The rundown (no spoilers)

Fans of Ryan Murphy’s work (Popular, Nip/Tuck, American Horror Story) will love this binge-worthy show. The series is set in 1947 and follows Mildred Ratched (Sarah Paulson, AHS), who begins working as a nurse at a leading psychiatric hospital in California. Ratched is a classic onion  — each episode, a new layer is revealed about her past or her character. It is hard to decide if Ratched is helpful/caring or as mental as the hospital’s patients. The answer…she is a perfect mix of both. I swear the song Sweet but Psycho was written about Mildred Ratched. There are only eight episodes, so be prepared to be left in the dust, wondering what will happen next season.

The good, the bad, the ugly — mostly good

1. I love how the all-star leading ladies steal the show and are the main focus. Sharon Stone is still fire. 
2. The show may be set decades in the past, but it still has relevant topics we face today, like women’s issues/women in power, LGBTQA+, and a lack of good mental health care. It makes you realize why state mental institutions are a thing of the past, and there still aren’t enough resources today for those who need help.
3. It feels like Sarah Paulson is a cross between characters Lana Winters and Sister Jude Martin from AHS: Asylum. She killed it at bringing Mildred Ratched to life, but I felt like I was watching another season of AHS, which I love. It would’ve been nice for it to not feel SO much like AHS. Several AHS alums star or make an appearance in the show, plus the set vibe and attire screamed AHS to me. Don’t misunderstand; I binged watched this show and think it is worth your time.

Showstopper 

Sophie Okonedo as Charlotte Wells — you’ll see why — She’s AMAZING and probably my favorite character.

I also have to shout out Joseph Marcell, aka Geoffrey from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, who plays Len Bronley, a man who forgets his lines and thinks a lobotomy will fix things.