American Horror Story bounces around the subgenres of horror with a reckless abandon that continues to captivate audiences. From delving into the world of witches to, most recently, going to an old-fashioned double feature of monsters and aliens, AHS is always willing to examine horror in new and interesting ways.
For those who only like certain genres of horror or those not invested in the major intermingling of plots and characters across seasons, they may want to see what other viewers thought of each season before they get started. By averaging IMDb’s episode ratings, fans can get a better idea of which seasons are must-sees and which can be passed over.
10 Season 10: Double Feature — 6.7
Double Feature showcases, as the name suggests, two storylines, with one concerning terrifying vampires and family horror and the other focusing on aliens interfering in politics. For those who struggle with body horror, this may not be the right season to start watching, as there are some of the most disturbing sequences in the show’s history. For those who like that sort of thing, this may be their cup of tea.
This season suffered greatly from having two different stories during its season, as fans hated the second half, with one episode even ranking a 3.6/10 and reviewer julieshotmail claiming they were rating the season, “Nine stars for feature 1 and one star for feature 2.” With that being said, reviewers do suggest that new watchers watch this season—just stop at episode six.
9 Season 7: Cult — 7.3
Cult is the first season to significantly draw on events in the real world, starting with the town being divided in their response to Donald Trump winning the presidency. Bolstered by this win, an alt-righter begins to acquire the power of his own, which coincides with one resident being terrorized by people dressed as clowns. Whether she is crazy or there is a Donald Trump-loving, a clown-dressing cult in town is the central mystery of the season.
The season fell from viewers’ favor when it started introducing filler episodes that departed from the plot of the season to include warring performances of misogyny and misandry, with ‘feminist’ groups that cut men apart and women-hating politicians seeming like the better option in comparison. With that being said, there is good tension and plot twists for most of the season, which provides the psychological horror fans expect to see in a season about cults.
8 Season 6: Roanoke — 7.7
Like Double Feature, Roanoke is split into two parts, although their plots are related: a documentary about ghostly activity in a farmhouse in Roanoke, Virginia, and a return to the house where the original occupants and their guests are terrorized by the entities staying there.
Overall, fans enjoyed this season, finding that the two-part structure had some satisfying pay-offs. However, many viewers didn’t get that far, because they found the first half needlessly slow and boring. The two need to be watched together to get enjoyment out of them. With that being said, many reviewers disliked the finale, finding it boring in comparison to the terrifying episodes that came before it.
7 Season 5: Hotel — 7.87
AHS: Hotel follows the occupants of the Hotel Cortez, which was created as a cover for founder James Patrick March. When the hotel becomes entangled with a set of horrifying murders, Detective John Lowe comes to investigate, finding his place amongst the vampires, ghosts, and murderers who call the hotel home.
As the first season without Jessica Lange, this season was at a disadvantage, leaving fans divided over whether Lady Gaga had the acting chops to try to fill her shoes. Fans were divided on the season as a whole, with some finding it intriguing and scary and others finding it overacted and pointless. This truly is a toss-up of a season, which new viewers will either love or hate.
6 Season 9: 1984 — 7.93
1984 follows the story of a summer camp with a dark history. Created as an homage to the slasher genre, the camp is troubled in past and present by deranged killers and camp counselors that are keeping too many secrets for comfort.
The problem of this season, according to viewers, was that they had a really good plot that simply wasn’t long enough to fit a whole season. So, while the idea was good, it went on too long with too much filler in between. However, the show does a good job in its homages to 80s slashers, and overall is an entertaining ride for audiences.
5 Season 4: Freak Show — 8.05
Freak Show follows Elsa Mars and her group of ‘freaks’ who are struggling to keep their place in the entertainment world as television and other easy entertainment begin to take hold. They attempt to attract interest and money for their troupe by bringing in conjoined twins Bette and Dot, but their arrival is overshadowed by new terrors coming to town.
This season ranks high for its intricate storytelling and soulful moments, but reviewers note that the season gets muddled by having so many villains, and is made worse by eliminating the best villain first. Despite this problem, the season captured viewers’ emotions, making them laugh, cry, and shake with fear.
4 Season 3: Coven — 8.07
Coven revolves around a magic school in New Orleans, where witches are trained in their powers and evaluated to determine who will be the next Supreme. The season also focuses on the mixed legacies of magic and slavery in Louisiana, exploring the different ways that culture determines magical tradition and gifts.
Fans are divided on whether this season’s low horror content was a benefit or a downfall, but either way, it is probably the most accessible season for those wary of the more serious horror content in the show. Viewers love the inclusion of Angela Bassett and Jessica Lange this season, where they both could make powerhouse performances. The only consistent flaw is that many reviewers found the finale disappointing in comparison with the rest of the season.
3 Season 8: Apocalypse — 8.11
Apocalypse is the most crossover-focused of all of the AHS seasons, so fans may want to watch Murder House, Coven, and Hotel first to make sure they aren’t missing anything important. The name of the season says it all; this season is focused on the Apocalypse, how it happened, and how it can be undone. Viewers can look forward to lots of callbacks to earlier seasons and a powerful, if a bit whiny, Antichrist.
This season got rave reviews, including many reviewers calling “Return To Murder House” the best episode of American Horror Story to date. The return to earlier characters and themes was a joy for many viewers who worried that the show had lost its way in the last few seasons. The negative reviews largely focus on pacing, as the season spends a lot of screentime going into the past to explain how things got the way they are, slowing down the arc that fans wanted to sink their teeth into.
2 Season 1: Murder House — 8.2
The first season of American Horror Story focuses on a classic of horror genres: the haunted house. The Harmon family tries to pull themselves together while being troubled by the ghosts of everyone who ever died in the house, which ends up making quite a long list.
This season got fantastic reviews from fans, with its weakest episodes still earning 8/10 scores. While some viewers find the show absurd, most enjoyed the horror content, which always has new surprises, escalations, and payoffs with each episode.
1 Season 2: Asylum — 8.5
Asylum features Sarah Paulson as journalist Lana Winters, who decides to get a firsthand look at Briarcliff Manor, an asylum for the criminally insane. Lana and the other patients end up being subjected to supernatural and medical horrors during their time at the asylum.
The show’s second season is frequently referred to as a fan favorite and the most horrifying and consistent season of the series as a whole. Reviewers explain that even the worst episode is still competent, and the best is described by reviewer dirtylemons as ”one of the most stunning episodes of television I have EVER seen.” Overall, reviewers rave over Asylum as the height of American Horror Story‘s tenure.
