American Gothic (TV Series) Pilot (1995) User Reviews

Someone's at the Door

[claudio_carvalho · 9/10 · 19 August 2014]

In Trinity, South Caroline, the boy Caleb Temple (Lucas Black) is celebrating his birthday with his deranged father and his beloved disturbed and traumatized sister Merlyn Temple (Sarah Paulson). Out of the blue, she starts repeating over and over "someone's at the door" and her father tries to kill her. Caleb flees and brings Sheriff Lucas Buck (Gary Cole) and Deputy Ben Healy (Nick Searcy) that arrest his father. However Ben accidentally witnesses Lucas breaking Merlyn's neck in her room and blaming her father for the death.

Caleb goes to the hospital and the alcoholic Dr. Matt Crower (Jake Weber) examines him. Lucas comes to the hospital expecting to adopt Caleb and does not allow that the sheriff takes custody of the boy. Then Lucas goes to the jail and Caleb's father mysteriously commits suicide. Meanwhile Caleb's distant cousin Gail Emory (Paige Turco) comes to Trinity to take custody of the boy. Caleb receives messages written in blood telling him to go home and he goes and meets the spirit of Merlyn that shows that their mother was raped by the sheriff. Lucas uses the schoolteacher Selena Coombs (Brenda Bakke), who is his lover, to control Ben. Gail and Matt go to Caleb's house trying to rescue the boy from Lucas.

"American Gothic" is a cult series from the 90's with a dramatic supernatural story. I saw this series on cable TV and now almost twenty years later, I have just bought the DVD box to see it again since I do not recall it in details. Lucas Black has an impressive performance in this "Pilot". My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil): "Pilot"

The Devil wears a badge

[Tweekums · 9/10 · 14 August 2016]

In Trinity, South Carolina, Sheriff Lucas Buck is top dog; those who work with him find life relatively easy but woe betide anybody who dares oppose him. As the story opens young Caleb Temple is celebrating his birthday; then suddenly his disturbed sister, Merlyn, starts repeating 'There's someone at the door'; their father snaps and grabs a shovel. Caleb takes Merlyn to the bedroom and locks the door; as their father tries to break through the door he goes to get help. He bumps into Sheriff Buck and his deputy Ben Healy; Buck goes into the house and finds the father standing over his injured daughter… Buck then breaks her neck as a shocked Deputy Healy witnesses through the window! Caleb is taken to hospital but is soon becomes apparent that Buck is expecting to take custody. As news of the events is broadcast Caleb's cousin Gail Emory drives to Trinity. As the story progresses things take a supernatural twist as Merlyn appears before Caleb and tells him that Buck is his real father… we also learn that the sheriff may be involved in the deaths of more than just Merlyn.

This opening episode does a great job of setting up the series' main characters; most notably Sheriff Buck; a character who outwardly appears to be a pillar of the community but whose actions show him as an almost malevolent force whose intentions to Caleb are currently unknown but unlikely to be good… Gary Cole dominates the episode in the role just as Buck dominates the town. Young Lucas Black shines in the role of Caleb Temple without ever becoming annoyingly precocious. The secondary characters are almost as interesting and will likely take a more important role as the story progresses; notably Dr. Matt Crower, a doctor with a history of drink problems; Gail Emory, whose parents may have been killed by the sheriff; Deputy Ben Healy, who has learnt the truth about his boss but doesn't know what to do; Selena Coombs, the sexy school teacher who also appears to be Buck's lover and Merlyn, who may be dead but appears to be very much still around. Overall this was a fine opening instalment; I enjoyed the series twenty years ago but having just watched this again I'm keen to watch it all again as I'm sure there are plenty of details I won't have remembered.