Summary
As ahorrorfan, I like checking out as many creepy TV series as possible, from the short-lived Netflix thrillerArchive 81to Mike Flanagan’s well-crafted shows such asMidnight Mass. TheAmerican Horror Storyspinoff,American Horror Stories, is an engaging anthology series that explores various popular horror tropes in every episode. While there may be a lot of scary TV shows,American Horror Storiesfeels freshbecause of the intricate, intense, and memorable world that Ryan Murphy created in the original series. Although this is a different TV show, there are references toAHS, including the terrifying Murder House setting.
While there aremany solid episodes ofAmerican Horror Stories,there is one episode in particular that I think is smart, genuinely scary, and the most unforgettable one yet. Although the series has featured solid episodes about pregnancy, a fresh take on Bloody Mary, an evil dollhouse, and smallpox, I think one episode stands out the most.
What Is The American Horror Stories Episode “Bestie” About?
American Horror Storiesseason 3, episode 1, “Bestie,” is a terrifying story about online relationships, dangerous friendships, confidence, and mental health.While fans might have wonderedif the spinoff could be as good asAmerican Horror Story, I think it’s just as compelling, if not even more so. The anthology format allowseach episode to function as a mini horror movie that dives into some important themes. Likethe best elevated horror movies, these episodes are about more than meets the eye and get pretty deep.
In “Bestie,” Shelby Brubaker is having a horrible time. She is grieving the loss of her mom from cancer and lives with her abusive father. While watching an influencer named Anna Rexhia (a reference to terrible pro-anorexia websites and forums), she begins chatting with a girl online named BFF4EVA/Bestie (Jessica Barden). While the focus of the episode isn’t on eating disorders, this is a smart way to set up how vulnerable characters like Shelby are. She has had to face the kind of loss that no child or teenager should, and since she can’t find comfort in her father, she spends too much time online. Although “Bestie” doesn’t have a particularlyeerie setting like some horror movies, it depicts a spot-on and realistic online world.
Like many horror movie villains, Bestie encourages Shelby to hurt others, and I think she is one of the most powerful and memorable villains onAmerican Horror Stories. I’ve always been a fan of horror movies about teenagers because this is a specific time in life that is anxiety-inducing, and adding horror elements like ghosts, stalkers, witches, or killers emphasizes the fear that these characters face. Through Bestie, the TV series explores the insecure nature of teenagers and how desperate they are to fit in. She is so scary because she has so much influence.
Through Bestie, Shelby meets River Wallace (Allius Barnes), a character with disabilities, andRiver kills Shelby at the end of the episode.While this is of course incredibly dark and sad, likethe 2014 Blumhouse horror movieUnfriended, “Bestie” delves into how obsessed high schoolers are with being liked and seeming cool. This was the only possible ending given how afraid Shelby is of saying no to Bestie.
Bestie may be an online figure for most of thisAmerican Horror Storiesepisode, but she’s an effective way for the series to talk about the topics of popularity and friendship. Likeother horrifying teenage characters, Bestie knows her target’s weaknesses.Bestie tells Shelby to face her fears, which emphasizes the message that the influencer Anna Rexhia has near the beginning of the episode:
“What is fear? Fear is like this person who’s always there… Hey. Hey. Watching you, telling you what to do. And when fear commands, most of us just blindly obey. But what if we said no?”
What Are Some Other Great American Horror Stories 3 Episodes?
There are many other greatAmerican Horror Storiesseason 3 episodes, including “Daphne” and “Tapeworm.“In “Daphne,” the anthology series takes on both the COVID-19 pandemic and AI, as Will Caswell (Reid Scott) is living in a lockdown and dealing with a freaky AI named Daphne. “Tapeworm” delves into the sad topic of eating disorders when Vivian Lee Finch (Laura Kariuki) wants to be a famous model. Gwyneth Paltrow and Lisa Rinna have small roles in “Daphne” and “Tapeworm,” respectively.
WhileAmerican Horror Storyseason 12 part 2 was excitingand proves the original series is still going strong, I thinkAmerican Horror Storiesseason 3 featured the best episodes yet.I’m looking forward toAmerican Horror Storiesseason 3, which will premiere in October 2024.
