History Series / AmericanGothic1995

* IHaveYouNowMyPretty: A disturbing inversion. Not only is there no hero in sight to show up and save [[PluckyGirl Gail]] from sexual ravishment by Sheriff Buck--since Dr. Crower a) is absolutely clueless about what is developing between them, b) has his own problems, and c) is never even implied to have any interest in Gail other than as a friend--but Gail ''actually wants it.'' (Because, of course, EvilIsSexy and EvilFeelsGood.) The fact she is willing, overcome by her desires, and unable to resist Buck, however, does not stop the scene in question from being depraved: It [[DoubleEntendre takes place in a garden]] replete with unsettling statuary and the DiscretionShot used throughout is downright surreal, with imagery that switched from FauxSymbolism to MindScrew territory.

* ChildrenAreInnocent: Played straight and then disturbingly averted. [[MoralEventHorizon Buck is proven to be absolutely evil]] by [[MercyKill mercy-killing]] Merlyn in the first episode, and most of the first half to three-quarters of the series is devoted to protecting the innocent Caleb from the sheriff's vile influence. But then, as Caleb [[StartOfDarkness gradually falls deeper and deeper under his father's thrall]], starts taking lessons from him, and even absorbs some of his powers, he becomes more disturbingly amoral, wicked, and heartless. By the end of the series, Caleb is practically a carbon copy of [[Film/TheOmen Damien Thorn]] and it is [[spoiler:Buck]] who must actually [[spoiler:save Trinity from ''him'']]. All the more chilling because of how artfully it is done.

* DeadpanSnarker: Dr. Crower.

* ExecutiveMeddling: See below.

* GoodColorsEvilColors: SpiritAdvisor Merlyn is always depicted dressed in white, while Buck (the Devil Incarnate) is quite often dressed in black. [[FauxSymbolism What Do You Mean It's Not Symbolic?]]
* GoodIsImpotent: No matter how hard Dr. Crower and Gail fight for Caleb's rights, and no matter how much Merlyn uses her angelic powers to protect him, Caleb is inexorably drawn into Buck's orbit and everyone seems helpless to prevent it, or even expose Buck's evil. It doesn't help that the sheriff is a VillainWithGoodPublicity and that both Matt and Gail are hardly immune to mind games or [[EvilIsSexy temptation]], but even Merlyn is made out to be decidedly weaker than her adversary and gaining more power to face him almost pushes her too far.

* LifeOrLimbDecision: Performed by, who else? Buck.

* LukeIAmYourFather: Caleb and Buck. Unique in that it is revealed ''in the pilot of the series'', and that while Caleb reacts in disgust and anger at the notion, he never has a HeroicBSOD or otherwise freaks out over the revelation. In fact, the more time passes, the less issue he seems to take with it, even [[spoiler:welcoming and embracing the relationship by the end of the series]]. This could be due to being orphaned and having no one else to turn to except an increasingly unstable doctor and a [[CoolBigSis Cool Cousin]] [[EvilIsSexy who is also being drawn into Buck's orbit]], but [[DemonicPossession all things]] [[VillainousLineage considered]], [[StartOfDarkness probably not]].

* PsychicDreamsForEveryone: Starting in the pilot, and continuing on to about the twelfth episode, Gail proves to possess some form of this ability, since she continually relives or witnesses the fire which claimed the lives of her parents, even though she wasn't actually there to see the tragedy the first time. Once Buck [[ManipulativeBastard has revealed to her the truth about how and why her parents died]] and she realizes they [[BrokenPedestal weren't as wonderful as she thought they were]], this ability seems to disappear...which [[EvilIsSexy considering the trouble]] [[VirginityMakesYouStupid she gets into later]], is rather unfortunate.

* RoomFullOfCrazy: After learning that Buck is the Devil Incarnate from none other than his own mother [[spoiler:(except, of course, she wasn't, instead being a plant [[ManipulativeBastard set up by Buck]])]], Dr. Crower becomes so obsessed with Buck that he starts acting like a crazed stalker. When Gail, Ben, and Dr. Peele become suspicious of his personality changes and investigate his house, they discover a room straight out of this trope--no rambling writing scrawled on the walls (except Buck's name, over and over), but [[StringTheory plenty of photos, newspaper clippings]], and an enlarged headshot of the sheriff with [[{{Anvilicious}} a red bullseye marked around it]].

* ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney: One of Buck's methods to control the area.

* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: When Dr. Crower is PutOnABus, the series introduces Dr. Peele, who, just like Crower, is new in town and working at the local hospital, and Peele takes over Crower's role as Buck's nemesis. Although Crower and Peele have different personalities (and Peele, unlike Crower, adds some [[{{Padding}} soap opera-style romance drama with Selena]]), their basic role in the story is blatantly the same.

** After Merlyn [[spoiler:kills her new body to save the soul of a baby]] and is sent briefly to {{Hell}}, Caleb resurrects her spirit. Apparently, this brush with darkness changed her usually angelic personality into one that was vengeful, ruthless, and downright disturbing. Completely aside from the horror (or {{Narm}}) when she [[spoiler:briefly speaks with [[EvilSoundsDeep a deep, demonic voice]]]], she declares war on Buck right in the middle of a church. And when Buck [[spoiler:possesses Caleb and dares her to kill her own brother]], she goes completely too far, [[JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope deciding that since everyone in the town is either aiding Buck or looking the other way, they are all evil too]]...[[spoiler:so she sends a plague to slaughter the town]]. And all of this while still wearing white!

Welcome to Trinity, South Carolina. A quaint, lovely town of picturesque houses, white picket fences, old-growth forest, and friendly next-door neighbors. Good people. There's only one slight problem with this beautiful idyllic town where everyone knows everybody (and their juiciest secrets for the gossip chain):

* CorruptHick: Buck is the ''literal Devil'' (or some equally demonic equivalent), and is generally the cause of any illegal activity going down in Trinity.

%%* BelatedBackstory

* {{Chickification}}: Happens to [[PluckyGirl Gail Emory]]. At the start of the show, while not exactly an ActionGirl, she was certainly a female {{Determinator}} who, as an IntrepidReporter, was determined to find out the truth of her parents' deaths and bring their murderer to justice. But as soon as she learned her parents were not [[spoiler:[[BrokenPedestal the paragons of virtue she thought them to be]]]], her BelatedBackstory was dropped and the writers lost her sense of purpose, resulting in wimpy and disappointing characterization. The development of her relationship with Buck, while interesting in concept, is written so sloppily that she seems much weaker compared to her personality at the beginning of the series.

* GoodIsImpotent: No matter how hard Dr. Crower and Gail fight for Caleb's rights, and no matter how much Merlyn uses her angelic powers to protect him, Caleb is inexorably drawn into Buck's orbit and everyone seems helpless to prevent it, or even expose Buck's evil. It doesn't help that the sheriff is a VillainWithGoodPublicity and that both Matt and Gail are hardly immune to mind games or [[EvilIsSexy temptation]], but even Merlyn is made out to be decidedly weaker than her adversary and gaining more power to face him [[NotSoDifferent almost pushes her too far]].

* NotSoDifferent: In "The Plague Sower," [[WellIntentionedExtremist having gone too far in her desire for vengeance and justice]], Merlyn uses her [[LightIsNotGood angelic powers]] to curse Trinity with an almost Biblical plague, only relenting when she is made to see how her either-or mentality and harsh, murderous methods make her no better than Buck.

--> '''Buck:''' ''(utterly deadpan)'' Help. Ben, Help. I do believe that a man is trying to kill himself.

* BastardUnderstudy: {{Averted|Trope}} with Ben.

%%* CreepyChild

* AssholeVictim: The extortionists in "Strong Arm of the Law" make the mistake of trying to set up shop in Trinity ''and'' [[BullyingADragon pissing off Buck]]. The fact that they’re all [[SmugSnake smug]] [[{{Jerkass}} assholes]] makes it considerably hard to feel bad for them, and rather easy to root for the far more charismatic but just as evil Buck, who seems quite satisfied about being able to deal out his own brand of justice.

%%* BadassLongcoat
%%* BastardUnderstudy: {{Averted|Trope}} with Ben.

Opposing Buck is young Caleb Temple (Creator/LucasBlack), an orphan who [[DeadPersonConversation talks regularly]] to his [[SpiritAdvisor dead sister Merlyn]] (Creator/SarahPaulson) and has powers of his own--and who may or may not be Buck's son. Buck wants Caleb to follow him; Merlyn wants Caleb to resist; and the rest of Trinity gets caught in the crossfire, so to speak. Other members of the main cast include Buck's arch-enemy, the kindly Dr. Matt Crower (Creator/JakeWeber), Caleb's cousin IntrepidReporter Gail Emory (Creator/PaigeTurco), FemmeFatale Selena Coombs (Creator/BrendaBakke), Buck's cowardly deputy Ben Healy (Nick Searcy), and [[spoiler:Crower]]'s eventual replacement Billy Peele (Creator/JohnMese).

Opposing Buck is young Caleb Temple (Creator/LucasBlack), an orphan who [[DeadPersonConversation talks regularly]] to his [[SpiritAdvisor dead sister Merlyn]] (Creator/SarahPaulson) and has powers of his own--and who may or may not be Buck's son. Buck wants Caleb to follow him; Merlyn wants Caleb to resist; and the rest of Trinity gets caught in the crossfire, so to speak. Other members of the main cast include Buck's arch-enemy, the kindly Dr. Matt Crower (Creator/JakeWeber), Caleb's cousin IntrepidReporter Gail Emory (Paige Turco), FemmeFatale Selena Coombs (Creator/BrendaBakke), Buck's cowardly deputy Ben Healy (Nick Searcy), and [[spoiler:Crower]]'s eventual replacement Billy Peele (Creator/JohnMese).

Opposing Buck is young Caleb Temple (Creator/LucasBlack), an orphan who [[DeadPersonConversation talks regularly]] to his [[SpiritAdvisor dead sister Merlyn]] (Creator/SarahPaulson) and has powers of his own--and who may or may not be Buck's son. Buck wants Caleb to follow him; Merlyn wants Caleb to resist; and the rest of Trinity gets caught in the crossfire, so to speak. Other members of the main cast include Buck's arch-enemy, the kindly Dr. Matt Crower (Creator/JakeWeber), Caleb's cousin IntrepidReporter Gail Emory (Paige Turco), FemmeFatale Selena Coombs (Creator/BrendaBakke), and Buck's cowardly deputy Ben Healy (Nick Searcy).

* CoolBigSis: Or, in this case, cousin.
%%* CorruptHick: Buck.

Opposing Buck is young Caleb Temple (Creator/LucasBlack), an orphan who [[DeadPersonConversation talks regularly]] to his [[SpiritAdvisor dead sister Merlyn]] (Creator/SarahPaulson) and has powers of his own--and who may or may not be Buck's son. Buck wants Caleb to follow him; Merlyn wants Caleb to resist; and the rest of Trinity gets caught in the crossfire, so to speak. Other members of the main cast include Buck's arch-enemy, the kindly Dr. Matt Crower (Creator/JakeWeber), Caleb's cousin IntrepidReporter Gail Emory (Paige Turco), FemmeFatale Selena Coombs (Brenda Bakke), and Buck's cowardly deputy Ben Healy (Nick Searcy).

Opposing Buck is young Caleb Temple (Creator/LucasBlack), an orphan who [[DeadPersonConversation talks regularly]] to his [[SpiritAdvisor dead sister Merlyn]] (Creator/SarahPaulson) and has powers of his own--and who may or may not be Buck's son. Buck wants Caleb to follow him; Merlyn wants Caleb to resist; and the rest of Trinity gets caught in the crossfire, so to speak.