FX recently announced Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk’s hit series, American Horror Story, would be renewed for a seventh season. Murphy and Falchuk, whose sanity I question after moving from a high school musical-esq series (Glee) to horrors you can only imagine in AHS, are the definition of a dynamic duo. The pair has been nominated for 9 Daytime Emmy’s across their three shows, winning in 2016 for Outstanding Limited Series with American Crime Story: The People vs. OJ Simpson (sidebar – if you haven’t watched this yet, get off my blog and get on the FX app NOW). AHS itself has seen 94 wins over 255 nominations, including lead actress for both Jessica Lange (2014 Emmys) and Lady Gaga (2016 Golden Globes).
For those of you who haven’t witnessed the anthology series, which utilizes many of the same actors and actresses across season, each playing out a different theme, I’ve broken it down for you in order of quality programming.
- Murder House, Season 1: Two words – CONNIE. BRITTON. Aside from her beautiful self, Murder House set the scene for what was to become of the anthology.
Must watch moments: Tate’s school shooting (truly terrifying in this day and age); Violet finding her corpse; Moria’s magic.
Ignore: Kate Mara.
- Coven, Season 3: This will be the one people disagree with most, but I loved every minute of it. From sassy bitch Emma Roberts (really, is there any better role for her?) to Lange and Sarah Paulson’s dynamic as mother and daughter, it’s a great gateway into the anthology.
Must watch moments: Anything featuring Kathy Bates; Constance’s eyes; the bus accident.
Ignore: Evan Peters.
- Asylum, Season 2: Adam Levine and Jenna Dewan-Tatum kick off this season, set in the 1960s. This is the season Jessica Lange comes into her own, and the inmates are dreadful.
Must watch moments: Lana’s self-inflicted abortion; Anne Frank.
Ignore: Alien Abductions
- My Roanoke Nightmare, Season 6: The latest installment follows along the path of your typical ghost investigation show, except instead of terrible actors playing the real-life people, it’s okay actors as real life people, portrayed by amazing actors Paulson and Cuba Gooding Jr.
Must watch moments: We’re only 4 episodes in, so just watch them all.
Ignore: The feeling you get watching Marcia Clark and OJ kiss.
- Freak Show, Season 4: There is nothing inherently wrong with Freak Show, it just doesn’t capture the essence of AHS like the previous four seasons mentioned. Dandy Mott is a true terror, while Elsa’s misfits are pleasant at best, boring at worst. Plus, I hate clowns.
Must watch moments: Sex “toy” party, Dandy’s playroom, Elsa’s “porno.”
Ignore: Twisty’s face (it will give you nightmares).
- Hotel, Season 5: Just don’t do it. We all had such high hopes going into a haunted hotel, seemingly written after H.H. Holmes, but the show failed to deliver. Disclaimer: I didn’t even finish it.
Must watch moments: Paulson and Denis O’Hare.
Ignore: Vampire children, killer orgies, the entire season.
Do you watch American Horror Story? Which season is your favorite?
American Horror Story: My Roanoke Nightmare airs Wednesdays at 10/9c on FX Networks.
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