June 22 (2016-06-22) – September 7, 2016 (2016-09-07)
American Gothic is an American mysterydrama television series created by Corinne Brinkerhoff. CBS announced a 13-episode straight-to-series order on October 9, 2015. The show premiered on June 22, 2016.[1] On October 17, 2016, CBS cancelled the series after one season.[2]
Plot
The Hawthornes, an affluent Boston family, must redefine themselves following the discovery that their recently deceased patriarch could have been a serial killer. Suspicion arises that one of them may have been his accomplice.
Cast and characters
Main
Juliet Rylance as Alison Hawthorne-Price[3] the bisexual eldest sister of the family who is running for mayor
Antony Starr as Garrett Hawthorne[4] the mysterious prodigal eldest brother who has returned from a 14-year absence
Micheal Doonan as Young Garrett Hawthorne
Justin Chatwin as Cameron "Cam" Hawthorne[5] the younger brother, a cartoonist and recovering drug addict, and husband of Sophie and father of Jack
Megan Ketch as Tessa Ross[5] the younger sister and wife of Brady
Maureen Sebastian as Naomi Flynn, Alison's campaign manager and lover
Deirdre Lovejoy as Detective Linda Cutter, Brady's superior and the lead investigator on the re-opened SBK case
Catalina Sandino Moreno as Christina Morales, a doctor and the daughter of SBK's final victim
Teresa Pavlinek as Dana, a medical examiner who works with Brady and Detective Cutter
Sarah Power as Jennifer Windham, a television reporter
Natalie Prinzen-Klages and Nora Prinzen-Klages as Harper and Violet Hawthorne-Price, daughters of Alison and Tom
Reception
American Gothic holds a current score of 51 out of 100 on Metacritic based on 23 "mixed or average" reviews.[7] The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reports a 58% critics rating based on 24 reviews. The website consensus reads: "American Gothic may not be striving for much, yet it holds promise as a soapy, campy family murder-mystery that's ultimately just engaging enough."[8]
Episodes
Each episode of the series is named after a well-known American work of art, and features a visual reference to its namesake painting within the episode.[9]
The Hawthornes' money has come from the family's concrete business. However, the concrete was used in a tunnel that just collapsed. Found inside the rubble are the remains of an apparent victim of the "Silver Bells Killer", a serial murderer who terrorized the city 15 years ago. Mayoral candidate Alison Hawthorne-Price vows to find "SBK" if elected. Her father Mitch suffers a heart attack at her press conference. Meanwhile, in looking for brother Cam's drug stash, Tessa finds a box of silver bells, SBK's calling card, in a shed on the family estate. Garrett Hawthorne returns after a 14-year absence to visit his ailing father and whisper into his ear. Mitch tells wife Madeline that they "have to tell the truth." She cuts off his oxygen supply.
After killing Mitch, Madeline is questioned by her family about the SBK collection in the shed. She explains that Mitch was always obsessed with true crime stories and bought the bells and newspaper clippings from a collector. However, Mitch began suffering from dementia in recent months, became convinced he was SBK, and suggested Madeline kill him. Tessa is suspicious about the dementia when others mention recently playing chess and bridge with Mitch. Detective Cutter begins investigating the tunnel collapse, as it now pertains to the SBK case. She asks Brady Ross, Tessa's husband, to find something with Mitch's DNA on it to connect him to SBK. Brady finds this impossible, as Madeline is removing everything of Mitch's from the house. The only connection is a photo of Cam wearing the same belt found with the tunnel victim.
Garrett stalks a woman named Christina Morales (Catalina Sandino Moreno). He intentionally cuts himself to be stitched up by her, and she is revealed to be the daughter of an SBK victim. Madeline goes over Mitch's will with the family; he left everything to her. She plans to sell the concrete factory and later fires Gunther. Cam takes Jack to a former therapist of his and learns she recorded his sessions at the time. Sophie helps him steal the recordings, but he is caught on camera, which could damage Alison's campaign and risk his losing custody of Jack. Detective Cutter informs Madeline of having evidence she bought a belt similar to the one used in the tunnel murder. Brady interrupts them to exclaim that DNA and fingerprint evidence excludes any Hawthorne. Madeline suggests Gunther is the murderer, and he is later found hanged in the shed. A suicide note simply says: "I'm sorry."
When a woman crippled in the tunnel crash threatens to sue both the Hawthornes and the city, Alison and the mayor must team up to stop her. Madeline's neighbor inadvertently provides the police with evidence that proves Gunther couldn't have been SBK. Sophie's drug dealer threatens her and Cam over her debt to him. Garrett continues to get close to Christina. Madeline receives a cryptic message. Brady discovers that Tessa tampered with the DNA evidence in order to test his loyalty to her family, and he swears to close the case no matter who it takes down.
Madeline confronts her mother, who she's been paying to stay away from the Hawthornes. Alison and Naomi must deal with a blackmail threat by a campaign staffer. Cam goes through withdrawal and relives some buried memories, while the police track him as a prime suspect in the SBK murders. A DNA test later proves his innocence, but indicates that some other member of the Hawthornes is the killer.
News of the DNA connection comes out during Alison's debate with the mayor. While the Hawthornes hole up in their home waiting for the results of the police's tests, they turn on each other trying to find the truth. Meanwhile, Garrett takes Christina on a camping trip that ends in shocking events. The DNA tests reveal Mitch was SBK.
The Hawthornes reel from the results of the police investigation. Jack continues to show troubling behavior. Brady and Cutter discover that SBK had an accomplice.
Alison threatens Jennifer Windham, the reporter who had a dalliance with Tom and bugged their homes. Jack visits a summer camp and finds a kindred spirit in Sadie, who fires a crossbow they found at Garrett's cabin at him. Jack is expelled from summer camp after being found with a knife. Brady notices a chip in its ivory handle matches the triangular piece of ivory left at the final crime of SBK.
As Garrett sits in jail under suspicion of being SBK's accomplice, he reflects on his time living in the Maine woods. Allison tries to use Jennifer Windham to dig up dirt on the mayor, only to turn her into a target for the returned Silver Bells Killer.
Alison and Brady team up to investigate Jennifer's murder. Tessa questions her mother's honesty. Garrett is released from prison and proceeds to dig up and destroy human remains in a field.
^Laskowski, Amy (July 6, 2016). "American Gothic's Creator Talks about New Show". bu.edu. Retrieved July 12, 2016. We decided to run with fine art as a motif. We've titled each episode after a famous American painting that thematically fits into that particular chapter of our story...
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