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Season 1 of American Horror Story quickly became one of the most talked about shows on TV. It developed a cult following, and fans everywhere were ecstatic to see what Ryan Murphy had in store for future installments of American Horror Story. Though as more seasons would come out, fans became less and less intrigued by Ryan Murphys attempts at reinventing the wheel. American Horror Story has now been on the air for 12 seasons, and it's all but disappeared from the cultural zeitgeist. So what exactly happened to American Horror Story, and can Ryan Murphy ever recapture that initial flame?
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Our tour concludes with one of the most famous houses of horrors in the city of angels
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better known as the Murder House. Moments in pop culture can erupt seemingly out of nowhere
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In the case of American Horror Story, the seasons that followed its penthouse debut
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are more scattershot and hard to pin down than the genuine marvel that was Murder House
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But what made that first season so powerful, and why did it prove so hard to top
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Legend has it that the ghost of Nora Montgomery still haunts these very halls
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Premiering on the FX network in 2011, American Horror Story was developed by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk
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After creating the light-hearted feel-good series Glee, the two wanted to delve into something darker and more challenging
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So they leaned into their love of the horror genre and pitched FX on an anthology show that would tell new stories every season
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Each would be self-contained and often feature reoccurring actors in clearly different roles
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For the first season, Murphy and Fowchuk would go full American Gothic with their haunted house
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story, Murder House. The series came out of the gate with a murderer's row of a cast
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with the likes of Connie Britton, Dennis O'Hare, and in her regular series acting debut on
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television, Jessica Lange. The talent on hand was remarkable, with each performer seemingly
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perfectly dialed in for the type of story Murphy and Fowlter clearly wanted to tell
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A horrific and terrifying look at the modern American family through an almost Stephen King
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lens, one where the living are to be feared as much as whatever is going bump in the night
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Murder House centered around the Harmon family. Having recently moved into a Los Angeles mansion
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they quickly learned their new home is haunted in a story that works as a masterclass in psychological and full gonzo eroticism
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which also manifested in one of Murder House's most memorable villains, the Rubberman, a harbinger of horror and heartache
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a lost spirit cursed to haunt this mansion for years to come. Get this suit
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If it doesn't work out, you can always wear it for Halloween. I do love Halloween and it is right around the corner After the resounding success of Murder House Murphy and Fowchuk would introduce us to Asylum for the anthology following season While season one was set in a modern era
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Asylum was set in the 60s at Briarcliff Manor, a hospital for the mentally unwell
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This season cranks up the pulp of pulp horror with fascists, demonic possessions, and alien abductions
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Jessica Lange stood out more than ever as Sister Jude, a character grappling with her past sins
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Asylum explores themes of sanity and the human capacity for evil, leaving viewers questioning what's real and what's a nightmare
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For the most part, this sophomore story followed the series mantra of familiar setups that took wild turns
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If anything, the season would be a signpost that the creators were maybe a bit too fond of wild turns
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You may think my mind is closed, doctor, but my eyes are wide open, I promise you
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In season three, we're introduced to a coven. Set in New Orleans, this was the first season to go truly camp
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and high melodrama. The Witch's Academy, the Resurrection Spells, and the power struggles
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made for great entertainment, but at the cost of genuine horror. Murder House and even Asylum
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still waited in the tropes of horror, more literature-based for season one, and definitely
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on the pulp side for season two. The scares were replaced by spectacle, the atmosphere by aesthetics
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The characters, though memorable, often felt like caricatures, their development sacrificed on the
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altar of shock value and sensationalism. It was a fun romp, but the haunting essence of the show
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seemed to be slipping through the creator's fingers. Come on, Mary Todd Lincoln
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I'll buy you a drink. The fourth season Freak Show centered around a carnival of oddities in the 50s
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Visually stunning and emotionally charged, it felt like a return to form
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a focus on outcasts and misfits. But the narrative meandered. Characters came and went with little consequence
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and the scares were more grotesque than terrifying. Twisty the Clown was a standout, a figure of genuine menace
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but he was lost in a sea of half-baked subplots and inconsistent tone
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They want to call us monsters? Fine. We'll act like monsters. By the time we reach Hotel, the fifth season
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the show had fully embraced its descent into style over substance. The Hotel Cortez, with its Art Deco decadence and sinister secrets
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was gorgeous to look at and really did feel lived in, and Lady Gaga Countess was a mesmerizing presence However Murphy and Fowchuk continued to let their various subplots run rampant with no real thread to bind it together The show instead feels like the creator trying to prove how big they can go
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Do you want some? I'd rather want you. Roanoke, the sixth season, attempted to reinvent the wheel with a metanarrative structure
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that flipped the script halfway through. Initially presented as a true crime documentary
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it later transitioned into a reality show format. The ambitious approach, while commendable for its creativity, ultimately fell flat
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The constant shifts in perspective and tone left viewers disoriented, and it continued the series' trend of no longer trying to feel terrifying
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but to make the audience relate in any way. Is this all part of the show
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Is anything even real? Season 7, Colt, brought the horrors of contemporary politics to the forefront
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While it was a timely commentary on societal fears, it lacked the supernatural elements that had defined American horror story
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The scares were replaced by political allegory, and the season often felt more like a satirical drama than a horror show
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It also continued to really not give us, as an audience, anyone to cheer for
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Every character in the series seemed to grow increasingly cold and distant
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I said there is nothing more dangerous in this world than a humiliated man
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Apocalypse the 8th season attempted to merge past seasons into a grand narrative
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bringing back beloved characters and intertwining their stories. Fan-favorite seasons 1 and 3 were combined into a season
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with the highest stakes American horror story had attempted before. Some, however, felt this nostalgia-driven approach
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felt more like fan service than a return to form. But for others, it really did remind us of why we loved the show
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mostly because for the first time in years, there were characters we cared about. We're the new owners
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Who are you? I'm Constance Langdon, and this is my f***ing house
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The ninth season, 1984, embraced the slasher film aesthetic of the 1980s
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It was a love letter to the genre, complete with campy kills and over-the-top characters
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While it was a fun homage, it lacked the depth and originality that had once set American Horror
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Story apart. Because American Horror Story had led audiences to believe that it was a show about
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more than homages. It again fell into the trap of a fun celebration with nothing to say
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You were right. Right about what That guy the night soccer Brooke said she saw him down by the dock When we get to season 10 double feature we actually get two shortened seasons The first Red Tide was a Lovecraftian horror about a struggling writer who moves to a seaside town only to discover a dark secret about his success
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It is not irrational to worry about our daughter out there alone when we both have been attacked in the last few days
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The second, Death Valley, was a black and white historical drama blending science fiction and alien invasion story
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While each part gave different viewers something to latch onto, they felt too short for the cluttered amount of ambition
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The reason my species traveled billions of miles to live here is because our planet looks an awful lot like this
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In NYC, season 11 brought one of the series' more somber tones to the forefront
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Set in the gritty 80s of New York City, the story focused on a burgeoning art scene and the rising AIDS epidemic
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The season intertwined personal stories of struggle and survival with supernatural elements
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offering a raw emotional and haunting portrayal of a pivotal era in history
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Some audiences found it too exploitative of a real and very horrific time that was not that long ago
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While horror has often walked this line, some wondered if it was handled delicately enough
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and others lauded the show for pushing the envelope. I'm writing about how gay men are being hunted and killed in this town
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What's that ask? The 12th and most recent season, Delicate, followed a woman who believes a sinister force is sabotaging her pregnancy
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This season delves into themes of paranoia, control, and the societal pressures surrounding women's bodies delivering a deeply unsettling and thought-provoking narrative
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While incredibly atmospheric and a deeply unnerving exploration of motherhood, the pacing once again felt off with more importance put on shock and awe
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You reneged on our agreement. No, I didn't. You promised us a baby
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And then you tried to take him back. Don't gaslight a gaslighter, babe. Every season of American Horror Story has brought a very specific purpose
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Whether haunted houses or political cults, the problems often stem from over-ambition and pacing
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What made Murder House stand out was its simple statement of living are as bad as the dead
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that we are all haunted and haunting all at once. It's merely a matter of how that impacts those we love
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American Horror Story capitalized on this idea. When it works, it's wonderful and beautiful to see
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And when it doesn't, it's still lovely to watch someone try
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