Why American Horror Story Fans Are So Divided Over AHS: Cult
Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk's "American Horror Story" has been one of the most sensational — and, at times, controversial — television shows in recent memory. Never afraid to shy away from grim, disturbing, and outlandish premises, the series even surprises some of its adoring fans with its content. While fans of "American Horror Story" love the show's impressive roster of actors and the ever-changing characters they play, sometimes the storylines and the themes that come with them don't land.
Season 7, titled "American Horror Story: Cult," is one installment that has proven to be a bit divisive among the fanbase. The season begins with the 2016 presidential election that ended with Donald Trump's victory and follows a woman named Ally (Sarah Paulson), who finds herself tormented by members of a cult led by the violent and ambitious Kai (Evan Peters). While some fans enjoy this particularly political season, others don't think it lives up to the rest of the series. For this reason, there has been significant divisiveness and tension over "Cult," and here is what the fans are saying.
Some fans don't like the subject matter of American Horror Story: Cult
When it comes to "American Horror Story: Cult," some fans think that the overtly political content of the season wasn't handled very well. In a thread about the season, Redditor u/BettyLoops had a gripe with how the political content was presented, arguing, "... when it's handled with the subtly of an oncoming train it gets grating to watch even if you agree with it." Another Redditor, u/IanZarbiVicki, commented on a separate thread, "It was also a little too soon for me to get a Season about the Election. It came at the exact moment in my life where I wanted to hear 0 words about political leaders."
Other fans felt much differently about the season. Redditor u/MonicaBe admitted to being a fan of the season and explained, "It seemed pretty obvious to me that the extremes Cult displayed were the point. Right from the get go, showing Kai's aggressive celebration alongside Ally's ridiculous meltdown, it was clear to me what they were doing." That sentiment was shared by u/pat-fitz-2009, who wrote, "When you disregard a lot of the political overtones as fake (because many of the political ideas in this season are overly extreme) it's honestly a great and gory story."
Taking in these opinions (both favorable and unfavorable), does "American Horror Story: Cult" succeed overall or fall short? Does it completely miss with its aggressive tone, over-the-top cult storyline, disturbing subject matter, and warped political viewpoints? Either way, Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk are notorious for pushing people's buttons, which won't always make audiences pleased, but, at least there's something to talk about.