American Horror Story: 10 Worst Characters
9. The Axeman
The Axeman is unnecessary clutter in one of the show’s best ever arcs with Jessica Lange’s Fiona Goode. American Horror Story often has viewers covering their eyes, but the saxophone scene made us look away for all the wrong reasons.
What’s worse is it comes at one of Fiona’s lowest ebbs, with the cancer and resulting chemotherapy affecting her confidence and poise as much as it is her body. This is a moment supposed to reveal the subtle pain of such a layered character, but The Axeman murders any nuance as brutally as he does any of his victims.
Coven was a season overflowing with feminine energy, after great performances from the likes of Emma Roberts, Sarah Paulson and the aforementioned Jessica Lange. Therefore, as one of the few male leads, The Axeman needed to deliver. Ironically, considering the character was a jazz musician, he was woefully out of tune. What was supposed to be sleek read as slimy. That which was meant to be threatening came off as pantomime.
All in all, The Axeman is not a terrible character, but he’s totally wrong for his season and feels increasingly out of place with every interaction.