The best the show has ever been.

Everything on show is bigger, wilder, more ambitious… and dammit if they didn’t manage to pull it off. It’s crazy that they can put together what is essentially an entire season of mid-budget movies and not have the thing collapse into itself like a dead star.

Of course, the performances and production design do a lot of heavy lifting, along with some incredible VFX and makeup work.

It’s always worn its influences on its sleeve, but more than any other point in its run, it really feels like its cohering into something more than just slick aesthetics and a stack of well-executed homages. Finally, it’s leaning confidently into itself, and is all the better for it.

If you like the show but thought the last two seasons were lacking somewhat in direction and growth: good news! It’s great.

Highly recommended.