I try to be a sophisticated TV viewer. I watch as many miniseries as I can, keep up to date with the latest in Prestige TV, and make sure I don’t miss out on any sleeper hits. However, I’m also self-actualized enough to admit that I love my fair share of slop. I religiously watch RuPaul’s Drag Race, 90 Day Fiancé, and whatever weird reality craze has grasped pop culture.
Recently, I added the work of Ryan Murphy to this list. I narrowly avoided the Glee epidemic, but I have seen my fair share of American Horror Story, American Crime Story, and recently surprisingly loved All’s Fair, the shameless legal drama centered around Kim Kardashian. So when The Beauty was announced, Murphy’s first foray into pure science fiction, I thought it was tailor-made for me. The result, much like the medication at the center of the story, is visually striking and stylish beyond belief. But effects vary wildly.
