After an incredibly (or at least what it feels like) long wait for the return of American Horror Story, Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuck are back at it again with what seems to be a promising and stellar season ahead. American Horror Story: NYC is the eleventh season of the iconic television program, focusing on NYC in the 1980s.
The first episode, aptly titled “Something’s Coming,” sets the scene for what’s to come in the following episodes. Viewers are introduced to gay couple Gino Barelli, played by Joe Mantello (The Normal Heart, Hollywood), and Patrick Read, played by Russell Tovey (The Good Liar, Grabbers). Patrick is an NYPD cop investigating a string of mysterious murders targeting the active gay community, whereas, conflictingly, Gino is a reporter also trying to cover the murders in his paper. Patrick, however, doesn’t want to disclose what’s going on in his case, creating more points of contention in he and Gino’s relationship, which already seems to be in a precarious position. Gino is more comfortable with his sexuality than Patrick is (who, we later discover, has recently left his wife for Gino); this being said, Gino essentially wants his boyfriend to be a voice for the gay community, especially given his position as a cop, but Patrick would prefer to keep work and life separate. This is sure to create an interesting dynamic in coming events.
Aside from the cop and the reporter, there’s Charlie Carver (Ratched, The Boys in the Band) as Adam Carpenter, a somewhat anxiety ridden young man, also gay. After the disappearnce of his friend Sully, Adam reports him missing to Patrick, who says he can’t do anything about it at the moment, and then runs into Gino at a bathhouse/bar. The two agree to partner up to an extent, knowing they’ll both get something out of the arrangement.
Ryan Murphy always does a great job at creating entanglements between characters, where there are multiple people that know each other but don’t know that they all know each other (i.e., Patrick and Gino both knowing Adam but Adam not knowing that those two men are connected and vice versa). Now that Gino and Patrick are in between each other’s careers, what will be more important? Work or love?
A little further down the line, Gino receives a tip from Adam, who got it from the alluring photographer Theo Graves, played by Isaac Powell (Dear Evan Hansen, American Horror Story), that the leather-clad murderer may be a man known by the name of ‘Big Daddy,’ who enjoys frequenting certain clubs in town. Gino goes to one of these mysterious locations and ends up getting drinks with an uppity old man named Henry Graham, played by the one and only Denis O’Hare (American Horror Story, Dallas Buyers Club). O’Hare is such an incredible shape-shifter when it comes to acting and his range, from iconic AHS roles ranging from ‘Queen Elizabeth’ in AHS: Hotel to the mute butler, Spalding, in AHS: Coven. Henry Graham is no exception. O’Hare delivers a great performance, drawing Mantello’s Gino into his trap as he spins illustrious tales of “decadence and excess.”
The episode concludes with Gino leaving his meeting with Henry only to have his vision go fuzzy, realizing he’s been drugged. Viewers are left with a startling cliffhanger as a faceless man throws Gino into the back of his car.
Other notable performances in this episode are those of Zachary Quinto (Star Trek, Margin Call), Billie Lourd (Scream Queens, Booksmart), and Patti Lupone. I’m not sure that Lupone was necessarily needed, but perhaps this is what she’s doing now that she gave up her Equity card.
Regardless, Murphy’s aestheticism in his television programs continues to be unmatched, and with a refreshingly “deep” plot and a solid cast of actors/characters, AHS: NYC is sure to bring back the “old AHS” that fans are so fond of.
Rating: 8.5/10.0