NOTE: Spoilers for the two-hour premiere
Ryan Murphy has done it again, as part of the brilliant writing trio also including Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan. Scream Queens is the black comedy horror series all fans deserve, but whilst it's incredibly hilarious and wacky, it's also a very clever commentary on the social world we live in today.
For example, in one of the show's first murder scenes we see a victim not utter a word to their killer, instead conversing with them through text messages. Before she succumbs to her wounds, the victim manages to reach her laptop and send out a tweet to the world to let them know exactly what's happening. She doesn't use speech, or pick up a telephone - instead her obsession with social media and technology takes over in the last moments of her life. It's goofy but also incredibly eye-opening.
Then there's the moment one character asks for permission to call another 'mom', a term of endearment which has been made popular by social media in recent years. For the young audiences that are watching it'll be a brilliant nod to the online worlds they're used to, and for those a little older who may be a bit out of touch, it's a great yet over-the-top lesson in regards to what's going on in social media today.
The cast includes some hilarious close to the bone characters such as 'Neckbrace' and 'Deaf Taylor Swift' (is that SHADE?), with stereotypical sorority girls outlining the vicious life young teenagers can go on to live when they eventually make it to college. We've not seen a show or movie quite like Scream Queens for some time now, and it's been way too long. Luckily it can now fill that void left by the likes of Mean Girls and Wild Child.
Of course we can't talk about the show without mentioning one of horror's original 'Scream Queens', Jamie Lee Curtis. From the moment she first arrives on-screen, she's one of the most interesting and enigmatic characters we meet. She's Dean of the school and in one of her first acts in her new position of authority, she decrees that sorority pledging must be open to all of the students, not just those chosen by the silver-spooned elite the school houses. By bringing everybody together, she could be the perfect candidate for the Red Devil serial killer which begins his work when the series starts, but the show would be making things far too obvious if Curtis' character IS the culprit.
Most of the characters in the show all have reasons they could be the one bringing the lives of others to an end. There's the cute guy who's trying to run an exposé on the evils behind sororities, and the gay jock who wants to come out in his own time. There are the girls who have forever lived in fear of Queen Bee Chantel (Emma Roberts) but do everything she tells them to do, and a baby that's unaccounted for after a tragedy nearly two decades prior.
Though Ariana Grande and Nick Jonas are now mostly known for their singing ability, the pair of them are great in front of the camera. Any doubt viewers may have about their acting should be put to bed right away - they both morph into their respective roles with ease.
Bringing the 'whodunit' story to life with a beautiful modern twist, Scream Queens may not be without its faults, but it is a series which has the opportunity to blossom into something special. I'll certainly keep watching to see what happens next.
Scream Queens airs on FOX in the US and will come to E4 in the UK later this autumn.