Although AHS gets more attention than Scream Queens, this Ryan Murphy show deserves to have a much larger fanbase than it does as it shines in many ways.
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While American Horror Story is a popular show, there’s something about Scream Queens that appeals to fans of the horror genre. The most impressive character is Chanel Oberlin, played perfectly and brilliantly by Emma Roberts, who also shows up in several seasons of AHS. Chanel is the head of her sorority and a completely ditzy and ridiculously over-the-top character who loves herself way too much and basically hates everyone else. Chanel is not the kind of main character found in a horror movie. She’s obsessed with beauty, fashion, and perfection, and demands that the other Chanels (played equally well by Billie Lourd and Abigail Breslin) do her bidding. There is no reason to like or sympathize with Chanel as she’s a truly terrible person and there’s no redemption arc or sad past for fans to learn about. While this might not work in every TV show or movie, as fans often need to feel empathy for the main characters so they can get more invested in the plot, it somehow works perfectly in Scream Queens.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Ryan Murphy shared more about Chanel Oberlin: Murphy said, “Emma Roberts is Chanel, who’s the president of Kappa Sorority. She’s very funny and very ruthless. All her life all she’s wanted to do is be president of Kappa and have this great boyfriend and rule the roost. She’s very fashionable and very ruthless.” Murphy added that he wrote the part for Roberts and that she’s hilarious, and fans can definitely tell that season 1 of Scream Queens wouldn’t be as good without Emma Roberts.
Scream Queens has been inspired by meta horror movies like Scream and watching college students hide from the Red Devil is a reminder of seeing Sidney Prescott and the other characters fight Ghostface. Ryan Murphy often blends humor and horror, and Scream Queens is the best example of this, as the combination ups the entertainment value of the show. If it was only funny or only scary, it just wouldn’t be as good. The show is campier than AHS and that is something to celebrate. It’s nice when a TV show will admit that it’s trying to be cheesy and fun.
Even the worst teen horror movies can be a little bit fun because of the high school setting, and a college campus is also a brilliant place to set a horror film. The urban legends in the ’90s film Urban Legend are more horrifying because the main characters are living and studying at a gorgeous and peaceful-looking campus, and season 1 of Scream Queens takes place at Wallace University. Season 2 focuses on a hospital, which is another perfect location as imagining the dark and desolate hallways in the middle of the night is enough to create a shiver on someone’s spine. If there are no likable characters, setting becomes even more crucial, and thankfully, the settings are smart here.
Scream Queens also has incredible performances. While season 1 is definitely better than season 2, and it’s not a huge surprise that the show was canceled, season 2 does has some huge star power. Jamie Lee Curtis of Halloween final girl fame stars as Dr. Cathy Munsch, a woman with a rare disease, and John Stamos is Dr. Brock Holt. Taylor Lautner also plays Dr. Cassidy Cascade, which is fun for fans of Twilight, and Kirstie Alley is great as Nurse Ingrid Hoffel.
Best of all, Scream Queens doesn’t take itself too seriously, and recognizes the perceptive nature and intelligence of the horror genre audience. The show can tell that fans are going to know the tropes and storylines that tend to follow a slasher/serial killer story, and many episodes of season 1 of Scream Queens feature goofy scenes of characters screaming when seeing the Red Devil. Since there is no one main character to love and follow along with, fans can appreciate the fast-paced episodes, funny jokes, and overall vibe of Scream Queens. While Ryan Murphy’s other show American Horror Stories might be more loved than Scream Queens, the story of sorority sisters running from a serial killer in season 1 and a creepy hospital in season 2 will delight and impress horror fans.
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