Review

We flash back to 1968 where a middle aged nurse and a medical student are home alone while their housemates are off at a Doors concert. There's a knock at the door, and since this is 1968 and prior to horror conventions, the med Student allows in an injured stranger. A more naive time perhaps, and besides our Student is a bible thumper. Turns out the stranger, Franklyn we later learn, is a psycho with a problem with nurses. Needless to say two more victims are added to the house's tally. Yes we are in "that" house.

Back to the future and Ben is doing the psychology thing with Tate, who admits he has a thing for Violet in pretty graphic detail. Dad is of course uncomfortable with the whole thing, which you get is the purpose of Tate's confession. Vivien is concerned about her pregnancy, and Violet has an issue with Mom. To complicate matters Ben receives a call from Haydon, the chick he had an affair with, who tells him she is pregnant. Suddenly Ben is winging back home to help with an abortion and we find Haydon is one manipulative minx. Back at the house Vivien and Violet have to contend with Constance's poisoned cup cakes and three home invaders who want to recreate that night back in 1968. Can Violet and Vivien, with a little help from various resident ghosts, come out on top or is the house going to increase its reputation?

Well I enjoyed the opening gambit here, filling in some of the house's dim dark path, and I liked the tie in to the present. They can keep throwing this stuff in my direction all season and I'm going to be one happy camper. In the flash back I particularly liked how they gave it that old horror 1970s vibe to make no doubt more than one reader slightly nostalgic for the good old days, when horror film makers didn't give a shit about tween demographics. Great opening, great tie in, and without giving too much away at least one major character ain't with the living. Nice touch of hinting at that without belabouring the point. Can't wait to see where this particular development may lead us.

Great writing, I get the feeling things are going to continue rocking during the rest of the season

The rest of the episode works like a brought one, if the house has a dark past then Ben is certainly going to bring something to the table with his past indiscretion catching up with him. Violet is increasingly becoming a character I can dig, she tells it as she sees it without gilding any lily in the process. A spot more time with the character would be appreciated. Interestingly enough Violet caught up with the bully that Tate scared the shite out of last episode, and with talk of demonic eyes, one wonders just what is being harboured in the basement! Adelaide spends some time playing with the hidden, maybe dead, entity, but as yet it's not venturing beyond its confines. No doubt a juicy surprise or two is in store for the unwary viewer on that front.

Guess I wanted to touch bases with Jessica Lange's character Constance, a really strong point of the season one thus far. Another one of those characters you are going to love to hate. Is this episode Constance decides to bake some cup cakes for Violet, but adds some poison and get's Ade to spit in it. Seems Constance is best pleased with Tate taking a shine to Vi, and is out to put paid to that. We also find Constance locks Ade in a cupboard of mirrors when she has had enough of her, has a toy boy, oh and has had four children. We have already meet two of the children, Tate and Ade, but apparently we shouldn't be looking forward to the other two who are yet to make an appearance. Jessica Lange is right across the character, delivers a down home accent and demeanour, and otherwise is on the low boil when it comes to menace. Constance knows things, and Lange plays it exactly right in ensuring we are hip to the groove there.

The thing that is keeping the show rocking through two episodes is the mixture of family life and developments, none of the Harmons are exactly angels, and the supernatural elements that are evolving in complexity and variety. Trust no one in this show, no one is what they seem would be my call, including Ben's patients. It might be slightly over the top at this stage, rather than a haunted house we're get a circus side show alley, but the season is evolving toward something very special. It's like a SOAP opera touched down in the Munsters' house and then decided to renovate, Amityville style. I'm having both a good time and am rocking to the overall aesthetics.

Helping out is the talented James S. Levine, who throws down a score that is both fitting for the subject matter on screen and hitting a chilling note. The purposes of Levine's score is to unnerved the audience, keep them on their toes, add to the trick or treat nature of the house. Awesome stuff, I was impressed as hell.

This week's episode was far better written for mine than the Pilot one last week. The story was well rounded with obvious acts and a feeling that things weren't so much happening because the script demanded it, but more the script was written to tie in the various plot developments, and by the way lay the path for future episodes. Anyone else not believe that Hayden is going to be on for a repeat performance in coming weeks?

Home Invasion dropped to 2.46 million viewers, which while not setting anything like a record pace is still solid enough though fingers crossed things can proceed upwards over the next few weeks.

I rocked along to the episode, found the overall construction pretty solid, and am pretty cool with both the horror aspects and the outside forces having an impact. American Horror Story, while dialling into a bit of melodrama, is still working solidly in the horror field without throwing too many curve balls. Surprisingly they tossed out the sex aspects for the episode, but they didn't feel the need to go too far down the gore path in compensation. A solid bit of television drama that should have most readers settling in for the season, recommended folks, this is the kind of television that is pushing the edge of television.

ScaryMinds Rates this episode as ...