Ratched Review

by the Msrbl Fgt

UGH. I'm still in awe of how good Ratched was. I binge-watched the entire 8 episodes of the first season yesterday and it is arguably the best thing Ryan Murphy has done to date. Definitely my personal favourite. I found it to be much more nuanced than some of his more in-your-face horror or dark-humour based shows. It was the perfect blend of horror, a nice little bit of comedy, suspense, sex and romance, and plenty of drama. It also dealt with mental illness and morality in a very refreshing way.

There was also an amazing cast. First and foremost, Sarah Paulson WOW. She has played so many characters in Ryan Murphy productions, most notably on American Horror Story but Nurse Ratchet was by far her strongest role in my opinion. Also, there was something so beautiful about her (an openly gay actor) finally playing a leading lesbian character. There was something so spot on about her mixture of strength and vulnerability in this role and also her little journey of coming to terms with her own lesbianism which was actually considered to be a mental illness at the time. That and seeing her leading lady being played by another out lesbian actor added something so sweet to the mix. The chemistry between Sarah and Cynthia was scintillating. Seeing Cynthia Nixon in another big television role was very exciting too as most of us remember her vividly for her role as Miranda on Sex and the City. Always love seeing strong female characters.

And then Sharon Stone just casually shows up, playing an eccentric billionaire heiress. At first when I saw her I thought did they get Jessica Lange back yet again? I was hopeful, but as the camera panned closer to the woman’s face I didn’t recognize her! I saw strong feminine features; high cheekbones, expressive lips and then I realized it was Sharon Stone, an actress I haven’t seen on screen in a very long time (I'm sure she has continued acting - I just personally haven’t seen anything that she’s been in). One thing that I love about many of Murphy’s productions is his predilection for casting mature actresses (like Jessica Lange for example). In a world that says women shouldn’t be stars after a certain age Murphy makes them shine brightly again. There is something so utterly beautiful about seeing the lines on a woman’s face who was once the epitome of ‘perfect’ Hollywood female sexuality and youth. Sharon Stone is most definitely still a very sexy and formidable actress at the age of 62. The storyline with her son was very interesting.

All the actors were also quite good, most notably Judy Davis who played Nurse Bucket who went from being the villain to the darling in the end, Jon Jon Briones as Doctor Hannover of course, and Sophie Okonedo who played the woman with multiple personality disorder. She was a lot of fun to watch and it was really nice how she almost became a drag king at certain points when embodying male aspects of her shattered psyche. This was a nice added touch with the strong lesbian storylines throughout. From the lesbian patients who were being tortured via hydro-therapy to Nixon’s characters initial seduction taking Mildred to the oyster bar, and then the hidden women’s club in the woods. It was so refreshingly queer and wonderful to see such a strong, intriguing, uniquely lesbian story unfold.

There is so much more I could say. So many beautiful details, especially the general aesthetic of the show, from the stunning ocean scenery on the California coast to the impeccable period costumes (set in 1947) omg drool! The contrast between the shabby motel where Ratchet stayed and the luxurious setting of the secluded psychiatric hospital. The colour palettes alone were stunning. Everything was so visually satisfying. The only thing I am a little unsure of is the ending. It was obviously intentionally open-ended so that there could be another season but at the same time I felt like this story probably was fully told within this season and didn’t need to go any further. I'm fully satisfied with it as it is. I suppose this was intentional because who knows if shows will be renewed for second seasons these days. Either way I thoroughly enjoyed this first season. Bravo to everyone involved!