The first season of “American Horror Story” premiered in 2011, and the horror series has long since established itself. Season 13 premieres on September 24, initially with the first three of thirteen episodes on the streaming service Hulu/Disney+. This time, superstar Ariana Grande is also on board. Here’s what you should know about the format:
What’s the idea behind “American Horror Story”?
The concept was created by director Ryan Murphy, who also worked on the musical series “Glee,” and screenwriter Brad Falchuk. The hallmark of “American Horror Story” is that each season tells a self-contained story — even though there are connections between seasons. Many actors appear across seasons, but play different characters.
Viewers can jump into any season fairly easily without having seen the earlier ones. Along with horror and suspense come soap-opera drama, extraordinary fashion, and dazzling filmmaking techniques.
What storylines have there been so far?
Season 1, for instance, follows a family that moves into an old house in Los Angeles and is then haunted by its dark past. Season 5 takes place in a hotel where a detective tries to track a serial killer. Season 8 is set in a post-apocalyptic world following a nuclear catastrophe. Season 12 centers on a woman who struggles to become pregnant — and believes supernatural forces are preventing it.
Who’s in the cast?
The lineup changes from season to season, but it’s consistently star-studded, and many actors return across different seasons to play new characters. Among those who have appeared are Connie Britton, Jessica Lange, Joseph Fiennes, Emma Roberts, Kathy Bates, Angela Bassett, Lady Gaga, Cuba Gooding Jr., Macaulay Culkin, and Kim Kardashian.
What can we expect from Season 13?
Season 13 features Ariana Grande, who has achieved worldwide fame as a singer, joining for the first time. Also returning are former “American Horror Story” contributors such as Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Kathy Bates, Billie Lourd, Angela Bassett, and Jessica Lange.
Because a season with the spooky number 13 is, of course, something truly special for a horror series, the creators have cooked up something extra this time: the season is a kind of Best-of. Some of the most beloved characters from previous seasons return and — as the producers announced — “they all come together to fight the ultimate evil.”
Direct link | English trailer for Season 13
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Queer significance of the series
In addition to thrills and drama, LGBTQ representation has been part of American Horror Story’s DNA since the beginning. Creator Ryan Murphy, who is gay, has repeatedly anchored queer characters and themes and has continually cast openly queer actors — for example Zachary Quinto, who played a gay ghost in the first season, or Denis O’Hare, who portrayed the trans character Liz Taylor in Hotel. Also in the current core ensemble is Sarah Paulson, a bisexual actress. Ariana Grande, who has described herself as sexually fluid, brings a popular voice to the franchise with her series debut.
Not least, openly gay cult director John Waters makes his first appearance in the new season: the “medical specialist” Mr. Phibes, whose name nods to Vincent Price’s character from the camp horror classic The Abominable Dr. Phibes (1971). In the trailer, Waters appears with a knife and a blood-stained white lab coat and explains the meaning of the number 13: “Thirteen stands for instability, chaos.”
