thank you to everyone for blessing me with so many likes and comments and views this whole month! I’ve never been so proud of creating anything before. Like this last 3 months has been so fun and so challenging, to see if i could actually do it and i haven’t gotten bored yet so i think that’s a good sign. Look out for new videos in the coming weeks! Maybe there will be a new series or two for you to look forward to 👀
ahs just icked me when all their villains became real life murderers. it was disturbing some fandom ppl obsessing over Richard Ramirez bc of 1984. very gross
It's no coincidence that the golden age of ahs is helmed by Jessica Lange, as much as I love Hotel it certainly suffers from her leaving. That being said I'm very much looking forward to your video on Hotel it has some of the best character introductions in the series
🙏yes i am binging the sht outta this channel 😂 kinda glad i found it later cuz i dont have to wait until I catch up yay. Love finding good hidden gem channel like this
Edward Mordrake was probably put in because 1: he was a real person and the showrunners love putting real sorta related people in this show, 2: because it's a good way to introduce certain characters backstory and 3: they needed a creative way to get rid of the clown in order to make way for Dandy.
Exactly!!! I think it was a great way to get to know the characters backstories w/o it seeming forced. The only way you care what happens to characters in tv & movies is when you're invested in their story. It almost humanizes someone like Twisty a little. It doesn't mean I think what he's done is ok...it's just a good way to bring depth to a character & at the very least you know he didn't start off a complete psychopath. Also, that he had obvious signs of mental retardation. W/o that he's just a gross clown killing people. The show's not horror for the sake of horror...these back stories are what make it interesting. Maybe that's not important to some people, but I need a story to understand a character. Also, I think of all the monsters in the entire series, he may have looked the scariest but he wasn't even close to being as twisted as any of them.
I think that one of the reasons why the quality of show HUGELY decreased is because Jessica left the show. For 3 years the show was about and surrounding her and after her departure, they truly never knew how to continue. I think it took them more than 5 or 6 years to finally be able to leave the Jessica model behind (because on hotel the new one is Gaga, Roanoke is Sarah, etc). Tho i have to admit that the best episode of Apocalypse is return to murder house
i don’t think it was BECAUSE of Jessica leaving i think that was a factor but in reality 1 actor doesn’t change the writing or the directing or cinematography. all that comes before acting. i find that a lot of the writers departing after Hotel. and then when Michael Goi left after Hotel and the show switched to digital cameras the show lost almost all creativity and visual appeal in Roanoke, Cult, Apocalypse. 1984 onward it’s a bit better with its writing and pacing and especially the cinematography and color grading issues have improved as well.
@@cainvarner Good observation about the effects of switching to digital cameras! Admittedly I stopped watching AHS after Cult, but I think the link between Jessica Lange leaving and the worsening quality is that she seemed like a creative muse for Ryan Murphy. Seems like he moved on to Emma Roberts, though it doesn't work for me. She's good at what she does, but when Roberts acts, I just see the actress. With Lange, I see the *character* every time she's on screen. Part of that is certainly the longetivity of Lange's career, so perhaps Roberts will develop more nuance over time as well. (Though I can't really get past the DV she perpetrated on Evan Peters...) Besides all that, Murphy just gets bored of his own works after a while and it is very much reflected in the writing. I love these videos, been binging them all today! :)
I think I saw that Ryan Murphy said that all the songs the characters sing are by self-described “freaks” so Lana Del Rey, Kurt Cobain (love the Nirvana shirt btw) Fiona Apple, David Bowie etc. have either all called themselves that or their personas play into that idea. Love the series Cain!!
Absolutely. Between what Meep went through and Pepper's response to losing Salty, my tears were so real with them...but, Ma Petite...oh, Ma Petite stung hardest.
I love Dandy, he is one of my favorite villains in the show. I think he works so well because for as crusty as he is he seems actually realistic. A rich boy given every thing in life but can’t have the one thing he wants. He’s like if Elon Musk, an influencer and killer psychopath were combined into one.
I can't believe Elsa created Lana Del Rey, David Bowie and possibly Nirvana songs. Additionally, she created Madonna (Erotica era) style flashback videos. A genius, an icon, a disco diva. She literally owns everything!
Idk if you talked about this in the recaps, but the promotional material for this show? On point 👌Like those aesthetic teasers they made for each season and the imagery they used, literal art. I went to rewatch compilations of those teasers after this video, Asylum and Freakshow were among my favorites
you put it well in one of your text-interjections ._. i can't find it rn so apologies, but it went something like "half the time i feel like we're supposed to commiserate with the outcasts, and the other half of the time we're supposed to gawk"....between the closeted gay dude who is so heinous the only way he can live with himself is with a noose, the constant and rampant fetishization, and the trivialization of actual outcasts by a fake palm-reader and a rich boy who fancies himself a murderer, i remember why it took me two tries to actually finish this season. made me waaaaay more uncomfortable than it scared or held me in suspense amazing videos though! i can't imagine the amount of time you pour into these to recap them o.o you should be proud
it definitely doesn’t do the best job at representing them all especially when in the finale dandy just kills all of them. like were we supposed to be gawking at them or what?? it like walks a very fine line. it also never sits right with me that the main characters in this season are the non-real life people with abnormalities. like the real “freaks” or whatever were the side characters. it’s obviously different if they aren’t actors but it just seems like they were delegitimizing the real life people by casting mostly able body actors instead.
you're not wrong...i know that they had some A-grade talented stars that were show mainstays and were fan-favorited to become major characters, but...i don't think they did "representation" right. asking people to come on this show as sideshow characters just to say "gee, don't they look different!" and kill them off without a second thought rubs me the wrong way Ma Petite's death broke me T-T they did her dirty, man i WILL say i liked how they handled dot vs bette. there was a legit struggle of "people treat us like we're the same person but we have our own motivations and decisions and can people PLEASE treat us as adults, thanks". again, able-bodied actress, but it gave a lot of depth for a "freak" (most of the other "freaks" had struggles that were....mons pubis-deep, and no further)
Love this series! Maybe next time you do a vid like this you could zoom in or give a clear image of the characters when you’re giving their initial descriptions? Just when you get to the bottom row they’re kinda difficult to see. Obsessed with these stories and you do such a good job keeping a complex take easy to understand. We love you!!🫶🏻
If you really needed a word to use instead, here in Ohio we use the word Carnie to refer to actors or employees for any sort of circus, fair, sideshow, etc. Starting as reference to the "freaks" who lived in and worked at the carnivals, then just sorta became an umbrella term. Now even the people working the food stands at fairs are called Carnies here, which makes it a lost less heavy of a word than calling someone a freak
✨S4 IS MY FAVORITE✨The circus was always terrifying as a kid and the acting and casting was so good for this season! AHS lost me after apocalypse, now im watching Delicate cause i was interested to see how they will do with a book adaptation. Im not planning on watching the seasons i missed but cant wait for your videos on them! Thx for the awesome content, Love n hugs from Vienna!❤️
well Apocalypse was terrible. You should definitely watch 1984 and NYC. those are terrific! Red Tide was great until the finale so if you wanna watch that too lol. but do not watch Death Valley that is the worst thing you’ll ever see
@@cainvarner Sadly i got spoiled by 1984 already, but i can see myself watching it for the 80s aesthetic (the guys in the workout shorts, yes pls hahah). I got no clue about NYC so imma take your recommendation on that one! Not a fan of bad finales, that kinda ruins a whole season for me. Im curious what your general impression of AHS Delicate is so far, are you enjoying it? The last episode got me hooked!
@@cainvarnerI just stopped watching the show after several episodes of Death Valley… At least Apocalypse was funny fan-service turn to 11 and 1984 was great
The algorithm really popped off with recommending these videos, good for you girly!! (Also loving the series, great job. Can't wait to see your take on cult because I HATED that season :) )
As a Hotel enjoyer, I resent that everything post season 4 is bad lmao. (Most of it is but, I did really enjoy Hotel for the most part.) You've been killing it with these AHS videos! So excited to see what else you have in store.
I started watching AHS at Freak Show, loved it. Then Hotel really solidified my love because it gave Eagles Hotel California vibes which is one of my all-time favorite songs. They lost me after that. I hated Roanoke and got so lost, Cult was terrible and I hated all of the characters, I didn’t watch 75% of Apocalypse for the same reason, I struggled through 1984 but it was THE campiest, most annoying Scream Queens meets 80’s horror I’ve ever seen. I just haven’t been able to bring myself to watch an episode since 🙁 I did go back and watch the first three seasons which were phenomenal. I don’t know what they changed about the formula of AHS (other than Queen Bee Jessica Lange leaving), but they ruined it along they IMO.
the edward mordrake urban legend is somewhat obscure, so i am curious on why he specficially was referenced in this season. based on what i read, the first written mention of him was in an article from 1895 that references "human freaks." the man who wrote the article was fiction author charles lothin hildreth who supposedly read a british scientific paper (that did not exist) about a woman with a fish tail, a half-man-half-spider, and mordrake. edward mordrake was later mentioned in a medical encylopedia, but the entry was directly copied from hildreth's newspaper article, with additional fluff about potential morphologies and such.
My fiance and I have recently gotten into AHS and i tend to fall asleep a bit so watching your videos helps put missing pieces together for me as well as something i might have missed. So thank you alot!
I love this season contrary to all the fans I've heard. Maybe it's a soft spot for circuses but all the performances are so good and the stories are mostly great and I think tie together into a great story and a great goodbye to Lange especially.
I really was preparing go wait for this video for at least a few weeks after the run with the last 3 videos and I'm so excited this fantastic season is being given the love it deserves (not that other ahs reviewers haven't given it love, but these recaps are like the definitive commentary now)
@TH-camperson1337 omg i dont know if everyone will agree with my takes i’ve just seen it loads of times atp. when i make these videos i rewatch it twice on my own time, then on the third i write up a script. then i rewatch a fourth time to grab pictures and videos for the video so i basically know the season like the back of my hand. luckily i start working on the next season before i Finish the last one so i don’t go crazy 😭
The performing song choices being not of that time period, was because apparently those singers have considered themselves as freaks at one point in their lives
You should make a video about all the pop culture/historical references in this season; the chicken feather thing is from Freaks, and a LOT of the twins plot comes from the real life conjoined twins, you can see a lot of it in the documentary “Bound by Flesh”
I remember when AHS first aired on TV back in 2011, and as a horror girlie, I was immensely hyped. Watching this breakdown of one of my favorite seasons of one of the shows I LOVED as a teenager made me want to rewatch again. You did a great job recapping this. Gained a sub. 💕
You are totally right that freak show really was the end of the golden age of AHS. Maybe it’s because of the lack of Jessica Lange, I don’t know, but really that was one of the few good seasons
As someone who has never seen this show but is currently binging (and is obsessed) with this series, the asylum tie in stuff killedddd me, thats such a cool concepttttt!! Really excited for more possible tie ins in future seasons (even tho it seems the show gets worse from here on out, still very excited!!!)
My brother in Christ, I've been binge-watching your entire playlist and I'm obsessed. I may not be all about AHS now, but I'm seriously enjoying the way you summarize the stories!! You've seriously busted your rear on this project, enjoy the subs and views, you've earned them! ❤
I found this season too uhhhh scattered... Like even in this summary it's like "where is this even going?" Carnivale really ruined it for me. And the anachronisms in the musical numbers is very "why is anyone even singing right now, let alone a song that doesn't exist yet?" I never finished it so thanks for the summary for real
You've definitely got something good going with these AHS deep dives and cant wait to see what you do after this series is done/during the break for it! The fact you've got so many subs after only 4 videos is great sign
Honestly this channel deserves so many more subscribers than it has. The amount of effort and thought put into these recaps is insane. I just came from the first OUAT video with a more analytic/video-essay approach, and I’m so impressed. Incredible videos and interesting content!
it’s definitely a lot of work, but I make sure to have at least two weeks to plan each video all out before I actually start filming. basically, I was working on all four videos all at once essentially lol just at different stages.
Wanna say, I appreciate you showing sensitivity in the beginning, but the characters of the Freak Show are all self proclaimed freaks, so you don't have to apologize for calling them that. It is a hurtful word, even back then, but in the context of the era and their literal job its not offensive for you to call them that at all like you're fine lmao and I say this as someone who always says just bc it was "considered" right at the time doesn't make it excusable. Like in this case it's just what their job was literally called and what they called themselves lmao But i loved this! Freak Show is my favorite season of AHS so I was so excited to see your recap bc I haven't seen it in years! It was the first season I saw back in like middle school thanks to a friend, literally was just at her house when she started watching it and I stayed there for hours to binge the rest with her bc it slayed so hard. It wasn't until after that that my OTHER friend who was obsessed with Murder House (classic middle schooler in love with Tate and Violet vibes lmao) watched all of the first three seasons together with me lmao. And so I am a little bias, bc Freak Show was the first I saw and I have a HUGE guilty pleasure for circus aesthetic and those kinda stories, but I do really agree it's like a 8 or 9 out of 10, the actors and the characters really do carry the season. Jimmy, Ethel, Elsa, Desiree, Paul, Amazon Eve, Bette, Dot, Dandy and even the other side characters like Ma Petite, Pepper and Legless Suzie all slay so hard and you GENUINELY get such a sense of community and family and depth to them as people. It's one of the biggest casts of AHS and yet it's handled so well imo, there's way less unlikable characters. Like while Dell is a fucking bastard in most respect, thoss few scenes of genuine father son connection between him and Jimmy tugs my heart strings, even if Dell can't be trusted as far as you can throw him even in regards to Jimmy. And there's lots of fun attentions to detail, like the way they kill Richard-its actually directly inspired by an old movie from the 30s called Freaks (my family actually got it on DVD after seeing Freak Show bc my mom recognized it bc she was born in the late 50s so grew up on old movies like that) and yeah its the exact same! I forget the plot exactly but a woman tries to trick some of the freaks or something? And they invite her to a dinner only to hunt her down and mutilate her in the exact same way. It's a really cool tribute imo bc it is exactly the same like fr lmao But yeah despite not much happening characters really do make a story mean something to me more than the actual plot and this season nails that. Dandy is one of the most entertaining villains to watch that I've ever seen and especially in AHS, you don't really get annoyed or bored with him you just genuinely are appalled but intrigued by how delulu this brat is because he just feels very human in that insanity lmao. Jimmy is like Kit from Asylum where he has issues but you really root for him unlike Tate or fuckin Kyle or literally any role where he plays a nasty villain lmao. And yeah even side characters like Amazon Eve and Paul felt so integral and lovable so when they all get massacred it's lowkey a slap in the face and I do hate Ryan Murphy for that one but it's not the first time he's done ahs dirty so 🙄 Emma Roberts character is a flop imo like girl didn't need to be there at all I always forget she is there Neil Patrick Harris also has never played a role that didn't make me roll my eyes and make my skin crawl like his whole storyline was so icky Dell is infuriating bc he has potential but exactly as you said his closeted gayness is such a scapegoat and lazy story beat lmao like both his and Richard's gayness were used as plot devices in the grossest way from my recollection And Ima is the BIGGEST fucking red flag of the season to be honest. I completely blocked her out of my memory but you were so right. She was, more than anyone else, treated like something to ogle, shame or fetishize and it was so uncomfortable. It makes sense in the Context of the story that she's treated that way bc all of the freaks are being exploited by things they could never control, but the audience shouldn't feel like they're apart of that ogling crowd and that's exactly how you feel with Ima, the actual tone of the story doesn't treat her with ANY respect bc she is brought in out of NOWHERE, fetishized and used by Jimmy, and then shoved to the side. She's in the background as "another member of the family" of the troupe for the rest of the season, I even remember her piping up ONCE, but is never actually treated like an important character the way all the other members are. It's really sad and gross and the biggest smudge on the season by far. But yeah like any AHS season it has problems but aesthetically and character wise it feels like the peak of the series imo and then they immediately plummeted lmao. Anyway rant done loved this recap and am looking forward to hear you cover other shows that I know nothing about lmao, I'm excited to learn about them through your lense!
GIRL this was so fucking nice! and i completely agree with your evaluation of the Ima situation i just didn’t have the amount of words you do lol. that was like an essay! I’m so glad you liked it!
Started watched AHS pretty recently and just finished season 4! Pepper’s story in episode ten was so sad :( such a good season! I look forward to watching these recap videos post-watch
you are a godsend!! i JUST finished the coven recap and was prepared to dive into something else come to find this video popped up on the homepage. i will be sticking around for whatever content you decide to bless us with!
I’m currently rewatching Freak Show for the first time since I watched it air originally, about a decade ago. I only watched this season once back then. I’ve watched seasons 1, 2, and 5 multiple times. I recall not loving Freak Show and not being that wild about Coven, either. I just finished rewatching Coven for the first time (2 days ago), and for some reason, perhaps because I could binge watch it, I quite enjoyed Coven (there are many flaws, of course, but I enjoyed it a lot on this rewatch). I’m on Episode 8, “Blood Bath,” and thus far, I am quite loving so many elements, including the positives which you point out. There are bits that I wish had been done differently, but this season has a lot of heart and I absolutely fucking ADORE the dialect, accents, set design, cinematography, music, costuming, styling, and more. I love a period piece done with exquisite taste and attention to detail. Freak Show has that in spades! It also has an energy so specific and unlike the other seasons. You, dear, are what has inspired me to go on this journey of rewatching and for several seasons, my first watch. I just binged 1984 last week, and again, in spite of its flaws, it is such a fun season for a Gen X girlie like me who LIVES for slasher films of the 70s and 80s! ❤
The first episode of AHS I ever watched was the Orphan episode, all I can say is holy crap is that one wild episode to start off on, made it a lot sadder once I went back and watched Asylum
thank you so much for making this series😭 i've been trying to explain it to my boyfriend but it's so convoluted i literally can't and i refuse to put myself through watching it all again
Just came across your channel the day after you posted Coven. I love all your hard work you make it make sense & your comedy carries 🤣. Doing great sis ♥️.
For me the golden era of AHS are the first five seasons, based on the fact that they are made through film before the docu format (Roanoke)/digital format (unsure of the correct term, but Cult onwards).
This is where I started watching AHS in college when a whole bunch of my new friends loved the series. It's not the best for catching an audience but, has my love for this full season grown since? Absolutely goes off once NPH joins the cast for 2 episodes.
@@cainvarnerhe's the perfect little psycho boy that *I needed to set this season off. Dandy just wasn't doing it for me. As you said, Twisty's storyline is filler and to me its my favorite part
Just wanted to thank you for doing these recaps cause i've really wanted to watch ahs, but i truly cannot handle disturbing/gore type stuff unfortunately, even just sounds. I've always been intrigued by the stories though, so it's nice to just get to "watch" it via a recap. I did watch murder house way back in the day...i was haunted by that for a while lol
Bruh I rewatched this with my roomate and it was his first time watching it and we dead ass sat on the couch for hours binge watching this whole season 😂
OK! I know I'm a little late to this party, but I have to totally disagree with you on the *'"Edward Mordrake"* storyline! The Folklore of Mordrake & Elsa's meeting during Her Halloween Night Performance of *"Gods & Monsters"* was the pinnacle of the season! Between Jessica Lange's performance of Gods & Monsters, Wes Bentley's haunting entrance as *Mordrake,* against the wonderful cinematography. Was pure & utter perfection! Those 2 1/2 minutes were AHS finest moment! A Chef's 😘! 😉👍
@@cainvarner I understand. To each their own. 😊 The whole plot & storyline of Mordrake was not in vain & just useless filler by the writers! It was needed to bring together everyone's backstory & for *TWISTY 🤡 & ELSA* (especially Elsa) to realize & admit that they were FREAKS too! Plus, who doesn't just love 🥰 them some spooky *"FOLKLORE"* on a storm lit 🎃 *HALLOWEEN* 🎃 night! 😉👍❤
Freakshow is my favorite season, full stop! Asylum and Coven are great but the visual effects are so amazing in this season and the characters are just so likeable. I mean, like iconic to have 2 sara Paulson's in one season. Freakshow was also the first season I ever saw while it was airing aswell as my first season ever of AHS and I really just adore Bette and Dot.
Wow what a trilogy of videos! This whole series has been great and you get better and more comfortable with each one. Can't wait see what's next! You've become one of my "oh a new video, must watch immediately!" 😁❤ What other shows are you into and thinking of covering in these deep dives?
i cannot believe the size of your channel! honestly from watching these videos i thought you would have hundreds of thousands of subscribers! i’m rlly rlly enjoying these please keep doing them, they’re amazing, would love to see you branch out into other series/horror projects too
Love the alliteration in the title. Thank you so much for all the work on this series. I can't watch this series myself because it does bad things to my brain but I'm obsessed with the show anyway so I'm living for these recaps. Keep up the good work, man.
I never watch timeline videos, so this was the first one I've watched. Ended up really enjoying your video! Freak Show is my favorite season of AHS-next to Asylum and Hotel. Will definitely be watching your other timeline videos too! 🩷
Freakshow was a wild ride to watch as it was airing. Perhaps my expectations were too high, cause spooky, sinister carnival is one of my favorite aesthetics, but it really didn't grab me until rewatching it later. I remember watching a true crime show about the man Jimmy's father is based on, thats a wild story to get into
thank you to everyone for blessing me with so many likes and comments and views this whole month! I’ve never been so proud of creating anything before. Like this last 3 months has been so fun and so challenging, to see if i could actually do it and i haven’t gotten bored yet so i think that’s a good sign. Look out for new videos in the coming weeks! Maybe there will be a new series or two for you to look forward to 👀
Thank YOU for taking the time to do all this❤️
All the support babes! Keep going!
can we put in requests? lol
I like your energy
ahs just icked me when all their villains became real life murderers. it was disturbing some fandom ppl obsessing over Richard Ramirez bc of 1984. very gross
Happened with hotel also
All of Denis O’Hare’s characters in AHS seasons 1-4 are crustlords, but we will not have any disrespect for Ms. Liz Taylor
love her
Literally my favourite character in the entire series
Hotel was the big reverse - Dennis O'Hare is the strong woman and Sarah Paulson is the crustlord
@@mggentry well sally served but she was also unhygienic
Physical crust but spiritual slay
It's no coincidence that the golden age of ahs is helmed by Jessica Lange, as much as I love Hotel it certainly suffers from her leaving. That being said I'm very much looking forward to your video on Hotel it has some of the best character introductions in the series
i think the show recovered from her loss but plot wise the show suffers immensely for a few seasons.
Let us take a moment to pray in gratitude for this gift
Amen 🙏🏽
🙏yes i am binging the sht outta this channel
😂 kinda glad i found it later cuz i dont have to wait until I catch up yay. Love finding good hidden gem channel like this
Edward Mordrake was probably put in because 1: he was a real person and the showrunners love putting real sorta related people in this show, 2: because it's a good way to introduce certain characters backstory and 3: they needed a creative way to get rid of the clown in order to make way for Dandy.
Yes I thought the same thing - we got the backstory of several characters rather quickly.
Exactly!!! I think it was a great way to get to know the characters backstories w/o it seeming forced. The only way you care what happens to characters in tv & movies is when you're invested in their story. It almost humanizes someone like Twisty a little. It doesn't mean I think what he's done is ok...it's just a good way to bring depth to a character & at the very least you know he didn't start off a complete psychopath. Also, that he had obvious signs of mental retardation. W/o that he's just a gross clown killing people. The show's not horror for the sake of horror...these back stories are what make it interesting. Maybe that's not important to some people, but I need a story to understand a character.
Also, I think of all the monsters in the entire series, he may have looked the scariest but he wasn't even close to being as twisted as any of them.
I think that one of the reasons why the quality of show HUGELY decreased is because Jessica left the show.
For 3 years the show was about and surrounding her and after her departure, they truly never knew how to continue.
I think it took them more than 5 or 6 years to finally be able to leave the Jessica model behind (because on hotel the new one is Gaga, Roanoke is Sarah, etc). Tho i have to admit that the best episode of Apocalypse is return to murder house
i don’t think it was BECAUSE of Jessica leaving i think that was a factor but in reality 1 actor doesn’t change the writing or the directing or cinematography. all that comes before acting. i find that a lot of the writers departing after Hotel. and then when Michael Goi left after Hotel and the show switched to digital cameras the show lost almost all creativity and visual appeal in Roanoke, Cult, Apocalypse. 1984 onward it’s a bit better with its writing and pacing and especially the cinematography and color grading issues have improved as well.
@@cainvarner Good observation about the effects of switching to digital cameras! Admittedly I stopped watching AHS after Cult, but I think the link between Jessica Lange leaving and the worsening quality is that she seemed like a creative muse for Ryan Murphy. Seems like he moved on to Emma Roberts, though it doesn't work for me. She's good at what she does, but when Roberts acts, I just see the actress. With Lange, I see the *character* every time she's on screen. Part of that is certainly the longetivity of Lange's career, so perhaps Roberts will develop more nuance over time as well. (Though I can't really get past the DV she perpetrated on Evan Peters...)
Besides all that, Murphy just gets bored of his own works after a while and it is very much reflected in the writing. I love these videos, been binging them all today! :)
I think I saw that Ryan Murphy said that all the songs the characters sing are by self-described “freaks” so Lana Del Rey, Kurt Cobain (love the Nirvana shirt btw) Fiona Apple, David Bowie etc. have either all called themselves that or their personas play into that idea. Love the series Cain!!
yeah i heard that too it’s just funny to hear lana played in 1952
Bowie is one of my favorite artists- but Elsa’s version of Life on Mars is my favorite version of the song.
@mystikbuttcrack4335 i love love love that song it genuinely makes me shed a tear almost everytime. same with heroes in the end
I don't think Lana Del Rey fits in with the others in this group at all.
@apenguinnamedabraham she's literally a culmination of all three
Ma Petites body is taken to the museum on my birthday.
To say it's the most upsetting death of the entire series to me is almost an understatement.
Absolutely. Between what Meep went through and Pepper's response to losing Salty, my tears were so real with them...but, Ma Petite...oh, Ma Petite stung hardest.
That’s my dad and I’s in joke lol. “No! Not Ma Petite!!” We were genuinely very upset yet cackling like coyotes
That episode about Pepper’s backstory and future story literally destroyed me, I was bawling for like 20 minutes
The speed you’ve been putting these out has been absolutely w i l d, thank you, and please enjoy a break 🙏💕
its been a crazy 3 months i’ll tell you that! i started writing the first season in early august so it definitely got way easier as it went on!
have i already watched ahs? yes. will i keep watching your recaps? of course because these are the best part of my week!
I love Dandy, he is one of my favorite villains in the show. I think he works so well because for as crusty as he is he seems actually realistic. A rich boy given every thing in life but can’t have the one thing he wants. He’s like if Elon Musk, an influencer and killer psychopath were combined into one.
LOVE dandy. This season wouldn't have been what it was without him and his crazy a$$ moma🎉I love it. Their storyline was the most entertaining
@@BARBEE301 He’s so fun to hate! Him, Jimmy, Elsa and Eve always make me want to rewatch this season
I can't believe Elsa created Lana Del Rey, David Bowie and possibly Nirvana songs. Additionally, she created Madonna (Erotica era) style flashback videos. A genius, an icon, a disco diva. She literally owns everything!
This made me realise how little happens that’s actually important for the plot per episode 😂 wow
AHS thrives when it’s about the vibes
Idk if you talked about this in the recaps, but the promotional material for this show? On point 👌Like those aesthetic teasers they made for each season and the imagery they used, literal art. I went to rewatch compilations of those teasers after this video, Asylum and Freakshow were among my favorites
they were iconic
I would love to see a video going through all of the AHS teasers! Maybe a ranking?
you put it well in one of your text-interjections ._. i can't find it rn so apologies, but it went something like "half the time i feel like we're supposed to commiserate with the outcasts, and the other half of the time we're supposed to gawk"....between the closeted gay dude who is so heinous the only way he can live with himself is with a noose, the constant and rampant fetishization, and the trivialization of actual outcasts by a fake palm-reader and a rich boy who fancies himself a murderer, i remember why it took me two tries to actually finish this season. made me waaaaay more uncomfortable than it scared or held me in suspense
amazing videos though! i can't imagine the amount of time you pour into these to recap them o.o you should be proud
it definitely doesn’t do the best job at representing them all especially when in the finale dandy just kills all of them. like were we supposed to be gawking at them or what?? it like walks a very fine line. it also never sits right with me that the main characters in this season are the non-real life people with abnormalities. like the real “freaks” or whatever were the side characters. it’s obviously different if they aren’t actors but it just seems like they were delegitimizing the real life people by casting mostly able body actors instead.
you're not wrong...i know that they had some A-grade talented stars that were show mainstays and were fan-favorited to become major characters, but...i don't think they did "representation" right. asking people to come on this show as sideshow characters just to say "gee, don't they look different!" and kill them off without a second thought rubs me the wrong way
Ma Petite's death broke me T-T they did her dirty, man
i WILL say i liked how they handled dot vs bette. there was a legit struggle of "people treat us like we're the same person but we have our own motivations and decisions and can people PLEASE treat us as adults, thanks". again, able-bodied actress, but it gave a lot of depth for a "freak" (most of the other "freaks" had struggles that were....mons pubis-deep, and no further)
I’ll never forget how Del snuffed out poor Ma Petite
Love this series! Maybe next time you do a vid like this you could zoom in or give a clear image of the characters when you’re giving their initial descriptions? Just when you get to the bottom row they’re kinda difficult to see. Obsessed with these stories and you do such a good job keeping a complex take easy to understand. We love you!!🫶🏻
As a Dandy Mott stan, I agree with the amount of Dandy slander in this video
Love Dandy. He MADE this season
That man is so fine
If you really needed a word to use instead, here in Ohio we use the word Carnie to refer to actors or employees for any sort of circus, fair, sideshow, etc. Starting as reference to the "freaks" who lived in and worked at the carnivals, then just sorta became an umbrella term. Now even the people working the food stands at fairs are called Carnies here, which makes it a lost less heavy of a word than calling someone a freak
Same thing in Illinois, Carnie is a catch all for all carnival workers
I feel like general Midwest it's carnie
Same in St. Louis
✨S4 IS MY FAVORITE✨The circus was always terrifying as a kid and the acting and casting was so good for this season! AHS lost me after apocalypse, now im watching Delicate cause i was interested to see how they will do with a book adaptation. Im not planning on watching the seasons i missed but cant wait for your videos on them! Thx for the awesome content,
Love n hugs from Vienna!❤️
well Apocalypse was terrible. You should definitely watch 1984 and NYC. those are terrific! Red Tide was great until the finale so if you wanna watch that too lol. but do not watch Death Valley that is the worst thing you’ll ever see
@@cainvarner Sadly i got spoiled by 1984 already, but i can see myself watching it for the 80s aesthetic (the guys in the workout shorts, yes pls hahah). I got no clue about NYC so imma take your recommendation on that one! Not a fan of bad finales, that kinda ruins a whole season for me. Im curious what your general impression of AHS Delicate is so far, are you enjoying it? The last episode got me hooked!
@@cainvarnerI just stopped watching the show after several episodes of Death Valley…
At least Apocalypse was funny fan-service turn to 11 and 1984 was great
The algorithm really popped off with recommending these videos, good for you girly!!
(Also loving the series, great job. Can't wait to see your take on cult because I HATED that season :) )
As a Hotel enjoyer, I resent that everything post season 4 is bad lmao. (Most of it is but, I did really enjoy Hotel for the most part.)
You've been killing it with these AHS videos! So excited to see what else you have in store.
oh Hotel slays but it’s not a good story
I wish Hotel was better cause it's got great ideas especially for a modern-set Gothic story but it takes WAY too long to get into it.
I started watching AHS at Freak Show, loved it. Then Hotel really solidified my love because it gave Eagles Hotel California vibes which is one of my all-time favorite songs. They lost me after that. I hated Roanoke and got so lost, Cult was terrible and I hated all of the characters, I didn’t watch 75% of Apocalypse for the same reason, I struggled through 1984 but it was THE campiest, most annoying Scream Queens meets 80’s horror I’ve ever seen. I just haven’t been able to bring myself to watch an episode since 🙁
I did go back and watch the first three seasons which were phenomenal. I don’t know what they changed about the formula of AHS (other than Queen Bee Jessica Lange leaving), but they ruined it along they IMO.
the edward mordrake urban legend is somewhat obscure, so i am curious on why he specficially was referenced in this season. based on what i read, the first written mention of him was in an article from 1895 that references "human freaks." the man who wrote the article was fiction author charles lothin hildreth who supposedly read a british scientific paper (that did not exist) about a woman with a fish tail, a half-man-half-spider, and mordrake.
edward mordrake was later mentioned in a medical encylopedia, but the entry was directly copied from hildreth's newspaper article, with additional fluff about potential morphologies and such.
I can’t wait to see your channel blow up, you’re delivering stellar content and you truly deserve a huge platform.
My fiance and I have recently gotten into AHS and i tend to fall asleep a bit so watching your videos helps put missing pieces together for me as well as something i might have missed. So thank you alot!
never watched american horror story so i don't have the nostalgia for it, but i am obsessed with this series. i'm excited to see what you do next
The way these videos are improving my mood and overall livelihood on a daily basis
watching you go from 200 to 3k is amazing 🤩keep slaying
I love this season contrary to all the fans I've heard. Maybe it's a soft spot for circuses but all the performances are so good and the stories are mostly great and I think tie together into a great story and a great goodbye to Lange especially.
I'm living for how quickly we're getting these. Thank you for not making up wait for like 4 months between vids 😭
I really was preparing go wait for this video for at least a few weeks after the run with the last 3 videos and I'm so excited this fantastic season is being given the love it deserves (not that other ahs reviewers haven't given it love, but these recaps are like the definitive commentary now)
@TH-camperson1337 omg i dont know if everyone will agree with my takes i’ve just seen it loads of times atp. when i make these videos i rewatch it twice on my own time, then on the third i write up a script. then i rewatch a fourth time to grab pictures and videos for the video so i basically know the season like the back of my hand. luckily i start working on the next season before i Finish the last one so i don’t go crazy 😭
The performing song choices being not of that time period, was because apparently those singers have considered themselves as freaks at one point in their lives
You should make a video about all the pop culture/historical references in this season; the chicken feather thing is from Freaks, and a LOT of the twins plot comes from the real life conjoined twins, you can see a lot of it in the documentary “Bound by Flesh”
I remember when AHS first aired on TV back in 2011, and as a horror girlie, I was immensely hyped. Watching this breakdown of one of my favorite seasons of one of the shows I LOVED as a teenager made me want to rewatch again. You did a great job recapping this. Gained a sub. 💕
the speed at which you’re spitting these out is admirable
Favorite opening sequence of the show ever. My siblings and I giggled through it every time picking out random stuff.
You are totally right that freak show really was the end of the golden age of AHS. Maybe it’s because of the lack of Jessica Lange, I don’t know, but really that was one of the few good seasons
I loved Hotel still, I'd say Roanoke is where it actually started dropping, but I know a lot of people liked Roanoke too
Hotel is definitely good but it shows signs of things to come
I LOVE the way you say perhaps it’s so wholesome
omg thank you 😭
As someone who has never seen this show but is currently binging (and is obsessed) with this series, the asylum tie in stuff killedddd me, thats such a cool concepttttt!!
Really excited for more possible tie ins in future seasons (even tho it seems the show gets worse from here on out, still very excited!!!)
My brother in Christ, I've been binge-watching your entire playlist and I'm obsessed. I may not be all about AHS now, but I'm seriously enjoying the way you summarize the stories!! You've seriously busted your rear on this project, enjoy the subs and views, you've earned them! ❤
I found this season too uhhhh scattered... Like even in this summary it's like "where is this even going?" Carnivale really ruined it for me. And the anachronisms in the musical numbers is very "why is anyone even singing right now, let alone a song that doesn't exist yet?" I never finished it so thanks for the summary for real
You've definitely got something good going with these AHS deep dives and cant wait to see what you do after this series is done/during the break for it! The fact you've got so many subs after only 4 videos is great sign
i’m flabbergasted to be honest like it’s insane
Honestly this channel deserves so many more subscribers than it has. The amount of effort and thought put into these recaps is insane. I just came from the first OUAT video with a more analytic/video-essay approach, and I’m so impressed. Incredible videos and interesting content!
thank you! it’s honestly been insane how fast i’ve grown. i’m thankful for the subs i have and the fact that y’all love my content so much. 💙
You are putting these videos out sooo fast omg! I’m loving them. Enjoy your break from ahs can’t wait to see what else you have planned!
So impressed by the quality of your videos and how fast you’re putting them out
it’s definitely a lot of work, but I make sure to have at least two weeks to plan each video all out before I actually start filming. basically, I was working on all four videos all at once essentially lol just at different stages.
@@cainvarner that’s even more impressive tbh !
Wanna say, I appreciate you showing sensitivity in the beginning, but the characters of the Freak Show are all self proclaimed freaks, so you don't have to apologize for calling them that. It is a hurtful word, even back then, but in the context of the era and their literal job its not offensive for you to call them that at all like you're fine lmao and I say this as someone who always says just bc it was "considered" right at the time doesn't make it excusable. Like in this case it's just what their job was literally called and what they called themselves lmao
But i loved this! Freak Show is my favorite season of AHS so I was so excited to see your recap bc I haven't seen it in years! It was the first season I saw back in like middle school thanks to a friend, literally was just at her house when she started watching it and I stayed there for hours to binge the rest with her bc it slayed so hard. It wasn't until after that that my OTHER friend who was obsessed with Murder House (classic middle schooler in love with Tate and Violet vibes lmao) watched all of the first three seasons together with me lmao. And so I am a little bias, bc Freak Show was the first I saw and I have a HUGE guilty pleasure for circus aesthetic and those kinda stories, but I do really agree it's like a 8 or 9 out of 10, the actors and the characters really do carry the season.
Jimmy, Ethel, Elsa, Desiree, Paul, Amazon Eve, Bette, Dot, Dandy and even the other side characters like Ma Petite, Pepper and Legless Suzie all slay so hard and you GENUINELY get such a sense of community and family and depth to them as people. It's one of the biggest casts of AHS and yet it's handled so well imo, there's way less unlikable characters. Like while Dell is a fucking bastard in most respect, thoss few scenes of genuine father son connection between him and Jimmy tugs my heart strings, even if Dell can't be trusted as far as you can throw him even in regards to Jimmy.
And there's lots of fun attentions to detail, like the way they kill Richard-its actually directly inspired by an old movie from the 30s called Freaks (my family actually got it on DVD after seeing Freak Show bc my mom recognized it bc she was born in the late 50s so grew up on old movies like that) and yeah its the exact same! I forget the plot exactly but a woman tries to trick some of the freaks or something? And they invite her to a dinner only to hunt her down and mutilate her in the exact same way. It's a really cool tribute imo bc it is exactly the same like fr lmao
But yeah despite not much happening characters really do make a story mean something to me more than the actual plot and this season nails that. Dandy is one of the most entertaining villains to watch that I've ever seen and especially in AHS, you don't really get annoyed or bored with him you just genuinely are appalled but intrigued by how delulu this brat is because he just feels very human in that insanity lmao. Jimmy is like Kit from Asylum where he has issues but you really root for him unlike Tate or fuckin Kyle or literally any role where he plays a nasty villain lmao. And yeah even side characters like Amazon Eve and Paul felt so integral and lovable so when they all get massacred it's lowkey a slap in the face and I do hate Ryan Murphy for that one but it's not the first time he's done ahs dirty so 🙄
Emma Roberts character is a flop imo like girl didn't need to be there at all I always forget she is there
Neil Patrick Harris also has never played a role that didn't make me roll my eyes and make my skin crawl like his whole storyline was so icky
Dell is infuriating bc he has potential but exactly as you said his closeted gayness is such a scapegoat and lazy story beat lmao like both his and Richard's gayness were used as plot devices in the grossest way from my recollection
And Ima is the BIGGEST fucking red flag of the season to be honest. I completely blocked her out of my memory but you were so right. She was, more than anyone else, treated like something to ogle, shame or fetishize and it was so uncomfortable. It makes sense in the Context of the story that she's treated that way bc all of the freaks are being exploited by things they could never control, but the audience shouldn't feel like they're apart of that ogling crowd and that's exactly how you feel with Ima, the actual tone of the story doesn't treat her with ANY respect bc she is brought in out of NOWHERE, fetishized and used by Jimmy, and then shoved to the side. She's in the background as "another member of the family" of the troupe for the rest of the season, I even remember her piping up ONCE, but is never actually treated like an important character the way all the other members are. It's really sad and gross and the biggest smudge on the season by far.
But yeah like any AHS season it has problems but aesthetically and character wise it feels like the peak of the series imo and then they immediately plummeted lmao. Anyway rant done loved this recap and am looking forward to hear you cover other shows that I know nothing about lmao, I'm excited to learn about them through your lense!
GIRL this was so fucking nice! and i completely agree with your evaluation of the Ima situation i just didn’t have the amount of words you do lol. that was like an essay! I’m so glad you liked it!
i NEED the rest of the seasons omg im obsessed with this
Started watched AHS pretty recently and just finished season 4! Pepper’s story in episode ten was so sad :( such a good season! I look forward to watching these recap videos post-watch
I cannot explain how much this channel was needed in my life
You are absolutely hilarious, I love these!
I’ve been bingeing this series, having found you first with HOTEL, and I’m so stoked for the rest of your breakdowns
Thank you so much! You are working so hard on these. ❤
you are a godsend!! i JUST finished the coven recap and was prepared to dive into something else come to find this video popped up on the homepage. i will be sticking around for whatever content you decide to bless us with!
binged the other 3 videos the other day and so happy to see this one so soon after, keep up the good work and remember to take care of yourself ❤
i have been watching and rewatching the three other videos constantly🙏🙏
I’m currently rewatching Freak Show for the first time since I watched it air originally, about a decade ago. I only watched this season once back then. I’ve watched seasons 1, 2, and 5 multiple times.
I recall not loving Freak Show and not being that wild about Coven, either. I just finished rewatching Coven for the first time (2 days ago), and for some reason, perhaps because I could binge watch it, I quite enjoyed Coven (there are many flaws, of course, but I enjoyed it a lot on this rewatch).
I’m on Episode 8, “Blood Bath,” and thus far, I am quite loving so many elements, including the positives which you point out. There are bits that I wish had been done differently, but this season has a lot of heart and I absolutely fucking ADORE the dialect, accents, set design, cinematography, music, costuming, styling, and more. I love a period piece done with exquisite taste and attention to detail. Freak Show has that in spades! It also has an energy so specific and unlike the other seasons.
You, dear, are what has inspired me to go on this journey of rewatching and for several seasons, my first watch. I just binged 1984 last week, and again, in spite of its flaws, it is such a fun season for a Gen X girlie like me who LIVES for slasher films of the 70s and 80s! ❤
i am so sad that hotel won’t be covered until the new year! i was so looking forward to your analysis of lady gaga’s role
The first episode of AHS I ever watched was the Orphan episode, all I can say is holy crap is that one wild episode to start off on, made it a lot sadder once I went back and watched Asylum
thank you so much for making this series😭 i've been trying to explain it to my boyfriend but it's so convoluted i literally can't and i refuse to put myself through watching it all again
Just came across your channel the day after you posted Coven. I love all your hard work you make it make sense & your comedy carries 🤣. Doing great sis ♥️.
You simply HAVE to start leaving crumbs when you absolutely EAT
These are indcredible! thank you for your service! I just hope you are keeping this up all the way to NYC, it's my absolute favourite
I LOVE NYC too. I’m gonna be doing them sporadically into the new year !
For me the golden era of AHS are the first five seasons, based on the fact that they are made through film before the docu format (Roanoke)/digital format (unsure of the correct term, but Cult onwards).
The channel I didn't know I needed!🤓😍 Obsessed!
Thank you so much…I just got off my early morning Victoria’s Secret shift and now I’m gonna wash dishes to this 💖
My dishes are clean and I’m full of knowledge >:)
keep this up! really looking forward to your uploads everytime I open youtube ^^
AHS will always have a special place in my heart when I was a kid me and my mom would watch it I remember when the first episode ever premiered on tv
This is where I started watching AHS in college when a whole bunch of my new friends loved the series. It's not the best for catching an audience but, has my love for this full season grown since? Absolutely goes off once NPH joins the cast for 2 episodes.
god i desperately need him off my screen whenever he comes in. like boy leave
@@cainvarnerhe's the perfect little psycho boy that *I needed to set this season off. Dandy just wasn't doing it for me. As you said, Twisty's storyline is filler and to me its my favorite part
@@ImTMZ twisty amounted to nothing in the plot so there for it sorta is like filler no matter how good the performance is.
@@cainvarnertrue! I loved Twisty when i was first watching and was super disappointed that it was just kind of dropped
I really think twisty was put in this season just to tie it to a future season
I found this chanel last night and breezed through these videos because they are FOOD for the hungry audience 🍿🍿🍿
This was fantastically done! Great job & thank you for making it make sense😂🎉
"She joins the troupe but she's not an actual freak" made me LOL
sometimes i have a joke or two under my sleeve
yay so happy this is early, i enjoy listening to your videos while i am animating/drawing for uni work :)
Just wanted to thank you for doing these recaps cause i've really wanted to watch ahs, but i truly cannot handle disturbing/gore type stuff unfortunately, even just sounds. I've always been intrigued by the stories though, so it's nice to just get to "watch" it via a recap. I did watch murder house way back in the day...i was haunted by that for a while lol
Bruh I rewatched this with my roomate and it was his first time watching it and we dead ass sat on the couch for hours binge watching this whole season 😂
OK! I know I'm a little late to this party, but I have to totally disagree with you on the *'"Edward Mordrake"* storyline! The Folklore of Mordrake & Elsa's meeting during Her Halloween Night Performance of *"Gods & Monsters"* was the pinnacle of the season! Between Jessica Lange's performance of Gods & Monsters, Wes Bentley's haunting entrance as *Mordrake,* against the wonderful cinematography. Was pure & utter perfection! Those 2 1/2 minutes were AHS finest moment! A Chef's 😘! 😉👍
it looked great but the episode(s) as a whole aren’t my fave
@@cainvarner I understand. To each their own. 😊 The whole plot & storyline of Mordrake was not in vain & just useless filler by the writers! It was needed to bring together everyone's backstory & for *TWISTY 🤡 & ELSA* (especially Elsa) to realize & admit that they were FREAKS too! Plus, who doesn't just love 🥰 them some spooky *"FOLKLORE"* on a storm lit 🎃 *HALLOWEEN* 🎃 night! 😉👍❤
very excited for hotel, it's one of my last favorites!! can't wait to see what other content you make as well!
the speed and quality of these uploads...! insane and amazing and my bell notification is exstatic
I just caught up on the other three so I was so excited to see this one! Can’t wait for more of your videos!
Freakshow is my favorite season, full stop! Asylum and Coven are great but the visual effects are so amazing in this season and the characters are just so likeable. I mean, like iconic to have 2 sara Paulson's in one season. Freakshow was also the first season I ever saw while it was airing aswell as my first season ever of AHS and I really just adore Bette and Dot.
you’re my new favorite youtuber
Im SO HAPPY thank you for this video, i‘m having a bad day and this is lifting my mood
awww you’re welcome babes i hope you feel better
43:15 and it’s revealed in Asylum before this that she was left in an abusive home where her BIL killed her sister and her baby 😭
I have been loving all of these recaps. I need to rewatch all the seasons 😂
Wow what a trilogy of videos! This whole series has been great and you get better and more comfortable with each one. Can't wait see what's next! You've become one of my "oh a new video, must watch immediately!" 😁❤
What other shows are you into and thinking of covering in these deep dives?
Been waitiiingggg for this one, FreakShow is one of my fav seasonssss ah
i cannot believe the size of your channel! honestly from watching these videos i thought you would have hundreds of thousands of subscribers! i’m rlly rlly enjoying these please keep doing them, they’re amazing, would love to see you branch out into other series/horror projects too
Guys wake up, cainvaner dropped a new AHS video
u gave me everything I needed take ur time 2 come back, take care of ur self!! Love it
Love the alliteration in the title. Thank you so much for all the work on this series. I can't watch this series myself because it does bad things to my brain but I'm obsessed with the show anyway so I'm living for these recaps. Keep up the good work, man.
This is the only season I could just never finish so thanks for this
Oh you absolutely DEVOURED this one too I’m afraid
left no crumbs 👁️
This is my absolute favorite season
I have been bingewatching these videos my guy, you earned a sub ♥
I never watch timeline videos, so this was the first one I've watched. Ended up really enjoying your video! Freak Show is my favorite season of AHS-next to Asylum and Hotel.
Will definitely be watching your other timeline videos too! 🩷
FROM 800 SUBS TO ALMOST 4K HE IS GLOWINGGG
it’s crazy yall
Im excited to see your takes on other franchises next, and look forward to you reviewing the shitshow seasons in the future!
Ah yes, the season that introduced me and my ma to horror story; hopped on episode 2.
Freakshow was a wild ride to watch as it was airing. Perhaps my expectations were too high, cause spooky, sinister carnival is one of my favorite aesthetics, but it really didn't grab me until rewatching it later. I remember watching a true crime show about the man Jimmy's father is based on, thats a wild story to get into