Before Sarah Paulson was a household name, she played a ghost on a horror series produced by none other than “Evil Dead” mastermind Sam Raimi.
“American Gothic” premiered on CBS in September 1995. The show, which only lasted one season, focuses on a town in South Carolina that is at the mercy of a sheriff with evil powers. Paulson played a character named Merlyn, the dead sister of the show’s protagonist, Caleb Temple (Lucas Black).
The show has a bit of a complex plot, but its richness is apparent in the writing and performances. Caleb is a young boy whose biological father is the demonic town sheriff, Lucas Buck (Gary Cole). As his 10th birthday approaches, Caleb’s life is turned completely upside down when Merlyn is murdered. Law enforcement set their sights on the siblings’ adoptive father, and he commits suicide as a result. Of course, it turns out this is all secretly Buck’s doing.
Knowing things are far from over for him, Caleb relies on Merlyn’s ghost and an important new resident to protect him from Buck’s ever-waiting grasp and help him defeat the evil crippling the town.
A full-circle television career
Despite only getting one season, “American Gothic” became a cult hit. Fans have uploaded many episode clips, think piece video essays, recap videos, and more onto YouTube. They have also come to the show’s defense in posts on the r/ForgottenTV subreddit.
Picking up years later where her horror roots with “American Gothic” left off, Paulson got a major career boost by way of Ryan Murphy’s “American Horror Story.” She only had a minor role on the first season of the series in 2011, but it was the birthplace of a fruitful partnership between Paulson and Murphy, who went on to cast her in several lead roles. (Believe it or not, she even revealed her least favorite season of “American Horror Story” last year.)
That creative connection also blossomed into parts in other shows in the greater Ryan Murphy universe, including “American Crime Story.” Paulson’s extensive work in macabre television makes her humble “American Gothic” beginnings extra sweet.