Fall is here, and naturally the most important aspect of this fact is the return of our TV show lineup, namely, brand new seasons of Scandal, How to Get Away with Murder and American Horror Story. I’ll be briefly reviewing new episodes each week, so stay tuned and as always, watch out for spoilers.

We’re only two episodes in, but this season of American Horror Story is already looking promising as the best one thus far. As you may or may not know, each season American Horror Story takes up an entirely new storyline and set of characters around the theme of horror, with previous seasons involving things like haunted houses, insane asylums and witches. Fittingly enough given the show’s dark subject matter and the month it’s premiering in, one of this season’s current subplots is arguably the creepiest yet (for all you coulrophobes out there: it involves a killer clown). But perhaps more intriguing is the main plot which revolves around a “freak show” circus act in the 1950s struggling to get off the ground and attract a real following. With this the show brings up a host of interesting ideas and challenges about normativity (what one considers standard and “normal” physical appearances, lifestyles and behaviors in society), as well as representation of the non-normative on television today. If you’re all caught up with AHS or don’t mind spoilers, read ahead to find out how.

I am pretty late to the party, but after having finally finished the famed Breaking Bad series I feel I can add my two cents to what remain ongoing discussions. As expected the series ran away with the awards at the Emmy’s, taking home the prize for Outstanding Drama Series, Outstanding Lead Actor, and Outstanding Supporting Actor and Actress. This last one is notable and in my opinion, well deserved by actress Anna Gunn who portrays what has become a very divisive character in Skyler White. The level of hate Skyler has inspired has reached frothing proportions, from her labeling as a flat out “bitch,” to message boards devoted to hate for the character, and most alarming of all, to vitriol and death threats aimed at Gunn herself. It got so bad that Gunn wrote an op-ed for the New York Times describing her experience playing such a hated character, which you can find here. I was aware of some sort of dislike for the character before even starting the show, but I wasn’t sure what it was about. After having finished the show, I still don’t get the hate. Read on if you have watched the show, because major spoilers ensue.