American Horror Story, Season 11, is a refreshing change of pace in the long-runnning series. First, they've covered all of the paranormal bogies, from ghosts to vampires to aliens, so in this season they're sticking close to Earth with an ordinary murder mystery. It's about a serial killer stalking New York's gay community in the early 1980s: think Cruising, but less homophobic. Second, although Leather/BDSM is still portrayed as decadent, wild, and violent, sex outside a committed relationship is even more likely to "draw the darkness." Third, after several seasons with no gay characters, or gay-femme villains, or "gay" guys who only have sex with women, most of the main cast is gay and into men. Introduced in the first two episodes:
Spoiler alert: I give away some surprises.
1. Patrick (Russell Tovey), a newly-out, divorced, closeted cop who doesn't want to investigate the serial killer for fear of outing himself. Or he may be the serial killer: he has a secret closet full of leather gear and handkerchiefs of every color, from light blue (oral) to yellow (golden showers).
2. Gino (Joe Mantello, only with a ridiculous tan), his boyfriend,a reporter for a gay newspaper trying to research the story in spite of Patrick's reticence. He is captured by a serial killer who acts like he's in The Silence of the Lambs. No doubt a red herring.
3. Adam (Charlie Carver), who lost his roommate to the serial killer, and caught a glimpse of a suspect: a muscular guy in a leather outfit (like everyone at the Eagle on a Saturday night?). He launches his own investigation, and discovers that Theo (#4 below), has photographed him.
4. Theo (Isaac Powell), a photographer who specializes in disturbing scenes , like men in leather (think Mapplethorpe). By the second episode, he's on the way to pursuing a "normal" relationship with Adam (that is, one modeled after traditional heterosexual courtship, where the first date ends with a kiss rather than a blow job, and you don't see him naked until you have celebrated at least three major holidays together). .
5. Sam (Zachary Quinto), Theo's manipulative, cocaine-snorting boyfriend, who may also be the serial killer: he invites random strangers home for BDSM scenes without asking what they're into or giving them a safe word. Plus the mysterious muscular leatherman that Adam saw is his bodyguard/doorman.
6. Henry (Dennis O'Hare), an elderly, fey Quinton Crisp type who knows something about the serial killer: he 's somehow connected to anal sex, which also "draws the darkness." Wow, no anal, no BDSM, no sex at all on the first date. My Sunday School teacher was less uptight.
7. Big Daddy (Matthew William Bishop), the guy Adam saw, Theo photographed, and Sam keeps around for his aesthetic appreciation. This is Matthew's first screen role; previously he worked in public relations, and was an amateur bodybuilder. On the show, everyone who sees him is terrified; personally, I would be asking for his phone number.
The first two episodes were very intriguing a good combination of fact and fiction and I'm curious to see where it goes- yes for a gay show it has some very attractive men- the cute Mr Carver and the sexy Mr Tovey ( in my version these two would end up in bed)
ReplyDeleteRussell Tovey is giving a great performance as the cop
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