By Caitlin Collins 

Staff Writer 

Image source: deadline.com

American Horror Story is an American anthology horror television series created by Ryan Murphy. Having a total of 10 seasons with more coming, it stars Evan Peters, Sarah Paulson, Emma Roberts, Lily Rabe, and Jessica Lange. This show is not like any other show you’ve watched. Each season has its own self-contained storyline and characters, and it has been put forward that each season will introduce a new location as well. 

This show consists of physical and psychological horrors that affect a decomposing family, workers, and residents of an insane asylum, a coven of witches, a cast of circus freaks, the employees and guest at a struggling hotel, a family who moved into a mysterious farmhouse, the members of a small suburb in Michigan, the surviving members of the Apocalypse, the counselors of a creepy summer camp, and addicting vampire pills that somehow help you with success. 

I find it interesting and amazing how each season is conceived as a self-contained miniseries, following a disparate set of characters and settings and a storyline with its own beginning, middle, and end. While most actors and actresses appear for more than one season, they usually play completely different roles every time.

Another thing to add is the different set designs. As said before, each season is completely different, so there’s always going to be a new setting during different years and times. Personally, I think it is exciting not knowing what to expect for each season. While doing some research I learned that it took months to complete the idea of how they wanted the setting to look for each season. Hotel, season five, features one of the most expensive sets in the show.

In addition to the frightening, emotionally draining, taboo-breaking narrative content, which has often resulted in bizarre on-set experiences for the actors, the need to give each season its own identity while still conforming to an overarching aesthetic requires the show’s art, music, and photography departments to be incredibly resourceful. 

Did you know that there’s actually another series relating to AHS, called American Horror Stories? Same name, but instead of ‘story,’ it’s ‘stories,’ so it shouldn’t be too hard to find. Unlike American Horror Story, this new series has a new storytelling format. Each episode will feature a different horror story. This means each episode is a stand-alone story and doesn’t follow one overarching theme.

While watching the show, make sure to pay attention to the details of each season because they all have a connection. Some might be obvious, but for others, you’ll really have to think deeper. It’s like putting together a puzzle, which makes it all the more interesting to watch. Overall, I admit this is one of the best shows I have ever watched.