‘American Horror Story’ mocks cult-like politics

By Christina Guerrero

After Donald Trump won the presidential election, a small town in Brookfield Heights, Michigan begins to go through clown sightings, missing people and tragic murders. Two local restaurant owners, couple Ally and Ivy Mayfair-Richards (played by Sarah Paulson and Alison Pill) are worried about what might happen to the safety of their family and marriage, so they begin to be panic.

Ally’s phobias, trypophobia and cryophobia, (which is the fear of tiny holes and something childlike turning dangerous or evil) re-emerge as it starts to affect her wife and son’s, Oz (Cooper Dodson), lives. Her psychiatrist, Dr. Rudy Vincent (Cheyenne Jackson) tries to help her out claiming it’s all in her head but Ally insisted.

Meanwhile, a blue haired man with a twisted past, Kai Anderson (Evan Peters), is ecstatic about Trump winning the presidency. With motivation, he decides to run for city council with his sister Winter (Billy Lourde) as his partner, making his first steps to take over the nation. Kai creates a master plan and manipulates the townspeople to be on his side or have deadly consequences.

Throughout the season, the show mocks american controversies and real life murders. It also touches on other subjects like constitutional rights of the first amendment, gun violence, cults,racism, sexism, and social media/television .On episode nine Kai passes his own made up bill , internet freedom and integrity act, which blocks the residents from getting access to certain websites, breaking the first amendment

The show brings ups sexism by having Kai not treating his female followers the same as the male ones. He is shown making them clean and cook after the men.

“American Horror Story” has been on screen year after year since 2011 with Murder House, Asylum, Coven, Freak Show, Hotel, Roanoke and now, Cult. Season one through six had to do with a paranormal history but writer and producer, Ryan Murphy, wanted to take a different route this time.

“With season six, we really wanted to strip everything away, sort of deconstruct it,” Murphy said to Entertainment Weekly. “I thought that was a really good jolt.”

This is the first “American Horror Story” that has a normal suburban setting.

The show took a lot of risks because the audience thought it was going to be based on the election and disrespecting or making fun of the presidents. That is not the case.

Ryan mentions to the Hollywood Reporter “it is not about Trump or Clinton. It really is about the cult of personality that can rise in a divisive society — and I hope that people can figure that out.”

With only two episodes left, I can say that this is one of the best seasons the “American Horror Story” franchise has ever had. I have no complaints with the acting, the script writing fits every character.

Sarah Paulson managed to play o woman with a mental health disorder to later on a fearless woman.Not only could you hear it in her voice, but her physical appearance, too.

Evan Peters played seven roles with different personalities this season. He also managed to delve deep into the character so the audience can understand each personality distinctively. I give the whole production an A+ just for putting jokes and scenes in the script that are genuinely and effortlessly funny.

Every episode has you on the edge of your seat and leaves you with a cliffhanger. Unlike the other seasons , there were no ghost, aliens, witches and demons involved. Just a crazy sloppy joe Manwich loving, blue haired, Trump supporter who wants to take over the world.

TV Tell All is a column by Christina Guerrero that reviews the latest and most anticipated TV series happening now. The views and opinions expressed in TV Tell All are not that of FIU Student Media’s editorial board. 

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