RANKING AMERICAN HORROR STORY SEASONS

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RANKINGAMERICAN HORROR STORY

SEASONS

BY ANNA MCCOY, ‘22 AND KAITLYN WITAS, ‘24

The general vibe of American Horror Story (AHS) can be summed up as if the month of October and Saturday Night Live had a baby–a harmonious balance between scares and laughs. American Horror Story is an anthology series with every season having a completely new storyline from the last. Between the two of us, we have some strong opinions in regards to our collective favorite, Murder House, least favorite, Freakshow, as well as which season we disagree on, Hotel.

THE BEST SEASON:

MURDERHOUSE

Anna’s thoughts: Murder House was by far my favorite season of American Horror Story. Likeable characters are what makes a show and Violet Harmon, one of the main characters of AHS played by Taissa Farmiga, is the troubled yet loveable teenage girl. She and her parents move to a charming and eerie, 1920’s mansion in California, from which a haunting story unveils. Murder House challenges perception and family morals in a classic yet unique way. It made me want to scream into a pillow at times, but in a good way? I was instantly, and continually, glued to my screen.

Kaitlyn’s thoughts: Murder House is 100% my favorite season of American Horror Story. I love the storyline and writing and that the characters have relatable characteristics even though the show is unrealistic. Specifically the characters who have seen it all that I love are Tate (Evan Peters) and Violet (Taissa Farmiga). The plot made me cry, laugh and feel any other emotion I can think of. No scene with either actor is a dull moment. All I can say is, if you like crime, ghosts and whacked out plans (I hope someone gets this reference) please watch Murder House.

Photo from FX, American Horror Story, 2014.

THE WORST SEASON:

FREAKSHOW

Anna’s thoughts: Freak Show was really hard to finish. It was definitely my least favorite season of American Horror Story. My first issue with the show was that it was dragged out. The plot had barely any progression, and the characters weren’t likeable. The premise of the show was a wanna–be performer’s life with her circus “freakshow”. Honestly the show left me nauseous and feeling sad for the chara ters–but not in the intended way. I also did not enjoy the clown horror element of the show. I love American Horror Story, but I would strongly recommend skipping this season.

Kaitlyn’s thoughts: The general aesthetics of Freakshow, with the old-timey circus look was nice to see, but was completely thrown out the window when they introduced a man-child serial killer and a clown. Most importantly, I hate clowns. I was disappointed with the route I feel like the writers had a lot of potential with this season, but at some point everything just became drawn out. I love AHS, but please save yourself the time and effort and don’t watch Freakshow. Did I mention that I hate clowns?

To hear what we have to say about the other seasons, check out our podcast on bhsrounduponline.org!

WHERE WE CAN’T AGREE:

HOTEL

Anna’s thoughts: I really liked Hotel. I know it’s a bit controversial, but this was definitely one of my favorite seasons of American Horror Story. Let’s start with the fact that Lady Gaga is in it- I love her. Hotel is about an old suspicious hotel and a policeman’s mission to find his kidnapped son AND a killer on the loose. The Seven Sins, originating from Christian teachings, are involved in this season, which I thought was a cool addition. The plot twist in this season is brilliant, too, but you’ll have to see it for yourself… I also simply enjoyed the aesthetics of Hotel- the costuming and setting add a lot to the show.

Kaitlyn’s thoughts: I can’t say I hated Hotel, but it is not my favorite. I thought that it was cool how it is inspired by the real life rumored-to-be haunted Hotel Cecil. The storyline and acting is great, featuring some pretty good plot twists, but the show felt kind of dragged out and was a little bit hard to follow at some points, so it just did not live up to my expectations. I wish the season had been solely about ghosts and an old-fashioned serial killer rather than having vampire creatures thrown into the mix. I thought Lady Gaga’s part was more about publicity and gaining views than valuing her acting. All in all, there were some redeeming qualities, but Hotel was not great.