We all get scared from time to time; some are more willing to admit it than others. Anyone who has seen Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk’s hit TV series American Horror Story will tell you that it’s not for the weak-hearted.

American Horror Story begins with the ultimate cliché storyline. Despite the realtor’s warning of the previous owners’ deaths inside the house, the Harmon family (Ben, Vivien and their daughter Violet) move into a restored mansion in Los Angeles. Unaware that there had actually been multiple deaths in the house and the ghosts of everyone who ever died there still linger in its halls, the Harmons settle into their new home.

Each episode begins with a flashback. Each flashback shows different owners of the house and how they came to be murdered. Although new characters are introduced in each episode, The Harmon family remains throughout the series as permanent characters.

By moving from Boston to Los Angeles, the Harmons hope to start a new life and leave their problems behind. Little do they know, their problems are only about to begin.

Ben and Vivien must deal with their failing marriage while their mysterious housemaid only makes it more difficult for them to trust each other. To make it worse, their daughter Violet becomes romantically interested in one of her father’s patients, who later turns out to be a spirit and the main antagonist of the series. That’s not all. The Harmons must deal with the other spirits of the house and try to stay alive during their time living there. Will they survive or end up like the others that lived there before them; angry spirits forever doomed to never leave the house again.

To me, American Horror Story was extremely cunning and addictive. Despite the fact that I was really unsatisfied with the cliché intro, the twists and turns that appeared later in the series were original, smart and entertaining.

Another thing I like about the series is the psychological aspect. The viewer really gets to see what’s happening in each character’s mind, and that allowed me to connect to all the characters in some way.

Overall, it is one of the best T.V. series I’ve seen so far. I’m a sucker for weird, and creepy shows and American Horror Story is just that. I give it an eight out of ten.

14rmoravek@usd489.com