LilyDaleLady
Very disappointing and disjointed TV series -- I guess it was a summer fill-in a couple of years back. No surprise it was not renewed for a 2nd season. If I'd tried to follow on TV as broadcast, I would have dropped out by the 2nd episode, as things were already getting ridiculous....but with DVD sets, it is all too tempting to just keep going. "I'll watch only ONE MORE episode..."Anyways: after finishing this, I felt exploited. The storyline is full of inconsistencies, and feels like something that was just made up on the spot by desperate screenwriters, trying to come up with something "shocking" or "MORE shocking" in every episode. There is not internal logic to it -- by the end, more than half of the characters are killers, serial killers or accomplices of a serial killer. The ending is especially annoying, as it is not deserved and gauzy (everyone not outright killed, is now happy and has a cute baby!). Also, the show drops a lot of "fact bombs" by the end -- things we were deliberately deceived about.The really interesting ideas touched on -- can a child of 9 be a budding monster and future serial killer? can the tendency to be a murderer be inherited (especially if your mom, both your grandfathers, your grandmother and a few aunts/uncles are killers!)??? But this is all dumped, in favor of addle-brained plot developments, and ridiculous scenarios, and people who just don't act like real human beings.It's all set in a monstrously lavish house, decorated like a showcase home -- in the first episode, a canny PR person can't even find a room in the home to shoot an interview, because it is so lavish as to be off-putting to voters -- I don't know if this was a real house or a set, but it is claustrophobic and only serves to make the very rich family at the center of the plot unsympathetic yuppies.It helps not at all that one major character (yup, a murderer!) is running for mayor of BOSTON -- hardly a small town -- but spends all her time trying to track down various serial killers of her family & others, so that she spends close to zero time on her campaign (yet wins!) -- while having a lesbian affair with her black campaign manager -- how many trendy PC points do you get for THAT? Her father AND mother were killed by serial killers (but not before her father is NAMED wrongly as a serial killer for most of the episodes!) and this doesn't hurt her campaign, nor that her one brothers is a crackhead junkie and her other brother ALSO is a murderer (but don't worry, she got him off without jail time!).If all that is not bad enough to deter you....this vastly rich, powerful political family in BOSTON lack any Boston accents whatsoever. The Kennedy's all had Boston accents, so how could they ALL grow up in Boston and yet sound like they came from Columbus, Ohio? (The only character with a genuine accent is the female police officer, which only serves to make it more glaring for the others.)Oh, and NOBODY for 12 episodes has a problem with the chief police investigator on a huge serial murder case, with bodies all around piling up....is the BROTHER in law of the suspects (oh yeah and black, while they are all white) and NOBODY has a problem with this. (In real life, his presence would make prosecution impossible, so he'd be tossed off the case instantly.)Those are only the highlights of a very bad viewing experience. It makes you feel totally ripped off for having sat through it. So many of these long series -- 12 episodes or MORE, some running for YEARS -- tell stories that could easily and BETTER be told in ONE two hour movie -- or at most, a 3 episode "mini series". What ever happened to mini-series? today, a silly murder mystery requires as much time to unfold its story, as "War & Peace" or GWTW! and that is just absurd, and almost punitive towards viewers. It needs to stop!In conclusion: not recommended.
Ri Ja
American Gothic is well written, great cast, plot begs for you to come back for more. What else could viewers ask for? I like the fact that this show is filmed through a "dark" lens; the show's title warrants it. Each character was so richly developed in the first season; I was really looking forward to the twists and turns that the next season would bring. In my opinion, canceling this gem is a BIG mistake.
M.U
I ignored many bad ratings and reviews and decided to watch the show and judge it myself, and I can't say I had high hopes for it. But I was proved wrong; it's interesting, nicely paced and a great opportunity for the actors who are doing a great job. It kept me on the edge of my seat, and seems that it might improve as it goes on. The first episode was a struggle, as with many shows but after 4 to 5 episodes it kept me coming back.That said, there are a few minor problems, sometimes the way the story is told isn't quite satisfying and, out of all the actors involved, Megan Ketch's acting was terrible and, dare I say it, cringe worthy.But in the end, the show was enjoyable and was certainly not a waste of time.
kumaran-98533
This TV series is proof why i wont rely on ratings. Very good series. My guess is that Tessa Ross is the Killer. Explains why Garret and Madeline her mom would want to lie about it. Difficult to understand why this Series has a rating of only 6. Just because of 2 to 3 low ratings. That's why i will do due diligence when checking IMDb ratings. Minimum 10 lines what the heck. Maybe that's why so many have not submitted their ratings. Let me see what else i can type to fill up 10 lines. there is something about this show which makes me to come back every time to watch the next episode. I started watching this show mostly for Antony Starr (Banshee). I am certainly not disappointed. 10 lines done. Now let me submit this review.
