‘American Horror Story: Asylum’ terrifies viewers

“American Horror Story: Asylum” is nothing short of the horror in which its title says the show will depict.

“American Horror Story” premiered its second season by hitting all areas on the scare spectrum, leaving viewers both shocked and wanting more after just a few minutes of the season’s opener.

Season two has incorporated the same actors with different storylines for each of the characters and takes viewers on a journey through the life of tortured patients at an insane asylum. Writers for “American Horror Story” have definitely hit viewers with the shock factor when the season opened immediately with sex, a missing arm and Adam Levine.

The first episode took us back to the 1960s to get a glimpse of the country’s political atmosphere at that time. We witness racism and heavy discrimination against an interracial couple and against a lesbian couple.

The first season focused on the Harmon family’s move from Boston to Los Angeles into a house where the home’s former guests haunted them. Throughout season one, various twists and turns took place, leaving viewers feeling suspense and anxiety. The season revealed the family’s constant struggle between accepting life, death and everything in between.

“American Horror Story: Asylum” feeds viewer’s desires to witness the haunting things we obviously don’t see in our every day lives: actual deaths are witnessed, extraterrestrial beings make an appearance, more sex, exorcisms, demons and doctors and Catholic nuns gone wrong.  “Asylum” also reveals the horrible treatment of patients placed in insane asylums during that time.

Viewers should also take note of the parallel between the first season of “American Horror Story” and its second season. The characters are trapped inside whatever building the season focuses on. For instance, in season one, once a character died, he or she was trapped inside the house the Harmon’s lived in and could not leave. In season two, every patient checked into the insane asylum cannot leave, even though some have already tried to escape.

At first, I was horrified that I was watching such a show. My roommate was an avid “American Horror Story” viewer last season and has found herself shocked and almost disgusted with the new season. We both agree that “American Horror Story: Asylum” is definitely pushing the boundaries of what a commonly watched television show is revealing and what will leave viewers questioning their own sanity.

Although a clear storyline for season two has not been revealed to us yet, I feel that is exactly what will keep viewers coming back to continue the season. Something about the show has kept me glued to the television and will undoubtedly keep me glued to the television for the rest of the season, no matter how shocking, creepy or just downright wrong the show gets to be.

Tune in on Wednesday nights at 9 p.m. on FX to get your dose of the show critics are saying is getting  “darker by the week”’ and keep in mind that we’re only two episodes in. It’s only going to get worse before it gets any better or you could just accept that it’s never going to get better because it is “American Horror Story” we’re talking about here.