‘Scream Queens’ bleeds comedy, horror

Scream+Queens+airs+Tuesday+nights+on+FOX+and+is+available+for+digital+streaming+on+Hulu+Plus.+

Graphic by Lauren Allen

“Scream Queens” airs Tuesday nights on FOX and is available for digital streaming on Hulu Plus.

With the arrival of October and all things Halloween, television has also released shows with terrifying plots and scenarios most often found in horror movies. Television writer, Ryan Murphy, whose works include big names such as “Glee” and “American Horror Story,” has released a new horror/drama series. “Scream Queens,” a FOX original series, is currently in its first season of production and provides viewers with a fresh new feel by adding elements of comedy into a familiar horror plot.

The show airs 8 p.m. Tuesday nights and is available for digital streaming on Hulu Plus. The series includes an all-star cast list with familiar names such as, Jamie Lee Curtis, Keke Palmer, Nick Jonas, Abigail Breslin, Niecy Nash and Ariana Grande. While most of the cast plays minor characters, their status in the film industry gives the show the sense that every character plays an important role. The lead role of Chanel Oberlin is played by Emma Roberts, who does an outstanding job of portraying a wealthy sorority president with sociopathic tendencies and misconstrued views of the world.

The series is set at fictional Walden University and most of the story line is centered on the Kappa Kappa Tau sorority. The sorority president, Chanel Oberlin, heads the sorority along with her “minions” who are unnamed but simply known as Chanel #2, Chanel #3 and Chanel #5. When the fall semester begins, the dean of the university attempts to counteract Chanel’s pervasive behavior by requiring the sorority to accept anyone that wishes to rush. Along with the misfit pledges to the sorority, legacy Grace Gardner, played by Skyler Samuels, begins to uncover the mysteries of the sorority’s turbulent past. Soon after the arrival of the pledges, a series of murders begin to take place on campus by someone wearing the school mascot’s red devil costume. The murders quickly become focused on the sorority and further threaten the social hierarchy set in place by Chanel.

While one scene may have the viewer on the edge of his or her seat, the next scene may have them erupting with laughter.

— Tanner Cromeens

Chanel’s irrational behavior, paired with her general “mean girl” personality, gives the show’s thrilling plot outstanding areas of comic relief. While one scene may have the viewer on the edge of his or her seat, the next scene may have them erupting with laughter because of ridiculous banter from either Chanel or one of the other sorority sisters.

While the show is both terrifying and hilarious, the writers have also given the show a mysterious element. In 1995, a baby was born during a party at the sorority, and Grace sets out to find who the child was and what happened to it. The identity of the red devil committing the murders is also explored throughout the show. Various people are accused of being the red devil, however, no real evidence supports the claims brought forth.

For those who enjoy scary movies and TV shows this time of year, the comedic elements of “Scream Queens” provides an original aspect versus other shows and films in this genre. For those looking for a new show with an original twist and thrilling plot, “Scream Queens” is definitely a show to watch.