American Gothic (1995 TV series)
1995 American horror series
American Gothic is an American horror series created by Shaun Cassidy and starring Gary Cole, Lucas Black, Paige Turco, Brenda Bakke, Sarah Paulson, Jake Weber, and Nick Searcy. It focuses on a small South Carolina town ruled by a sheriff who uses demonic powers to control residents. The series features a number of recurring and non-recurring guest stars, including Bruce Campbell, Amy Steel, Pat Hingle, Evan Rachel Wood, Veronica Cartwright, and Danny Masterson.
Executive-produced by Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert, the series first aired on CBS on September 22, 1995, and was cancelled after a single season on July 11, 1996. The series received positive reviews and has been regarded as a cult classic.
Plot
The story takes place in the fictional town of Trinity, South Carolina, and revolves around Caleb Temple and the town's corrupt sheriff, Lucas Buck. Though appearing affable and charismatic, Sheriff Buck is a murderous rapist whose power base is backed by apparent supernatural powers, which he generally uses to manipulate people to "fulfill their potential" and make life-changing choices (usually for evil).
Caleb Temple is a normal child whose paternity masks a horrific secret: Lucas Buck is his biological father, having raped his mother in front of Caleb's older sister Merlyn. The horror of watching her mother being sexually assaulted caused Merlyn to become severely emotionally traumatized and withdrawn from the rest of the world, made even worse when her mother committed suicide after giving birth to Caleb.
During the pilot episode of the series, Sheriff Buck murders Merlyn in cold blood and manipulates Caleb's "father" into committing suicide in order to eliminate Caleb's family and claim his biological son for his own.
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