Since I am a big fan of American Horror Story I was naturally drawn to this Ratched series since it has the same creator and the same main actress, however, the result isn't the one I was expecting even though the series isn't bad.
Ratched serves as a prequel about the life of the mean nurse in the movie One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest from the mid-70s. We learn why she has a mean streak, the huge drama she has gone through in her life, and we can also see she has an authentic gentle side as well as the reasons why she became a nurse.
This nurse wasn't as sinister as I was expecting, she is just a normal person with an extremely traumatizing past and a deep wish to make amends with what she considers is a mistake she made in the past. She is willing to do everything to make things right now and that is why she can sometimes take ruthless measures.
This nurse is very meticulous and she seems to be planning something all the time, there is a sense of mystery at the beginning of the series but not as dark as the poster and trailer implied. Ratched is mainly a series about drama, it is not suspenseful and the mystery isn't that big.
Her character gets diluted as the series advances and by the end of it, she is like a much softer and kinder person, which doesn't make much sense because we know the type of nurse she will become later on.
The series looks very good, it has proper clothing, cars, and hairstyles. There is also a constant use of a sudden change in colors that reminded me of the transition in Silent Hill from the normal ghost town to the hellish version of the town.
The part I disliked the most happened if I remember correctly in the second episode, it was a discussion between nurses but the mannerism in which this discussion was portrayed seemed exaggerated and not very spontaneous. There is also a huge plot hole that goes unexplored and is related to Ratched's reaction when attending a puppet show.
After finishing the series I felt a bit underwhelmed, I had higher expectations for this show and even if a second season is released I doubt I will watch it. It is not the type of series I was expecting and the genre transition in the end where it is mostly boring drama was very disappointing. Both this series and the last season of American Horror Story were not good enough, so I expect Ryan Murphy to up his game and soon.
I would recommend this series only if you are a huge fan of Sarah Paulson or if you absolutely loved One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and want to know more about nurse Ratched. Otherwise, finding a better mystery/drama series shouldn't be hard.
The best
- The beginning of the series was very entertaining.
- Sarah Paulson had a good performance in the main role.
The worst
- In the second half the series slowly turned into a boring drama.
More information: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7423538/ Review: AA In numbers: 6.5/10