Created by Shaun Cassidy
1995 - 1996
A corrupt, supernatural small-town Sheriff goes to any lengths to draw a young orphan into his web, while other forces (like the spirit of the boy's dead sister) try to keep him at bay. It only ran one season, much like Shaun Cassidy's other series Invasion, but packed enough mystery and Intrigue into its short time on the air to fill several seasons.
The 1990s had plenty of odd, fantasy / sci-fi genre shows and movies, but while something like The X-Files ran for nearly a decade (not counting it's modern resurgence), this one somehow slipped through the cracks. A blend of episodic and serialized storytelling, this Sam Raimi produced show didn't shy away from getting dark and sliding into that moral gray area, which probably alienated some viewers at the time. I, on the other hand, appreciate that the show was unafraid to take risks and even occasionally allow the good and bad characters to switch sides every now and then. Certain relationships were even formed between protagonists and the primary villain.
And about that villain. Sheriff Lucas Buck, played by the hugely underrated Gary Cole, is at least 90% of the reason to watch this show. A magnetic and despicable person, Buck has his hands in every pot, manipulating nearly every aspect of this town to suit his twisted purposes. While his motivations aren't always made clear, you can always be very certain that there is a reason for everything he does. Whether it's a move that gives him more power or leverage over a local institution, or just an elaborate scheme designed for revenge, Sheriff Buck knows what he's doing and how to get it. Sadly, most of the other characters in the show are much less interesting than that. Sarah Paulson, for example, is particularly boring.
Seeing as how this is a relatively modest budgeted TV show from over 20 years ago, you won't be surprised by how dated a lot of the effects, visuals, and music all are. Instead of coming across as creepy or atmospheric, it now just feels quaint. There's an odd charm to shows and movies of this variety and era, and American Gothic is dripping with that particular that appeal. I would surmise that fans of Graveyard Shift, The X-Files, Stephen King's It, and other movies and shows of that ilk would enjoy this show a great deal. Just replace Maine with a deep south setting and you're good to go.
No, this isn't an amazing show, but it had a lot of potential that it sometimes was able to rise up to. Cole was excellent, Lucas Black (yeah, they cast Lucas Black and named a different character Lucas Buck, which isn't confusing at all) was surprisingly solid for a young actor, some of the stories were very satisfying, and the whole style of the show had a lot of charm to it. With a couple more seasons, I could see this being a huge cult favorite, but it's sadly seemed to have fallen through the cracks. Oh well, I enjoyed it.
My grade: C
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