The 2011 series American Horror Story has continually grown in popularity with each season that’s released, especially after it became available on streaming platforms. Of course, with popular shows tend to come movies or spin-off shows, and that point is no different for the AHS franchise.
The show made it to ten seasons before a spin-off series was released. The first season of American Horror Stories was unlike other spin-off shows though. Not only did it explore the same world as the original series, but also filled the plot holes and unfulfilled expectations of the original.
The beauty of the entire concept that the AHS franchise is founded on is what allows the series to have so many seasons and spin-off storylines, without running out of interesting plot points. Partly, that is because the series follows a lot of true-to-life stories and details, but also because it examines the many faces of evil.
Part of what makes American Horror Story so impressive is how it always finds a way to reflect the problematic behaviors of people in a creative and enlightening fashion. Fans of the show know that the message behind the series is that people tend to be the real monsters, not the beings commonly accused of such horrors. Furthermore, the show humanizes the “monsters” that have long made up the folklore and tales that have given us nightmares for centuries. Oftentimes, those deemed monsters were usually just individuals that were somehow different, and thus were targeted for suspicion and mistreatment. We certainly see this in characters like the ghosts and witches.
Of course, because the anthology series falls into the horror genre, there has to be a monster — and if it’s not those that appear to be monsters, it’s the ones that viewers would least expect. Commonly in AHS, the humans end up being the monsters, even if they didn’t start the season that way. The supposed monsters usually have enough perspective or struggle that it gives them some level of compassion, while the human characters are often focused on self-fulfillment. It is usually the weaknesses or faults of the human characters that make way to their monstrous evolutions.
American Horror Stories, on the other hand, tends to lean more into the traditional horror stories people are familiar with; the type of stories that fans may have assumed they’d be getting when the show started. In that way, the spin-off show achieves the expectations that the original series may not have fulfilled. In other words, American Horror Story focuses on the monstrous tendencies of people, while American Horror Stories focuses on the vulnerable nature of humanity, demonstrating that people are capable of having either, or sometimes both traits. That said, there are still a number of "monsters" in the installment that prove to be the good guys, especially considering that some characters from the original show make appearances.
In fact, sometimes those surprise AHS character inserts reveal something more about that character in the American Horror Story world, or about the world of the season that they belong to. Given that AHS uses each season as a chance to tell a new story, with new (or mostly new) characters, it almost seems necessary to have another installment in the franchise, in order to cover all the essential ground. It explores all the details that American Horror Story doesn’t have time to. A good example of this from the first episode of the new, second season is getting to see a glimmer of Myrtle’s (from AHS, “Coven”) childhood in Miss Robichaux's Academy.
Another appealing factor of American Horror Stories is its cast, which further contributes to its ability to add to the AHS world. While American Horror Story commonly recycled actors in each season to play new characters, American Horror Stories tends to use new faces across its storylines. The benefit to doing this, aside from allowing actors the opportunity, is that it lessens the likelihood of associating the actors with prior characters. Of course, enough returning AHS actors make appearances in the spin-off to satisfy loyal fans. The spin-off series even commonly features notable stars like Paris Jackson, Danny Trejo, and Noah Cyrus.
Even more familiar faces and new ones are expected to appear in the remaining episodes of season two. So far, episode one featured Denis O’Hare, whom fans will surely have recognized from AHS as Spalding, Liz Taylor, or Holden Vaughn. Stars that have yet to make their appearance in season two are Bella Thorne, Dominique Jackson, and Alicia Silverstone.
Summed up, American Horror Stories is an opportunity for the American Horror Story franchise to meet its full potential. While the original series functions quite well on its own, allowing itself fresh content each season but still somehow tying it all together, its particular structure leaves inevitable holes in the overarching plot line. By adding the installment series, the franchise is able to address those holes, while still giving fans something completely new. Viewers can bet that if American Horror Stories is anything like AHS, the longer it’s renewed, the more it will add to the dark and wondrous magic that is the world of American Horror Story.
The first episode of American Horror Stories season two premiered on Hulu July 21st. The remaining episodes will drop every Thursday following.