Definitively Ranking the First 7 Seasons of 'American Horror Story'
| 09/12/18
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It's the end of the world as we know it. The apocalypse is coming on tonight's season eight premiere of American Horror Story.
As usual with Ryan Murphy's horror brainchild, we know very little about the new season. But from the trailer and what little info the cast and crew has divulged, we know that it begins with the end of the world. Set in an underground bunker, new characters and some of our faves from Murder House and Coven serve some post-apocalyptic Victorian realness to usher in the reign of the anti-Christ.
Although the show still has another couple of seasons left, we're gearing up for the end. We compiled our ranking of the first seven seasons of American Horror Story. Catch up and see how they stack up next to Apocalypse, premiering September 12 at 10pm on FX.
Although Murphy's most recent installment was super topical, it fell a little flat compared to the others. This season followed a lesbian couple being terrorized by a Trump-loving cult in the wake of the 2016 election. With its Manson-esque leader and its alt-right followers, it became an uncomfortable story to watch, given the nation's all-too-real horror story.
Jessica Lange's final season left us in mourning. It starred Lange as the leader of a freak show in Florida that became plagued by clown-masked serial killer. Coming in as season four, it had the difficult task of trying to follow the novelty and fan-power of Coven.
This season had everything: Nazis, evil nuns, serial killers, aliens, demonic possessions, and Adam Levine. Although it was an enjoyable season, there was certainly a lot to follow.
This season's ultra-violent neon '80s stylized look alone lands it a spot or two up the list. That, and it starred Lady Gaga in her debut TV performance. As a vampiress owner of a haunted hotel, she brought some old school Hollywood glamour and some classic monster movie jumps to the show.
Say what you will, but this season knew how to pack a scare or two. It followed an interracial couple dealing with rednecks in their new North Carolina town, as well as the murderous ghosts of the lost colony of Roanoke. Not only did it provide a chilling adaptation of a popular historic mystery, but it was set in the meta context of our culture's obsession with true crime genre and reality TV.
The inaugural season truly set the tone for Murphy's masterpiece. After moving to a haunted house in LA, a broken family finds themselves plagued with the house's previous tenants. Stripped of any stylized gimmickry, it stood out on plot and scares alone.
Hands down, the third season was peak Ryan Murphy. Centering on a school for young witches in New Orleans, it appealled to our inner snarky goth fashionistas on a level that many have attempted but few have matched. There's a reason Murphy is bringing back these beloved characters for Apocalypse.