The Gothicism of American Gothic: "Requiem"

[For the previous entry, click here.]

Somewhat fittingly, the series finale of American Gothic begins with a graveyard scene, as funeral services are held for the seemingly departed Lucas Buck.  Afterwards, Deputy Ben reminds a disrespectful gravedigger that the sheriff helped a lot of people in Trinity, a statement that prompts a bit of mordant wit from the cemetery man: "Yeah, he sure threw a lot of business my way."

The best line of the episode (if not the entire series), though, is delivered by the prematurely-buried Buck himself, when Ben and Dr. Billy dig up his grave and throw open his coffin: "Well, if it ain't the Hardy Boys."  Such sardonic comment (referencing the famous Young Adult series of Gothic-tinged mysteries) is quintessential Buck, and a perfect example of what makes this hero-villain figure so endearing to viewers.

In terms of its plot, "Requiem" centers on the evil evolution of Caleb, who is suddenly suffused with demonic power when Lucas suffers his almost-fatal demise.  Caleb transforms into a pint-sized tyrant, and after the funeral, packs up his belongings and moves to occupy his father's house.  Upon arrival, he finds Selena waiting there for him; the sultry seductress proposes joining forces and hints at joining bodies (what would the Gothic be without the whiff of illicit sexuality?).  Still seething over Buck's spurning her for Gail, Selena informs Caleb of his cousin's pregnancy and warns him that the child Gail is carrying is a threat to him as heir of the sheriff's
powers.  Caleb, who doesn't need much convincing on the point, tells Selena to deliver Gail to him, a sinister request that leads Selena to reply (sounding the theme of evil inheritance), "You're your father's son, all right."

When Gail is subsequently lured to Buck's house, she makes a disturbing discovery in one of the rooms.  Symbolizing Caleb's petulant protest of Gail's pregnancy, a bloodied doll has been left lying in a shrouded bassinet.  Emerging to confront Gail, Caleb tells her she must get rid of her unborn baby, but apparently the boy doesn't have the patience to wait.  He proceeds, in a scene that perhaps represents the apex of American Gothic's Gothicism, to chase Gail through Buck's gloomy, stuffed-raven-and-grinning-skull-furnished mansion while wielding a fireplace poker.

Lucas, transformed into the role of heroic rescuer, bursts through the front door, only to see Gail sent tumbling down the staircase.  He carries her off to safety, but the fall causes her to suffer a miscarriage.

The resurrected sheriff has some unfinished business to attend to before returning to deal with his upstart son.  Knowing that Dr. Narone deliberately sentenced him to an erroneous internment, Lucas acts to take vengeance.  He forces the good doctor to hang himself with his own granddaughter's jump rope (Lucas promises to spare the girl Ashley from his wrath if Narone carries out the suicide).  Ironically, Ashley is the one to discover Narone's body, and innocently informs the hospital staff that her "Grandpa is sleeping on the ceiling."

With that score settled, Lucas (with the ghostly help of Merlyn) confronts his bastard son.  Amidst the climactic battle, Lucas hoists Caleb overhead, preparing to toss him off the second floor landing.  Merlyn pleads with Lucas to spare Caleb, but he insists there's no other way.  Caleb is sent flying, but Merlyn's
"body" breaks his fall.  She winks out in the process, her essence filtering into Caleb and counteracting his nascent malice.  Still, there might be more to this turn of events than meets the eye.  When the recovered Caleb realizes that Merlyn is gone and wonders what he is going to do now, Lucas assures him (in the final line of the series), "I think we'll get by."  As the screen fades to black, the viewer is left wondering if Lucas hasn't just pulled off another one of his Machiavellian schemes, using the confrontation with Caleb as a means of getting rid of the perennially-interfering Merlyn once and for all.

At times during its single-season run, American Gothic suffered from a lack of continuity in its plotting and inconsistency in characterization (to me, the failure to ever clearly define the extent--and hence the limits--of Lucas's powers was also a miscalculation).  This show might not always have been sure where it was going, but for 22 episodes it did provide a fun ride for fans of the macabre.  Week after week, American Gothic justified its show title, which is perhaps a large part of the reason the short-lived series remains such a cult favorite nearly two decades after its original broadcast.