Speaking in a conference call today, American Horror Story co-creator Ryan Murphy coughed up some intriguing (and deflating?) details about the show’s second season.
AHS Season 1 finale and Season 2 spoilers follow..
Following the door-slamming, self-contained ending to the first season (with the Harmons all meeting their death), Murphy confirmed Connie Britton and Dylan McDermott will not be back in Season 2, nor will the other characters or the House itself:
“Every season of the show will be a different haunting. What you saw in the finale was the end of the Harmon house and the second season of the show will be a brand new home. Or building to haunt. It will also have a new overriding theme… and a different cast of characters. Just like this year, every season of the show will have a beginning, middle and end.”
He continued:
“The second season is very different from the California house approach. I loved the true crime aspect, so every season we will have characters who come from true American horror crimes. I’m not interested in doing another “house” story – we’re not going to move to Maine and do another haunted cottage. What’s going to be interesting is there are all different kinds of horror stores to tell, be it serial killing stories or true crime stories or prison stories. The only thing I wouldn’t do is a season about vampires.”
Curiously, some cast members will return but they’ll be playing completely different characters:
“Some of [the actors] will be coming back. We’re in negotiations with several of them, but they will be playing completely different characters, creatures, monsters and etcetera. I would have all of [the actors] back in a heartbeat, some of the actors we’re talking to will be playing something completely different than they played this season — and something completely different than they’ve ever played. “
As for clues on what kind of story the second season will contain:
“There is a clue in the last three episodes where we say what the second season will be.”
Source: The Insider
In many respects I find this ‘reboot’ disappointing, though not surprising. The first season had an overarching story that I hoped would continue throughout the series, though the sustainability of the story was always a question. That’s not to say it couldn’t be done, it just looks like they took the easy way out.
That said, if season 2 has a compelling ongoing story that develops (I don’t doubt that it will) and they find some way to connect the two seasons (i.e. thematically..at least!?) then it should be interesting from my Seriable view-point. Still, reboots for the sake of rebooting (and not for ongoing story purposes) are rather deflating.
American Horror Story Season 2 will premiere late September or early October 2012 on FX
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FRINGE OBSERVATIONS: 4.22 Brave New World: Part 2
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FRINGE OBSERVATIONS: 4.21 Brave New World: Part 1
ONCE UPON A TIME OBSERVATIONS: 1.20 The Stranger
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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
As campy and melodramatic as this season was, I enjoyed it. You never knew what direction the plot would take you, but the acting was so fantastic from all involved, it hardly mattered. The actors kept the story hung together, even when the writing faltered. It was a hot mess — in the best possible way.
If they can follow the theme of “haunted,” they’d have plenty of room to move. Late episodes referenced prisons, insane assylum, psychopathic killers… Lots of options.
I’m looking at the shift in season 2 as an attempt at a “Twilight Zone” serial, but in 12-episode form.
Personally, I loved Jessica Lange, Frances Conroy and Evan Peters. For Peters, AHS provided a break-out role.
Over-the-top show? Yup. But awfully fun.
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Actually, with this show, I am looking forward to it being set in a different place with different themes. To tell a complete story in 13 episodes, to live in that world, breathe it in, then exhale it at the end, and turn to get to inhale a brand new one?
It’s like trying different meals! Just because the roast beef was amazing you don’t want it every time. You’d want to try something else, see if it tastes good, too. Life is an adventure, an exploration!
This way they wouldn’t try to have it both ways like in the hot mess that HEROES became. Where they had wanted to re-boot each season, have a new villain (and the main villains did change, but really … who can compare with SYLAR?)
So, I’m looking forward to see what this show does with this I think they can make it work! It will be fun to see some of the same actors playing different roles!
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Season 1 was a must see every week show. With almost everything changing for season 2, I truely do not believe it will even make it through the whole season. Fans have chosen their favorites, gotte involved with the character’s stories and now all that is changing? I have been intensely looking forward to the return until I just read this information. Not only am I disappointed but no longer excited about the return of the show.
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