TV’s Darkest Characters - Sherriff Lucas Buck – American Gothic

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Who or what exactly Lucas Buck is isn’t clear. Is he a vampire? A demon? Satan incarnate? He sure as Hell isn’t human. Worse, he is the Sherriff of the town of Trinity, and it’s worse nightmare. Buck has raped the mother of his young son, Caleb, driving the mother to suicide later, and he has also killed Caleb’s sister, Merlyn (Sarah Paulson) who protects her younger brother with her ghostly powers. Villains seem drawn to Trinity, but it is Sheriff Buck’s territory and crime is often punished with death. One killer wakes up to find himself sharing a coffin with his already dead and buried victim. Trinity is not just a bad place, it is virtually Hell. What makes American Gothic work really well is the casting of Gary Cole as the terrifying Sherriff. Cole was fresh from a heroic do-gooder role as the very popular, beautifully scripted Midnight Caller, about a late night DJ good Samaritan who helped people in need. Here, he offers no hope, but a great deal of horror. Buck has his own tormenter though, in the guise of Merlyn, who is steadily turning his son and heir against his evil ways. The series ended with Buck raising another ghost in a rather novel way to exorcise her – he unleashes the spirit of Albert De Salvo (The Boston Strangler). Sadly, American Gothic was never given a second season, so one of the most under-rated and supremely dark-toned shows ever conceived, vanished forever. Teaser trailer for American Gothic Arthur Chappell