Pilot (5 Oct. 2011)

Vivien and Ben Harmon and their daughter Violet relocate to Los Angeles from Boston and buy a large old house. As required by law, the real estate agent discloses that the previous ... See full summary »

Director:

Ryan Murphy

Writers:

Ryan Murphy (creator), Brad Falchuk (creator),

Stars:

Connie Britton, Dylan McDermott, Evan Peters

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Connie Britton	...	Vivien Harmon
Dylan McDermott	...	Ben Harmon
Evan Peters	...	Tate Langdon
Taissa Farmiga	...	Violet Harmon
Denis O'Hare	...	Larry Harvey
Jessica Lange	...	Constance Langdon
Frances Conroy	...	Moira O'Hara
Alexandra Breckenridge	...	Young Moira
Christine Estabrook	...	Marcy
Jamie Brewer	...	Adelaide 'Addie' Langdon
Shelby Young	...	Leah
Andy Umberger	...	Dr. Day
Bianca Lawson	...	Abby
Christian Serratos	...	Becca
Melanie Cruz	...	Teacher

Storyline

Vivien and Ben Harmon and their daughter Violet relocate to Los Angeles from Boston and buy a large old house. As required by law, the real estate agent discloses that the previous occupants were the victims of a murder-suicide. The Harmons think nothing of it and concentrate on repairing their marriage that has come under strain following Vivien's miscarriage and Ben's subsequent infidelity with one of his students. Ben is a psychiatrist and will meet his patients in the house. They meet the neighbors, the eccentric Constance and her daughter Adelaide. Vivien also hires a housekeeper, Moira, but Ben and Vivien don't quite see the same person when they look at her. Violet is bullied at school and befriends one of her dad's patients who has serious psychological problems. Strange events begin to occur.

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Plot Keywords:

miscarriage | housekeeper | infidelity | knife | spitting in face | 

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Genres:

Drama | Horror | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 October 2011 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Brad Falchuk Teley-Vision, Ryan Murphy Productions, 20th Century Fox Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

50 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

16:9 HD

Did You Know?

Goofs

Vivian gives Ben a long cut on the left arm after she catches him committing adultery. But every time we see his arm during the rest of the show, there is no scar.

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Quotes

Vivien Harmon: Do you ever get tired of cleaning up other people's messes?
Moira O'Hara: We're women, it's what we do. I just get paid for it.

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Connections

References Vertigo (1958)

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Soundtracks

"Tonight, You Belong To Me"
by Patience and Prudence
[Song heard when the twins are trashing the house]

User Reviews

Really good pilot, declares its intentions from the beginning

The thing that's best in American Horror Story is the cast. They are all very good and well known actors. Jessica Lange, Dylan McDermott, it's pretty rare to come up with such a good cast in a TV series.

The feeling that stays with us after seeing this first episode is it's weirdness. We can't really tell if any of the characters is seeing things, dreaming, or is just esquizofrenic. It's unclear if some sequences are real or a dream. Perhaps the pace for this pilot was too fast, with too much happening in just one episode. But sure it was pretty eerie and scary, exactly what you would expect from a horror show. For now it lives the expectations, and I'm confident it will deliver in the next episodes. This is one to keep track on.

Oh, and the fight scene was amazingly acted.