This was a great show for a mini-binge. In one sense it was stylistically rather ridiculous - a fevered dream where many elements were ‘turned up to 11’. This was noticeable from the very start with the visual; the costumes were to die for; every single detail co-ordinated (car and Mildred’s accessories; match!) and they often had a slightly exaggerated air (eg Sharon Stone’s character) which was enormously entertaining. There was definitely an Almodovar influence there.
Technically the show was superb and the use of self-conscious techniques of filming (wipes/colour washes, usually red or green to stress the mood of the main character/split screens) was masterly and great fun. The whole sreies had a very strong Hitchcock vibe about it - not least for the wonderfully evocative music with very strong Bernard Hermann resonances) underlining and supporting the action. Again, it could be seen, and was seen by some commentators, as to OTT and a bit ridiculous but for me that was part of the series’ essence.
As well as Hitchcock there were also other allusions, references and reminders - the framing of the central characters, the care given to the settings - again the Gothic extravaganza of Sharon Stone and her clothing-co-ordinated monkey - all helped to build a marvellously vivid world. And with Sharon Stone and her monstrous crippled son there were very strong resonances of Mrs Venables and Sebastian in Suddenly Last Summer…except that there Tennessee Williams was somewhat more restrained than Ryan Murphy!
However looking back at the whole there were times when the plotting and introduction of new characters (the split personality of Guinevere for example) and the abandoning of older ones seemed somewhat arbitrary and rushed - but there was great narrative drive so that when watching you were (largely) just swept away by what one saw and it was only afterwards, on reflection, that one was more aware of this. Also, while initial publicity suggested that we would see ‘the evolution of a monster’ that was not really the case - although she did do some monstrous things but often for good or understandable reasons. It will be interesting to see if a second, or further series manage to bring her closer to the Cuckoo’s Nest character in terms of motivation and understanding.
There is clearly going to be another series - it certainly did not come to a rounded conclusion but it was grim fun.