Emmy Episodes: American Horror Story

It’s always my policy to watch every Emmy-nominated episode each year, which leads me to sample a handful of shows that I don’t tune in to on a regular basis. For the fourth year in a row, I’m making a special effort to spotlight each of those installments to offer my perspective on shows that I don’t review each week.

American Horror Story: Season 8, Episode 6 “Return to Murder House” (C)

I wasn’t excited about watching this episode since horror is a not a genre I like, and I don’t have positive memories of the pilot episode I watched way back in 2011. Those who have stuck with the show experienced its many different iterations, but for me the murder house is the only setting I’ve known. Apparently this eighth series, “Apocalypse,” brings back characters from seasons one and three, with this episode featuring the return of a whole bunch of people I recognize from the pilot. I would describe this episode much more as horrifying rather than terrifying, meaning that the content is highly disturbing but the jump scenes were minimal, which was a relief. I’m not terribly interested in a show that ends in characters wanting to help get ghosts laid. I knew Emma Roberts was in the show, but I didn’t expect to see Billy Porter, an Emmy nominee this year for another FX show, “Pose.” This episode was all about its Emmy-nominated guest star, Jessica Lange, who already won an Emmy for this role for the first season of this show. I can’t say I understand how this show works with its characters being dead and trapped for eternity unless their bones are moved, but there’s no doubt that Lange was formidable and totally dominated this hour. The way that she expressed such distaste and hatred for her maid Moira, played by Frances Conroy, was so pointed and elegant, and it’s easy to see why she earned a nomination over past nominees like Connie Britton. After sampling this hour, I know that I have no desire at all to visit this show’s universe again.