A moment-by-moment reaction to the first official trailer for Ryan Murphy’s newest Fox drama Scream Queens.
If you haven’t heard about Ryan Murphy’s latest Fox show Scream Queens, then you’ve probably been living in the bunker with Kimmy Schmidt for the past year.
The show’s coming-to-be story is an odd one. Usually, shows receive orders for scripts, then a pilot and then further episodes. However, Fox ordered a Scream Queens series right away. Odd that they still had so much faith in Ryan Murphy after the last three years of Glee; they were quite bleak. Nevertheless, this allowed Murphy time to attract high profile actors to the project: Jamie Lee Curtis, the original “scream queen;" Ariana Grande; Emma Roberts; Lea Michele and more.
Even more unusual, the show has been promoted for a much longer period than many others. Most networks don’t reveal new fall series until Upfronts in May. Scream Queens was picked up in October 2014, and its first teaser, which didn’t feature any cast members, was released Feb.13. A second teaser featuring Emma Roberts was released the next month on the second Friday the 13th of 2015.
For months, the actual subject matter of the show was fairly unknown. Then, finally, the first official trailer was released and was followed by an “Inside Look” video a few days later.
Any frequent viewer of Murphy’s work — me — should have a lot to say about this trailer. Let’s break it down, moment-by-moment.
Flashback 20 years ago to a Kappa Kappa Tau party at Wallace University. It didn’t end well for one girl.
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Next, we see protagonist Grace (Skyler Samuels) in the car with her dad, who begs her not to join a sorority. Foreshadowing! Why don’t people just listen to their parents? I can already tell she’s going to be annoying.
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Fun fact: Samuels played Bonnie Lipton in Murphy's American Horror Story: Freak Show, proving once again that Murphy is somehow building an army of actors and plays favorites (cough Lea Michele, cough Matt Bomer cough).
Keke Palmer, who plays Zayday, makes her first appearance and slays it with her statement necklace, jacket thrown over her shoulders and side-eye. I cannot wait to have her on my TV each week. Also, more foreshadowing!
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Flawless.
Then we all know the HBIC has arrived as Emma Roberts’ appearance comes with a pulsing beat and quick edited shots of her walking down a hallway like she owns the place — she probably does.
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Roberts has a strong presence throughout the trailer. She has tons of fabulous quips (“You're about to get hazed harder than a suburban banquet hall during bat mitzvah season.”), killer glances and chic outfits. However, the overwhelming problem is that she is basically playing Madison Montgomery, her character from American Horror Story: Coven, again. She had a spectacular performance then, so I expect she’ll do well now, but it won’t be as fun because it’s not new. We’ve seen her do this character and this stereotype of the pretty, bitchy rich girl who only cares about herself and likes to torture others. Hopefully, more layers will be added, but I seriously doubt it.
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Then the person we’ve all been waiting for graces our screens: Jamie Lee Curtis. It couldn’t really be a show called Scream Queens without her. Like her mother Janet Leigh, who starred in Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho, Curtis starred in the cult horror film, John Carpenter’s Halloween, in 1978. It’s a classic on so many levels. Praise her.
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Curtis plays Dean Cathy Munsch, who dislikes Kappa and sororities — as she should. Because of her hatred, she makes the sorority forgo its strict standards and accept any pledge who wishes to join. Enter, the squad.
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Also enter Lea Michele as Hester, full body brace and all. God bless.
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I imagine Hester would be Rachel Berry circa the first season of Glee had Rachel remained geeky. Michele’s hilarious appearance is actually my favorite part of the entire trailer. She says next to nothing, but steals the show. I’m hoping Scream Queens will reignite my love for Michele, which dwindled severely during the course of Glee. It seems her appeal is greater when she plays a less polished character. As Rachel Berry became more fashionable and less dorky in the last three seasons of Glee, she became less fun. Hester should rekindle the love. You can’t help but to laugh out loud any time she does anything.
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There’s also Jennifer who eats candlewax. Whatever floats your boat, I guess.
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Remember the guy from the horrible film adaptation of Rock of Ages? Well, he’s here too.
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He warns Grace that the Kappa House is “truly dangerous.” Next thing we know, one unlucky pledge gets her head mowed off by the devil. For real. Someone dressed in a devil outfit actually ran over her head while her body was buried in the ground for a hazing ritual.
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Thus, we’re led to the driving force of the series: this red devil will terrorize the campus and the Kappa House, which will lead to a lot of screaming.
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Now, a roll call. First, I need to admit the fact that I didn’t realize Abigail Breslin was on the show until the credit list. This is the only casting choice I’m not in agreeance with. The platinum blonde look is too forced and so is the attitude. It’s so easy to tell how much she is trying when Emma Roberts flawlessly slays away right next to her. I don’t see the appeal or need for Breslin besides another name on the list.
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Ariana Grande does this hair flip.
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Nick Jonas will be used as man candy and will probably be killed by the red devil.
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Niecy Nash is everything you could ask of Niecy Nash. Now she is a great addition to the cast.
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And here’s to Nasim Pedrad getting about five seconds worth of time in the trailer. I feel as if she is constantly being overshadowed by other bigger names in the casts she joins. It was the problem on Saturday Night Live, and it’s going to be the problem here.
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I have no idea who Glen Powell and Oliver Hudson are. We’re all thinking it.
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Final thoughts: Scream Queens is a mix of the horror components of Scream and Friday the 13th with the cliques and hierarchy aspects of Heathers and Clueless (Lea Michele reminds me a bit of Brittany Murphy’s Tai). Plus, there’s this:
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Scream Queens is very much a Ryan Murphy show, especially in that it's just a primetime network version of American Horror Story. The real Ryan Murphy effect will be proven once the season airs. I haven't seen Nip/Tuck, so I can't speak to it, but nearly every first season of Murphy's shows are spectacular, enthralling and fresh. He has a new idea, and he loves it. Then, after a few years, he gets a tad bored, and the show crumbles (i.e. Freak Show and the last three years of Glee). It's easy to see how Murphy will do well and horribly with this series.
Overall, the trailer leaves me really wanting to watch the series. It has this innate “must-see” effect. I’ll probably hate watch it like I end up doing with all of Ryan Murphy’s shows. Check out the full trailer below:
Scream Queens will air Tuesdays this fall on Fox.
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