SeriesTV-PGSupernatural Ghosts & Haunting Gothic

American Gothic1995

Name: American Gothic
Genre: Supernatural, Ghosts & Haunting, Gothic, Psychological
Released: 1995-09-22
Rating: 7.9

“Beyond the edge of evil lies the point of no return.”

Created by Shaun Cassidy

7.9

Crypt Score

Blended from 2 sources

IMDb 8.1TMDB 7.4

✍ Review

Share this title

X Facebook Reddit Pinterest

Year

1995

Seasons

Network

CBS

Status

Ended

Box Office

🏆 Nominated for 1 Primetime Emmy. 5 nominations total

The premise

Everything is not what it seems in Trinity, South Carolina. Sheriff Lucas Buck develops a sinister interest in Caleb. Caleb's cousin Gail tries to protect him, but that's complicated since she has feelings for Sheriff Buck. And Caleb's dead sister, Merlyn, returns as an angel, warning him that Buck is an incarnation of evil - and may not be human.

Horror Vault's take

In the sleepy Southern town of Trinity, South Carolina, a charming but deeply sinister sheriff sets his sights on a young boy named Caleb — and the town's polished facade begins to crack under the weight of dark secrets. Caleb's only allies are his determined cousin Gail and a ghostly presence that refuses to abandon him. What unfolds is a slow-burn battle between innocence and an evil that may be far older and more powerful than anyone can fully comprehend. With Gary Cole delivering an iconic, magnetic performance as Sheriff Lucas Buck, this is Southern Gothic storytelling at its most unsettling.

Content: Violence, Dark Themes Involving A Child In Danger, References To Rape, Supernatural Menace

Episode Guide

🏆 Best Episode Overall

S1.E9 · Resurrector

1.0

⭐ Highest Rated This Season

S1.E9 · Resurrector

1.0

★ 1.0 avg· 13h 30m total· Sep 1995 → Jul 1996

S1.E1 · PilotPremiere
Sep 22, 1995 · 45 min · Dir: Peter O'Fallon
The mysterious death of Merlyn Temple, a traumatized young girl, sets off a series of events that leave some townspeople questioning the motives of their charming sheriff, the last person to see her alive.
S1.E2 · A Tree Grows in Trinity
Sep 29, 1995 · 45 min · Dir: Michael Katleman
Fleeing deep into the woods from Sheriff Lucas Buck, young Caleb takes refuge in an eerie, abandoned hunting lodge and is terrified when he discovers a dying man who has been tortured and is being held prisoner there.
S1.E3 · Eye of the Beholder
Oct 6, 1995 · 45 min · Dir: Jim Charleston
Sheriff Buck calls in a favor from the local judge who is overseeing Caleb's custody hearing, hoping to ensure his favored status, but he doesn't stop there.
S1.E4 · Damned If You Don't
Oct 10, 1995 · 45 min · Dir: Lou Antonio
Carter Brown panics when Sheriff Buck wants his teen-age daughter to work for him as payback for an old favor. When he refuses, his life quickly begins to unravel.
S1.E5 · Dead to the World
Oct 13, 1995 · 45 min · Dir: James A. Contner
Gail may have pushed Sheriff Buck too far when she accuses him of foul play in the death of his former girlfriend, who was with him just before her car mysteriously drove off a bridge.