TV REVIEW: ‘American Horror Story: Cult’ – Season 7 of the horror anthology series is a return to form with real life terror taking center stage

Spoiler Warning for Season 7 of “American Horror Story.” Minor spoilers from previous seasons will also be discussed.

Evan Peters as Kai Anderson. (Photo courtesy of FX Networks)

It’s no secret that the 2016 Presidential Election changed the world, some say for the better and some say for the worse. “American Horror Story” is a series that has always pushed the boundaries and explored topics that few shows would dare to go near; in its latest entry, the election of Donald Trump becomes a focal point of the narrative, pushing viewers to ponder their own politics beliefs. This is obviously a risky move as most audiences would prefer for their entertainment to be an escape from the real world. “Cult” takes that risk by utilizing the enhanced paranoia and anxiety about the state of the world to drive the characters and make the “horror” of this season feel especially topical. With stellar performances, a compelling and focused plot and several genuine thrills and scares, this is a return to form for “American Horror Story.”

While last year’s “Roanoke” theme was kept as a secret up until the airing of the first episode, series co-creater Ryan Murphy let the cat out of the bag early about Season 7’s theme, revealing that it would be centered around politics. Going into “Cult,” I was less than thrilled about this, but to my surprise the first episode established a grim, yet hilarious tone that had me very much intrigued. Election Night 2016 is simply the starting point of the story as it introduces Ally Mayfair-Richards (Sarah Paulson) and her wife Ivy (Alison Pill), both of which are completely blindsided by the results. On the other end of the spectrum is Kai Anderson (Evan Peters), an avid Trump supporter, who’s views would definitely be classified as radical. Kai’s sister Winter (Billie Lourd) is a supporter of Hillary Clinton with a dark side to her that is explored throughout the season. A vicious feud forms between the two families, representing the clashing of ideologies between Democrats and Republicans.

Sarah Paulson as Ally Mayfair-Richards. (Photo courtesy of FX Networks)

To say that this season is solely about Democrats and Republicans is a gross misrepresentation as these characters actually find themselves working together and blending their beliefs. The story expands as the the main players are given backstory that serves to provide context to their actions in the current time. Tapping into people’s greatest fears, Kai forms a violent cult and recruits several members of the community as he paves a path to a seat on the city council. This season does an excellent job at exploring the gradual formation of a cult; manipulation plays a massive role in this formation and Kai pays careful attention to potential recruits to assure that he is successful in making them loyal to him. A division forms between Ally and Ivy over how to best care for their son Ozymandias (Cooper Dodson), with both women joining Kai’s sick group of clowns; both of which have their own reasons and it is fascinating to watch them defend themselves to each other, believing that they are doing what is best for their son. Ally regularly visits her psychiatrist Dr. Rudy Vincent (Cheyenne Jackson), but his role is kept unusually minor until he is revealed to be the brother of Kai and Winter; this is one of many game-changing plot twists of the season that help to make the audience question their trust in the characters.

This season features some truly fantastic supporting characters, most notably Beverly Hope (Adina Porter) a local news reporter that becomes a vocal participant in Kai’s sick games. Beverly’s role in the season is a definite highlight as she really undergoes a full evolution, going from a proud supporter of the cult to a prisoner of Kai’s, before she breaks free and becomes a hero of the story in the end; Beverly’s storyline helps to showcase Kai’s rapidly deteriorating mental state as he quickly turns on his most loyal followers. Other standouts include oddball neighbors Harrison (Billy Eichner) and Meadow Wilton (Leslie Grossman), who bring satire into the series, hilariously representing elements of American culture under the Trump presidency. Local police detective Jack Samuels also finds himself involved in Kai’s cult, muddying the waters for the others characters when they realize that they can’t even trust authority figures. In a typical season of “American Horror Story,” the side characters are hit-or-miss and can sometimes even pull the story down; that simply isn’t the case here as these characters only bolster the overall narrative.

Billie Lourd as Winter Anderson. (Photo courtesy of FX Networks)

The two major themes of the season are manipulation and exploitation, with their effects also being explored. These are both elements of present-day politics, so it is completely fitting that they are worked into a story about radicals working to push their beliefs on the general population. Politics obviously play a role in the season, but it is so much deeper than just liberals versus conservatives; the series explores that both sides of the political spectrum can radicalize and when they do, there is nothing but dangerous consequences. The formation of Kai’s cult is meticulous and sinister as his followers become agents to enact terror in targeted individuals, effectively triggering them to seek refuge in the arms of the blue-haired monster. Things seem tame initially, but Kai’s followers eventually realize that they are in way over their head and that they are only important to the cult for the sake of roping in more victims and causing senseless violence. This season really is an examination of the human psyche, seeking answers about why people follow certain figures and of just how far people will go to get what they want. Without any doubt, this is one of the most complex and deep seasons of “American Horror Story,” as it blends a variety of different elements to make one hell of a compelling story.

“Cult” is a damn fine season of “American Horror Story,” bringing the series back to its former glory. After the past three years, I was beginning to believe that the show was fizzling out, but that is simply not true. What really helps this season succeed is the performances from Sarah Paulson, Alison Pill, Billie Lourd and Adina Porter; all of which sell their characters’ motivations and allow the viewer to see the situations from their eyes. Evan Peters really steals his show, delivering not only his best performance in the series, but one of the best on television this year; if he isn’t nominated for an Emmy next year, I will lose all faith in the Television Academy (I have to point out that he plays seven different characters this season, which is deserving of an Emmy itself). Not only is Peters’ portrayal of Kai raw, real, chilling and terrifying, it is surprisingly emotional. The themes that are explored, as well as the overarching commentary on politics, are both major highlights. This is a show that has always been incredibly dark and graphically violent, but “Cult” ramps that up and reestablishes the terrifying feeling to the series that has been absent for quite some time. This is definitely one of the best seasons of “American Horror Story,” right up there with “Murder House,” “Asylum” and “Coven.” Hopefully this is a sign that the future is bright…or dark for the series.

Season 8 of “American Horror Story” will debut in 2018 on FX. 

Read more here: http://ninertimes.com/2017/11/tv-review-american-horror-story-cult/
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