It’s finally coming! The long-awaited crossover season of American Horror Story is debuting this September with a ton of familiar faces. The beloved debut of Murder House and the fantastically cast Coven seasons will be battling head to head in season 8 of Ryan Murphy’s anthology series that airs on FX. Murphy reportedly asked all of his former witches to reprise their roles, and we already have two confirmed to be on board: Taissa Farmiga and Emma Roberts will both return to the spotlight as the witches Zoe Benson and Madison Montgomery respectively. Additionally, Sarah Paulson and Kathy Bates are set to make appearances again, two powerhouse actresses that have held the series down for the majority of the seven seasons.
In celebration of this news, let’s rank all the seasons of American Horror Story, from worst to best.
7. Freak Show So much potential was wasted on this great theme, as a haunted carnival could have been a perfect setup for some serious scares. Yet the only thing that made us jump was Twisty the Clown, and that character didn’t even last long. The end was just a mess of a story that left viewers questioning why they watched the whole season.
6. Roanoke While I enjoyed My Roanoke Nightmare’s twist on the original storytelling methods of seasons previous, it became repetitive and burnt viewers out very fast.
5. Hotel Lady Gaga’s debut in Hotel was surprising. She did a great job replacing Jessica Lange, but that wasn’t enough to make this season feel cohesive. While an enjoyable watch at parts, it was mostly forgettable in the long run.
4. Cult Smart writing, a unique theme applicable to the real world… the only thing holding this season back is its slow start. AHS is known for immediately gripping the viewer and twisting their mind, while this season took a little too long to ramp up into excitement.
3. Asylum Some argue that Asylum is the best season. It definitely is a strong contender, but was too ambitious to be considered the best. It tried to combine aliens, exorcisms, and a Nazi subplot all into one season that it felt like Murphy was trying to throw everything scary at us without cohesion.
2. Murder House The first season is by far one of the most thrilling to watch. It’s full of twists, surprises, and it was a great and unforgettable entry into the anthology series, showing off Jessica Lange’s true acting prowess.
1. Coven I’m sure this will get a lot of hate, but Coven has a special place in my heart for being so iconic. The wit, uniqueness, humor, and engaging storytelling of this season is exactly why it’s coming back for a crossover.
