American Horror Story 11: Episode 1 and 2 Recap and Review

It’s that time again! A new year, a new season of the hit horror anthology series. With that includes a whole new set of quirky characters and macabre mysteries. Lets dive into American Horror Story Season 11 Episode 1 and 2.

New York City gets a bad reputation nowadays for being a seedy, crime-ridden fear factory where it’s not safe to go for a stroll at night, which is factually incorrect by the way. NYC is safer than most people would think, much safer in fact, with crime rates far lower than you’d expect. That being said, back in the day during when this season of American Horror Story takes place, it was a completely different story.

What it seems like so far, this season is focused on the LGBTQ+ community during both the 1960s and 1970s, a time where being queer was considered pretty much a crime in itself. Which leads us to the plot so far.

A serial killer is stalking the streets and alleyways of the city preying upon vulnerable gay men, with each of our protagonists finding themselves drawn into this deadly mystery. The main two of which who we’ve got to know the most intimately being the closeted police officer Patrick and his secret journalist boyfriend Gino. So far, the little we know is there is a strong chance the murders are tied to a sinister man named Sam, played by the always incredible Zachary Quinto, and his imposing manservant, assistant Big Daddy. All the while this is going on, characters keep speaking of disturbing warning that someone, or something, dark is coming.

As far as the subject matter goes, theme-wise this season deals heavily with the AIDS pandemic, despite taking place before it, and homophobia. Characters keep mentioning a virus that is plaguing vulnerable communities, starting first with the deer population, where the only solution by government officials is extermination.

AHS has never been known for its subtly, and, while in the past it has come across as trying too hard, here on the other hand it’s more like a sympathetic, angry condemnation of society’s treatment of the queer community. A cry for help if you will. Taking this to another level however is that it also deals with problems within the community itself. Whether or not this season can give these themes the tact and nuance they deserve though is yet to be seen.

Then there’s the setting which is visceral, with its many moments taking place in the dark (literally) underground of the NYC gay club scene feeling as though they’re real places you could waltz right into. Honestly, this is one of the more impressive parts of the episodes. The environments of the time period feel real and grounded, rather than manufactured.

While we don’t see much violence, it feels like the restraint is intentional, as if we’re being kept in the dark to keep us from guessing just how brutal of a turn things may take. What leads me to believe this is the tone, there’s a heaviness to this season that feels foreboding. AHS has, to some extent, always felt playful in its nature, but here, well, it doesn’t feel like it’s playing around at all.

Much of what we get with these first two episodes is a lot of set up, but for those familiar to the show, that would be a given. We get bits and pieces here and there of what’s going on behind the curtain, but as far as any actual major reveals go, we’re probably going to have to wait a while.

The question is though, do these two episodes provide enough promise to warrant watching and waiting for the eventual discoveries? I would say yes, as not only is the central mystery engaging, but the characters are equally as so. Not just that, but the potential for where this season could go is tempting enough in of itself to warrant sticking around for.