Marilyn Manson needs to bring more Antichrist, less Superstar to ‘Salem’

When WGN America announced Marilyn Manson would be joining John Alden (Shane West), Mary Sibley (Janet Montgomery) and the rest of the residents of “Salem” in Season 3, fans everywhere perked up and paid attention. Whether or not you’re a fan of the self-appointed Antichrist Superstar’s music, he’s proven over the years that he has some worthy acting chops to bring to the big and small-screen.

Previously seen in the likes of “Eastbound & Down” and “Sons of Anarchy,” we’ve seen Manson — real name Brian Warner — take on some odd roles: A roller-rink waiter and a white supremacist convict come to mind. And while he doesn’t make a huge habit of jumping in front of the camera, it felt like the marriage of the shock rocker’s sensibilities and the witchy horror of the WGN series was a perfect match.

Yet, with three episodes down in Season 3, we’ve barely seen the man.

Playing — as series EP Brannon Braga called previously told Screener — a “wacky Sweeney Todd,” we’ve so far gotten a minimal taste of Manson’s take on barber/surgeon Thomas Dinley. What we need is “Cake and Sodomy” Manson. What we’d love is “Antichrist Superstar” Manson.

Look, we’re not expecting Manson to step up and lead the charge in Salem. That simply wouldn’t make sense. But his addition to the series has successfully shaken things up enough — in the one episode we saw him in — by adding a new investigative, and medical, aspect to the overall story.

RELATED: In ‘Salem,’ love is like an unwelcome rat festering in the gut

From the glimpse we were given in the first official trailer for the new season, Manson’s odd character was seen grabbing a leech off a body and eating it. Sure, that scene has yet to appear in any of the episodes that have aired but, here’s a request: More of that, please!

If it is Thomas Dinley’s role in the town to offer a shave, a haircut and odd surgical services — while also assisting Isaac (Iddo Goldberg) in his ongoing witch-hunt — then logic would tell us that he’d need more screen time.

And hey, we’re not saying Marilyn Manson’s the best actor ever, but if ever there was a project that fit him to a tee, it’d be “Salem.” Everyone else in the town seems to be losing their minds in one way or the other. Really, though, Manson’s antics would fit right in. Why not let him go off the rails!? They’ve been using his track, “Cupid Carries a Gun,” in the opening credits for the past few years. This progression just seems like a no-brainer.

“Salem” airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on WGN America.

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