American Gothic

[selenak]

I'm in Yoda-esque "old friends, long gone" mood. One show I loved, which never got more than a single season, was American Gothic. Considering that writing and cast were superb and the premise original, I never understood why it got cancelled. Emotionally, that is. Rationally, I suppose one obvious reason would be the complete lack of square-jawed heroes and cute sidekicks to identify with.

The main character, magnificently played by Gary Cole, was Lucas Buck, Sheriff of Trinity and possibly the devil. (My own theory about Lucas was that he was human, but not completely so.) Of course Stephen King (and others) had done the evil-Southern-Sheriff gig before, but in a hero versus villain scenario. It's a little bit more complicated in American Gothic. Lucas' opposition consists of decent-but-haunted-by-his past doctor Matt (whom he manages to drive insane), journalist Gail (whom he seduces) and Matt's replacement, Billy, who joins the show at a late point. His real opponent, however, is a girl whom he kills in the show's premiere, Merlyn; throughout the show, Lucas and Merlyn, much more powerful as a ghost than she was alive, battle it out about Merlyn's half brother and Lucas' illegitimate son, Caleb. It appears to be quite the medieval Everyman scenario, with Lucas as the devil and Merlyn as the angel on Caleb's shoulders, both trying to win him for their side… except that Caleb isn't exactly Everyboy, and Merlyn discovers a potential of ruthlessness in the name of good that in one episode borders dangerously on Jasmine of AtS fame.

Characters like Lucas' deputy Ben, who witnessed him murdering Merlyn and as a result is full of self-loathing and guilt because he can't break with Lucas (out of a mixture of fear and some genuine affection mixed with the hate), or Caleb's teacher Selena Coombs, who is Lucas' long-term mistress, get their own mini-arcs as far as character development goes in the course of that one, great season. The crucial relationship of the show, between Lucas and Caleb, is the most interesting father-son drama I saw till we got grown-up Connor and Angel, and the kid who plays Caleb is the most gifted child actor this side of Haley J. Osment. Their scenes together really spark, and when it all comes to a head in the season's finale, it takes your breath away.

We'll never get an American Gothic movie, or sequel. But I keep hoping for DVDs…

Comments

[kernezelda]

Yes, yes, yes! Loved the show, loved that Buck had control of his town, gave good and evil from his hand, but each 'good' thing he did always had a price - he offered choices that could be accepted or refused, but he almost always won. Not every time, but he wasn't just straight, black hat evil.
Merlyn wore her white, virginal dress, but when she got the chance to experience life, she didn't hesitate, and only when confronted directly did she make the choice to give back the life she stole.
Matt, I never really cared for (maybe it was because he was a Yankee), but he got caught in the web and tried hard, only to succumb to the lure Buck laid out for him.
Selena, I really liked - she was Buck's mistress, but she'd never be his lady. She was close to power, able to manipulate Buck in some ways, but he'd marked her for life, pretty much, and what a fall for a preacher's daughter. The whole town regarded her as a whore, and if it hadn't been for Buck, how long do you think she'd have kept her job teaching kids in a Southern town?
Ben actually got more of my sympathy, because he was weak, but tried to do the right thing for his son and ex-wife, tried to not see the evil and just do his job, tried to develop a backbone.
Caleb was great. Never snow-white, finding out he's not only a bastard, but that his father murdered his sister (mercy killing, maybe, but it bit Buck in the ass). He's got so much potential inside him, and with his dead sister pulling him one way, and the new 'father' tempting him another with easy gifts and casual affection that seems genuine (or 'he's mine, mine to train, and flies come to honey instead of vinegar).
Gail as the new potential mother of spare heir in case Caleb just didn't work out. The connection between the Cross women was interesting, and it would have been interesting if there'd been a historical association between the Crosses and Bucks.
AG had so many memorable lines - "The history of the South isn't in the newspaer, it's in the blood - genealogy." (probably a bit off, but my favorite line from the whole series)

The episodes with geunine villains, where we see Buck, where the 'good' guys see Buck taking them down for the good of 'his' town, worked so well for the ambiguity of his character. Buck let people walk into their own wrecks, he just opened the door.
And the finale, loved it so much, was stunned and amazed.

Fortunately, I have every episode, including the ones that were never aired on CBS. The whole season aired on USA Network later. I hope it does come out on DVD - my tapes are old and won't last forever.

[selenak.livejournal.com]

loved that Buck had control of his town, gave good and evil from his hand, but each 'good' thing he did always had a price - he offered choices that could be accepted or refused

Exactly! He was the perfect advocate for free will.*g* No, really, that was one of the many things which made the show special. If Buck had been your usual Evil!Villain, it wouldn't have nearly been as effective. But the audience could really understand why the town kept its deals with him, why there was no serious inside attempt to overthrow Lucas.

Merlyn wore her white, virginal dress, but when she got the chance to experience life, she didn't hesitate, and only when confronted directly did she make the choice to give back the life she stole.

Not only that - when she let loose the plague on Trinity to punish everyone for their complicity with Buck, she arguably quickly had as high a body count as Lucas. Ironically, she was far more a match for him than Gail ever was...

Selena, I really liked - she was Buck's mistress, but she'd never be his lady. She was close to power, able to manipulate Buck in some ways, but he'd marked her for life, pretty much, and what a fall for a preacher's daughter. The whole town regarded her as a whore,

I liked her too - the episode where we learn about her background, and she gets turned away by her father, was one of my favourites. As was the one where Lucas, Caleb and Selena end up in a cabin with "Half-Ted" and two not too competent kidnappers. I thought Ben's rueful comment about Lucas and Selena, made to their respective lovers at the time, Gail and Billy, pretty much summed up their relationship.


Caleb was great.

Oh yes! I shudder to think how his character could have been mishandled, but he was a real child, and I believed every reaction and action, both good and bad.

Never snow-white, finding out he's not only a bastard, but that his father murdered his sister (mercy killing, maybe, but it bit Buck in the ass). He's got so much potential inside him, and with his dead sister pulling him one way, and the new 'father' tempting him another with easy gifts and casual affection that seems genuine (or 'he's mine, mine to train, and flies come to honey instead of vinegar).

I loved that they left it ambiguous. As for example, did Lucas count on Merlyn sacrificing herself in the end, or didn't he? And then there are scenes like the one where Lucas pays Caleb a visit during the "plague" episode and Caleb is startled to realise that the visit really had no other purpose than finding out whether he was alright.

it would have been interesting if there'd been a historical association between the Crosses and Bucks.

Yes. It obviously had to be a Cross, otherwise I don't think Lucas would have raped Caleb's mother (he usually seems to favour seduction, manipulation and of course using people's free will against them). So either there is a mystical or genetic reason. I bet if the show had continued, we would have learned more. Curses!