Following an impressive television debut in 2011, Ryan Murphy’sAmerican Horror Storyhas become one of the most infamous television series of the last decade. The show’s impressive run has birthed ten incredible seasons that consist of faces that many have become familiar with. Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Lily Rabe, Jessica Lange, Frances Conroy, Denis O’Hare, Angela Bassett, Emma Roberts, Taissa Farmiga, Finn Wittrock, and Kathy Bates are among the reoccurring cast members.Much debate has occurred over which season ofAmerican Horror Storyis the best. Covering various topics and themes, the ten seasons ofAmerican Horror Storycan be rankedon a few different scales. Given that the series is meant to startle its viewers, the horror elements of the show must be taken into account. With it is the overall narrative (which can be a hit or a miss withAmerican Horror Story), character development, and the construction of each episode, including music selection and sound editing.RELATED:Chucky Renewed For Season 2 On USA Network And SyFy
Double Feature
Starting with the weakest entry in the series, the most recent season ofAmerican Horror Storywas composed of two parts. The first six episodes were part ofRed Tide, while the last four were constructed withinDeath Valley. Both parts had interesting pieces to offer, asRed Tidefocused on curing writer’s block with a simple black pill.Death Valleytook a few brief steps back in time, choosing tofocus on alien abductionsand a secret agreement between them and the United States government. The decision to compact both storylines in one season didn’t benefit the potential of either story. Instead, both parts felt rushed and only partly dived into.
Cult
Despite starring Paulson and Peters, the seventh season ofAmerican Horror Storydidn’t win over many people. Centered around the2020 U.S. Presidential Election, most went into the season with wary minds. Its inclusion of a woman with Coulrophobia and the birthing of a strange cult and an eccentric leader left many scratching their heads. The season encompasses a lot but ultimately does very little with it.
Roanoke
Roanokeis perhaps one of the most heavily criticized seasons ofAmerican Horror Story. Unlike the other seasons, Murphy wanted to keep the theme of the season under wraps until it premiered. What began as an interestingexplanation for the lost Roanoke colonysoon became a topsy turvy story that made it difficult to decipher what was real and what wasn’t.
Those twists can and should be valued, as the three layers of the story made it one of the most innovative seasons of the show to date. Elongating the season for a few additional episodes may have assisted with the pacing and therefore the audience’s reception, butRoanokeis still a valuable addition to the franchise.
Hotel
Inspired by the real landmark of the Cecil Hotel in Los Angeles,Hotelis an incredibly grim season. The fifth season ofAmerican Horror Storyis known for starring Lady Gaga as The Countess, and being the first season without Jessica Lange.Hotelisn’t the only season torevolve around a haunted estate, but it does offer elements that make it unique. The twists include vampires and the hidden identity of the Ten Commandments Killer. A fully stocked season with aFight Club-like twist makes up for the absences of a few notable faces throughout the season.
1984
A direct draw on the infamousFriday the 13thfilms, the ninth season ofAmerican Horror Storyhas everything a great slasher needs. It is armed with the setting of a camp with a dark history and a range of characters (including the real Night Stalker) harboring dangerous secrets of their own. There are plenty of mysterious killings and ghosts throughout the nine-episode season, adding to its slasher status.
While shorter than most other seasons ofAmerican Horror Story,1984manages to tell a concrete narrative that embodies not only the slasher films that helped inspire it but the 1980s it is set within.
Coven
One of the most popular seasons ofAmerican Horror Storyis it’s third. Focused on the struggling academy for young witches and the forces that work to unite and tear them apart, the chemistry the cast has with one another helps put it over the top. LikeAsylum,Coventackles a few intense themes in an earnest manner. It is also the first seasonto star Angela Bassettand Kathy Bates, who have gone on to play some of the franchise’s most interesting characters, including theirCovenroles of Marie Laveau and Madame Delphine LaLaurie.
Freak Show
Freak Showis the last season that features Jessica Lange in a main role, and its subject matter makes it one of the most frightening seasons of the show. It also contains memorable characters from the franchise including the conjoined twins Bette and Dot as well as Twisty the Clown. Theeerie story of the circusand the serial killings occurring around them is counteracted by the heartwarming (and at times, heartbreaking) relationships the characters form with one another.
Apocalypse
Apocalypseis a crossover betweenMurder HouseandCoven, which are two of the most popular seasons ofAmerican Horror Story. The basis already gave the eighth season of the franchise a good standing with viewers, and by featuring the return of Jessica Lange,Apocalypse’spopularity has only grown. It also features the highest-rated episode of the entire series with an outstanding 9.3 on IMDb.
BothCovenandMurder Housestand well on their own andcrossovers are always tricky to navigate, butApocalypsedoes exactly what a strong crossover should. It expands on the stories shown in bothCovenandMurder Housewhile introducing a new batch of characters and circumstances. It makesApocalypseone of the horror franchise’s strongest seasons to date.
Murder House
The first season ofAmerican Horror Storyhas stood the test of time. The premise of a ghostly estate has been redone over the course of the series, and the Murder House has been revisited several times, including inthe spin-offAmerican Horror Stories. Its beautifully crafted storytelling between the ghosts, the house, and the humans that inhabit it make for a complex season full of insane twists.
Asylum
Asylumhas proven itself as one of the most frightening seasons ofAmerican Horror Storybecause of the unique story it manages to tell with three seemingly unrelated layers. Aliens, a crazed killer, and a mental asylum birth some of the series' most humane characters, which goes a long way in making its second season the series' absolute best.
