For someone who loves horror movies, American Horror Story is definitely one of my favorite shows. With season upon season of twists, horror, and heartbreak, I’ve found myself going back to rewatch different seasons multiple times. Let’s take a jaunt into a couple seasons of this anthology.

Season One: Murder House

A lot of people claim that Murder House is the best American Horror Story season by far. Why? Well, according to critics on Rotten Tomatoes, “It has a great story, packed with interesting characters and some true scary moments and surprising twists.” -Christoffer B.

I would have to agree with this critique. AHS brings some very interesting characters into the show immediately, setting the stage for a truly attention-grabbing show. After watching the first season, I found myself grateful to have Netflix so that I could continue straight on to season two.

Murder House focuses on the Harmon family, and the events following their move into a creepy mansion in LA. Adequately named, their home got its name due to the many tragic stories surrounding previous owners of the house. I won’t spoil anything for you, but you know how I like a good plot twist. Murder House has several.

Season Two: Asylum

Season two of AHS definitely took a creepier turn, in my opinion. Although all American Horror Story seasons include a lot of gore and blood, Asylum took it up just a notch. On Rotten Tomatoes, another critic had something to say about Asylum. “American Horror Story: Asylum is filled with plenty of dark secrets, sinister twists, and unexpected turns- but unfortunately the one thing this psychologically invading season lacks is thoughtful explanation.” -Matt Donato

I don’t think this comment is a fair representation of Asylum. To give Matt Donato some credit, I do think the season is full of secrets, twists, and turns, but I also think that the writers of the show pulled off the plot in a very effective manner.

Asylum focuses on Lana Winters, a journalist investigating a murderer known as Bloody Face. There are jumps between the past history of the asylum and the present day conditions, which makes it even more interesting. We see the history of Bloody Face, along with the history of the people working for or committed to the asylum.

Overall Views

I think one of my favorite things about American Horror Story is the recurring actors/actresses. It has some very talented people such as Evan Peters, Jessica Lange, and Sarah Paulson who make appearances in nearly every season. As an anthology series, the show can technically be watched in whatever order one chooses, although I would always recommend starting with Murder House.

AHS is also famous (or infamous) for its many twists. Each storyline has at least one or two massive plot twists that really add to the grandeur of the show as a whole. Especially once the seasons start connecting! As an early AHS viewer, I often consider Murder House to be my favorite season. However, two of my top seasons seem to be the worst-rated by critics.

Season 5, Hotel, is a personal favorite of mine due to the storyline itself. Bring in Lady Gaga and vampires, too? I’m sold. However, it scores a measly 64% on Rotten Tomatoes– the lowest out of all of the AHS seasons.

Season 7, Cult, also tops my list because of the storyline. A little too close to these modern times, which reminds me a lot of the show Black Mirror. Also eerily reminiscent of the Purge movies, but I’m a fan of those and Black Mirror, so that’s a win in my book.

Overall, though, there’s something that I find very, very important that American Horror Story does well: representation. In Murder House, we’ve got Adelaide- a character with autism. In seasons two and three, Asylum and Coven, we have characters supporting the LGBTQ+ community. Actually, support for the LGBTQ+ community is something found throughout the show. Season five, Hotel, is a great representation as well. Freak Show in itself provides a great season to talk about bigotry and overt discrimination.

Not only do the writers of the show bring in characters that are in the LGBTQ+ community, they also highlight racial issues. In season three, a lot of what takes place in flashbacks is riddled with racism. Through different characters’ actions, the writers share their viewpoints by denouncing and punishing the blatantly racist character.

This show continues to impress me with its plotlines, plot twists, and amazing character development throughout. It’s one that I continue to come back to watch, simply because the writers made it so enjoyable. With so many seasons out now, there’s a great variety to choose from. You’ve got stories in different eras, different themes, and different concepts.

I think, overall, seeing representation for marginalized groups of people was super important to me. In today’s world, a lot of different groups of people are constantly overlooked, mocked, scorned, and ignored. Seeing characters in a show like this is a way to say: “We’re here. We matter. We’re important.”

Go watch the show if you haven’t already! What’s your favorite season so far?