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Released by: Fox
Released on: October 22nd, 2013.
Directors: Alfonso Gomez-Rejon, Bradley Buecker, Craig Zisk, David Semel, Jeremy Podeswa
Cast: Evan Peters, Jessica Lange, Lily Rabe, Sarah Paulson, Frances Conroy
Year: 2013
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The Series:
The second season of FX Channel's ongoing American Horror Story series features a completely different set of characters from the first series and takes place in completely different locations but it carries over one important factor from that first run - Jessica Lange.
This time around, the story is set in 1964 and it takes place at the Briarcliff Mental Institution in Massachusetts. Originally founded by Monsignor Timothy Howard (Joseph Fiennes) to help the homeless and hopefully treat those with mental issues, the operation is currently run by Sister Jude (Jessica Lange) and Sister Mary Eunice (Lily Rabe) with Dr. Oliver Thredson (Zachary Quinto) and Dr. Arthur Arden (James Cromwell) being the two chief psychiatrists on staff.
As the thirteen episodes that make up the season play out, we see how the history of the operation has affected the modern day and we meet many of the inhabitants of the asylum and learn of their stories. In fact, it begins in the present where a married couple named Teresa (Jenna Dewan-Tatum) and Leo (Adam Levine) explore the now abandoned structure but through flashbacks we see how a supposed serial killer named Kit Walker (Evan Peters) was locked up there where he meets Grace (Lizzie Brocheré), also locked up for murder. An investigative reporter named Lana Winters (Sarah Paulson) illegally accesses the facility to write a piece on the treatment of the inmates but when it's found out that she's a lesbian, she's locked up for her deviant homosexual tendencies.
Dr. Arden and Sister Jude are soon at odds with one another over his unconventional methods while back in the present, what may or may not be the ghost of Walker pursues Teresa and Leo. The timelines between the two core parts of the story continue to mingle in interesting ways until the series' finale, but along the way we'll meet an insane Santa Claus (Ian McShane), a woman who claims to be Anne Frank (Franka Potente) and witness a possible alien abduction all while Jude sets loose upon Arden a Nazi Hunter (Mark Margolis) to hopefully get him out of the picture once and for all. Meanwhile, Winters' fully grown sun, Johnny Morgan (Dylan McDermott), is out to pay back his mother for the way she treated him as a child and Eunice winds up getting possessed and wrestling control from Jude.
If it sounds complicated, it is. But it's also a hell of a lot of fun.
The series is very effective with its pacing but gives us enough character development that this is more than just a series of bizarre set pieces and sequences of shock. There's a lot of jumping around and there's very definitely a sense of 'weird for the sake of weird' running throughout the series but as it all ties together, the plot lines merge in interesting ways and some of what may have seemed sloppy or just plain strange starts to seem a bit more clever and cohesive. The story and writing this time around definitely takes some strange detours, but it gets there.
Performances are pretty great across the board. Those who saw the first series will fondly recall Jessica Lange's amazing work, and she's every bit as good here this second time around. Her devious nun is the real start of the show and the writers were right to give her a bit more screen time here while at the same time ensuring that the other characters get enough focus so as to ensure we don't get sick of her. It's also fun to see McDermott return to the show, even if his character is more of a supporting player this time around as opposed to the lead he was in the first run. Franka Potente and Ian McShane are excellent as well and a pleasure to watch while the rest of the cast all turn in fine work as well.
Video/Audio/Extras:
The series was broadcast in 1.78.1 widescreen and that's how it is presented on Blu-ray in a pretty nice looking collection of AVC encoded 1080p high definition transfers. The series was shot on 35mm film, not on digital video, so some film grain is present but there isn't anything in the way of actual print damage to note. Colors generally look quite nice here and though there are definitely times where some post production work toys with color grading in interesting, albeit very unnatural, ways. Black levels are not quite reference quality but generally very strong and detail and texture are both quite nice. Some mild compression artifacts can pop up here and there but there are no issues with edge enhancement or noise reduction. All in all, the series looks very good here.
The English language DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio tracks that accompany each and every one of the twelve episodes that make up the complete first season are pretty impressive. The more subdued scenes showcase crystal clear dialogue and nice, relaxed atmosphere while the more chaotic moments use the rear channels really well to heighten tension and build atmosphere. The score sounds excellent here and your subwoofer will definitely kick at you a few times, delivering stronger and more impressive bass response than most TV releases do. As you'd expect, there are no problems with hiss or distortion and the levels stay balanced properly throughout the show. No problems here at all, the lossless tracks are great. Optional subtitles are provided in English SDH, French and Spanish.
There aren't a ton of extras here but Fox has included a few goodies. The first disc is barebones, save for menus that offer episode selection (obviously this carries across all three discs in the set).
On the second disc we get there minutes of deleted scenes, nothing all that exciting but worth checking out for curiosity's sake.
Disc three is where the bulk of the supplements are hidden. Here we get four minutes of marginally interesting deleted scenes and a nine minute short piece called The Orderly. It ties into the series in a strange way as it shows us what happens when an orderly is interviewed by a woman off camera.
More interesting is the twenty-two minute piece called What Is American Horror Story: Aslylum? Here we get some interesting cast and crew interviews along with some clips and are able to explore the behind the scenes goings on of the series and get a peek into what makes the series tick. The fifteen minute Welcome To Briarcliffe Manor piece shows off what went into the set design that makes this second season as atmospheric as it is, while the fifteen minute long The Creatures takes us behind the scenes of what goes into creating some of the supernatural beings that populate the world that the show takes place in.
The Final Word:
Where the first season of American Horror Story was fairly tight and focused, Asylum just goes for it, not concerning itself with tone or structure and putting entertainment front and center. Sometimes it makes perfect sense, sometimes logic is tossed out the window but this second entry turns out to be a lot of good, creepy fun highlighted by yet another amazing performance from Jessica Lange. Fox's Blu-ray release looks and sounds good and features a good smattering of supplements, making this a great way to check out a deliriously creative show in the best possible quality.
Click on the images below for full sized Blu-ray screen caps!
