There aren’t many television shows that capture our attention and play on our fears quite as much as the long-running series American Horror Story. More than the other seasons — in my opinion — the fifth installment, also known as American Horror Story: Hotel, is one of the eeriest and most unsettling of the bunch, in addition to being refreshingly inclusive.
With season 10 in production, it feels like the right time to finally talk about the cinematic genius that is American Horror Story.
Alright, as usual, major SPOILER alert for American Horror Story (further abbreviated AHS) season 5. For those of you new to this column, check out this guide to get a closer look at our scoring method.
What I Liked:
What can I say? There is SO MUCH TO LOVE about Hotel! Right from the beginning, AHS stays true to its reputation and does not disappoint when providing a phenomenal, star-studded cast combined with a chillingly eerie soundtrack that hearkens back to old Hollywood while still sounding fresh and modern. Hotel is set in 2015 in the historic Hotel Cortez that has become a den for ghosts, ghouls, and hauntingly beautiful vampires in the form of Lady Gaga (#Bi2) and Matt Bomer, to name just a few. Even though this season is set in modern times, the sets, costuming, styling, and even the accents of specific characters bring the viewer into an immersive world that explores the gorgeous and decadent art-deco aesthetic from the golden years of Hollywood.
At the end of the first episode, we see Countess Elizabeth (Lady Gaga) and Donovan (Matt Bomer) engaging in a gruesome foursome that ends in bloodshed. While the vampiric entities that haunt the hotel have certain rules about how they feed and who from, none of the rules have anything to do with gender or sexuality. Both the Countess and Donovan are as enamored by their partner as they are with the other participants, and, paired with analysis of their interactions with various romantic interests throughout the season, I feel like it is safe to say that these vampires tend to — more often than not, as we all know our preferences can be fluid — fall toward the middle of the Kinsey Scale. #NotAllBisAreVampiresButAllVampiresAreBi?
In addition to the romantic arc of Donovan and the Countess, there are many other connections of varying intensities happening. The Countess finds another partner in the drug-addict model-turned vampire, Tristan (Finn Wittrock), and promptly kicks love-stricken Donovan to the curb. Later in the season, we discover that the Countess has been in relationships with women as well, including Ramona Royale (Angela Bassett), and as a throuple with Rudolph Valentino (Finn Wittrock) and Natacha Rambova (Alexandra Daddario).
As usual for vampire fiction of any type, the vampires in AHS: Hotel feed on anyone they want, regardless of their victim’s gender. Though, it is hard not to be inherently erotic with such an intimate act, which causes some steamy situations on and off-screen. Tristan is one character in particular that struggles with this, as he states multiple times that he’s “not gay” before feeding on men. The Countess is much more open in that regard, urging Tristan to challenge his learned behaviors and be more accepting, which we actually see come to fruition within the next few episodes.
Tristan falls for the vivacious, energetic, confident — and transgender — goddess known to the patrons of the hotel as Liz Taylor. Liz Taylor is one of my absolute favorite characters from ANY season. Returning AHS
actor Denis O’Hare knocks it out of the ballpark with a sincere, respectful performance showing one woman’s perfectly imperfect journey and her progress as she reunites with her estranged son. There are too many touching moments involving Liz to unpack here, so just go watch! I promise you won’t be disappointed.
In addition, there is a LOT of chaotic bi energy in this season, including a quick stop-in by the infamous serial killer, Aileen Wuornos (Lily Rabe) (#Bi2), during the aptly-named “Devil’s Night” celebration hosted by their resident sociopath James Patrick March (Evan Peters), with a guest-list that boasts other serial killers such as Richard Ramirez (Zach Villa) and John Wayne Gacy (John Carroll Lynch).
Finally, and probably the most heartwarming thing in a show about vampires, serial killers, and unsettlingly gory themes, they ACTUALLY SAY BISEXUAL. In one of the most understated moments of the season, Will Drake (Cheyenne Jackson), the new owner of the Cortez, is talking to his son Lachlan (Lyric Lennon Parker-Angel) about his upcoming marriage to the infamous black widow, Countess Elizabeth.
Will: What would you say if I told you that my blonde lady friend and I are going to be together forever?
Lachlan: I thought you liked men?
W: Well, adults are complicated. I’m going to be blunt. Your father is bisexual. People think that word is dirty, but it’s not. If you’re lucky, once in your life you’ll find someone who really understands you.
L: Then I approve.
Lachlan simply nods and moves on, without any issues understanding, and with the pure acceptance that children are born with before they become saddled with outside pressures and stereotypes. They didn’t feel the need to go into further conversation about gender or Drake’s preferences, and I LOVE that it was such a quick, subtle acknowledgment of his sexuality as a detail of his life and personality instead of having it used as a plot device.
What I Didn’t Like:
Aside from a few nit-picky things here and there, I only had one major issue with AHS: Hotel, and it was the fact that the only visible person of color — the fabulous and also bi Ramona Royale is portrayed as the “token” character and is supported by outdated stereotypes and ideologies through the blaxploitation films so prevalent in her backstory. As we got to explore her relationships more, I hoped that the show would give her a more in-depth story and continue fleshing out a character that up until now was only used to bring more diversity to the cast, but I was severely disappointed when her backstory further reinforced the negative stereotypes that were so prevalent in the rest of the season.
There are so many different instances of bisexual representation in AHS: Hotel that, while it doesn’t come close to doing the full bi spectrum justice, it gives us a closer look at individuals who are bi yet don’t fall right in the center of the Kinsey Scale in terms of romantic or sexual attraction — in addition to some that do. It also allows us to look at the backstories of some of these characters and see real growth, versus seeing their bisexuality used purely as a plot device.
The Rating:
AHS: Hotel is open and respectful when it comes to showing bi characters in many forms, and, with the underlying educational value — however slight — when Will Drake so simply explains his sexuality to his son, I gotta give this season full marks.
