just this one fear, we can’t all help but be curious as to what to expect next in episode four.
Perhaps there is an idea to consider: Ryan Murphy is using AHS to teach us underlying lessons on how to treat others while keeping a healthy respect towards dangerous things.
