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American Horror Story fans: rank every season with best and worst elements


voidfigure

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voidfigure

Title. Rank every AHS season - except apocalypse - with its best and worst elements. Please, note that tastes are subjective, so don't attack each other's opinion.

- Murder House

best plot (unlike many future seasons, MH's plot was cohesive and works well through almost every episode)

worst main characters (supportive and villains >>>> main characters)

 

- Asylum

best technique (acting, cinematography, music, atmosphere and special effects were stunning)

worst subplot (aliens and Satan-Eunice were definitely weaker than the main serial killer-driven plot)

 

- Coven

best opening (the opening credits were both creepy and fitting the plot, unlike some other seasons)

worst approach to the genre (I am a film student and a horror hardcore fan, I've seen hundreds of those movies: Coven's horror value is the lowest ever in AHS, they put too much campiness in it)

 

- Freakshow

best make-up (of course, if you base a whole season on a freakshow circus you need to have incredible make-up effects, and Ryan Murphy did)

worst pacing (FS was boring at times, and all those anachronistic songs, despite being a questionable artistic choice in a horror show, were a turnoff)

 

- Hotel

best pilot (the two first episodes of Hotel are astounding: they set very cool elements of the plot and are majestically directed with a fresh style. Gaga's character's introduction is a ripoff of "The Hunger" movie, but its technically flawless)

 

worst developing (the story goes horrendously downhill as episodes go on, with trashy sequences, predictable twists and plot holes + the first attempt of the infamous "I play 10000 characters in only one season" element)

 

- Roanoke

best style (Roanoke has a very clever visual style, with the docu-fiction first half and the mockumentary second one: Murphy knows that sometimes it's good to try something different)

worst ending (the ending is awful)

 

- Cult

best ending (the closing episode is very very very very good: the confrontation between Sarah Paulson and Evan Peters deserves a big round of applause and the final shot is majestic)

worst message (don't get me wrong, I don't like Trump and all that stuff, but the "violent America" social message was blown out of proportion and the feminist turn of the plot felt over the top at times)

 

Make yours 👁

 

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TheAlpha

I’m really not into AHS as many here are. I honestly think the show is more about aesthetics (Hi Lana) than anything else. But out of all the seasons I watched, I liked Murder House the best. And I also liked Hotel’s fashion, the sex and all the blood. That’s about it.

You know this is just my opinion, right?
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voidfigure
5 minutes ago, TheAlpha said:

I’m really not into AHS as many here are. I honestly think the show is more about aesthetics than anything else. But out of all the seasons I watched, I liked Murder House the best. And I liked Hotel’s fashion and all the blood. That’s about it.

Ahs is really about re-elaborating horror cliches and main topics, so I get what you mean

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UnnamedArtist

Murder House: Great beats all the typical clichés of horror movies. It's disgusting to reveal the main story. All attention has gone to the secondary lines. [I think everyone knows more about the Antichrist than the main plot of the season]:staymad:

Asylum:  The season itself is great, but it's the opposite with the first. The main storyline is incredible and masterpiece, but everything else is very muddy and you do not even remember the other lines of the plot. :pray:

Coven: The best disclosure of relations between the main characters. Fiona and Cordelia's line was excellent. That's it. The rest is bad, bad and once again bad. :trollga:

Freak Show: Great casting and final. But the plot is very boring, although this season is one of my favorites [because of the ending, of course]. :queenga:

Hotel:  Style. Fashion. Beauty. On the aesthetic side, this season is the most delicious. The plot is not impressionable, and all the plot twists poured into the toilet.  [Evan's best role. Mr. March is hot af. I understand The Countess.] :v:

Roanoke: The best start. Everything from teasers to credits of the first series was kept in suspense, and then... I just keep quiet.:triggered:

Cult:  The plot twists were good, but the hysterical Sarah Paulson fought off the desire to watch the entire season. Oh, and stupid characters. :saladga:

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TeenIdle

I've watched 5 out of 7 seasons in full so here we go. I rated them from best to worst

#1 Asylum

Best: Interesting storyline and a lot of tension 

Worst: The alien thing was useless

#2 Coven

Best: I love the interaction between the characters and the overall aesthetic 

Worst: The season went downhill in the last 3 episodes. Some of them were unbearable to watch

#3 Roanoke

Best: I was kept on the edge of my seat most of the time (like in real horror movies) 

Worst: The plot twist was kind of meh

#4 Hotel

Best: Gaga ofc

Worst: Like you said actors playing multiple characters.. Very messy

#5 Freak Show

Best: The soundtrack was great! I mean Gods & Monsters >>>

Worst: Really dull season. It's just death, death and more death. The "plot" is all over the place. 

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monketsharona

Honestly it all depends on the mood I'm watching it, my ranking change everytime; I actually love all the seasons for different reasons, right now I'd say :

1- Freak Show : loved the theme, the cast, Elsa Mars (:firega:), the plot with Stanley, the Matt Bomer cameo (:heart:), Dandy was damn great as a villain and Twisty was creepy.

2- Murder House : Well the origins. I miss Connie and Dylan a lot. Constance is bad bitch we love to hate.

3- Coven : very enjoyable and simple to follow. Madam Lalaurie is damn horrible and Queenie makes me laugh a lot.

4- Asylum : Dark and disturbing. The acting and writing are top-notch. All actors had their best roles there (including Sarah Paulson). James Cromwell as Dr Arden is one of the most iconic villaisn of the show. Lily Rabe snatched ever wigs as Mary Eunice.

5- Cult : I actually loved they made it more grounded and rooted in real world. Like no fantastic thing this time. It was very good. though I would have loved they digged the Satanic cult story. 

6- Roanoke : the first part is just WOW. Kathy Bates is slaying as the Butcher. Lady Gaga was amazing has the Witch of the woods. Definitely the scariest season of the whole show. Though the second part wasted everything saying all the characters are actually actors... To me the Butcher IS Kathy Bates.

7- Hotel : Sorry but to me it's the worst. The 10 Commandments Killer literally killed the season. Wes Bentley was ****ing bad. I actually liked it when it was aired but I had some difficulies to end it when I watched the whole show lately. Denis O'Hare saved the season imo. Liz Taylor is one of the best characters ever. Lady Gaga's acting improved a lot through the season. She was a great fit to the show in my opinion. 

 

For the moment I really love Apocalypse vibes.

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darkchylde

I only managed to watch Coven in full even though i also enjoyed the beginnings of Freakshow, Hotel and Asylum.

Mostly because I watched Glee until the very end, I knew Ryan Murphy wouldn't come up with anything good enough for me to go through an hour of gore and scares lol.

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Gagadonna

1) Asylum

2) Coven

3) Roanoke

(Apocalypse) 

4) Hotel 

5) Murder House 

6) Freakshow 

7) Cult

 

too lazy to explain why sorry 

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Bradley

Murder House: 8.5/10, straightforward horror, very intriguing for the audience, I like how we desperately wanted to find out who the Rubber Man was and what would happen to Vivien's baby. Flashbacks on the history of the Murder House and the ghosts are also well executed. Acting is amazing. Notable performances are: Jessica Lange as Constance Langdon, Connie Britton as Vivien Harmon, Frances Conroy as Moira O'Hara and Sarah Paulson as Billie Dean Howard.

Asylum: 8.5/10, the most disturbing season. So many atrocities and heinous acts committed by everyone to everyone in this season. Really well thought-out in story development, many mystery factors like the identity of the Bloody Face, Lana's fate, who the aliens are and the religious setting is also helpful and oddly disturbing. I also like how the aliens are not really explained because it gives them a mysterious vibe for being this unfathomable mystical creature. Jessica Lange's performance in the latter part of the season where she goes insane and mistreated is far more fresh and unusual than her sadistic and authoritative self, which is something she's done for so many times. The acting is still great, but within the AHS comfort zones. Acting highlights: Lily Rabe as Sister Mary Eunice McKee, Joseph Fiennes as Monsignor Timothy Howard, Jessica Lange as Sister Jude Martin, Sarah Paulson as Lana Winters and James Cromwell as Dr. Arthur Arden.

Coven: 9/10, so many talented actors in this one. Again there is this mystery factor as to who's going to be the supreme, the fate of Fiona Goode, and whether or not the coven will survive. You're also eager to watch them perform the seven wonders. Notable performances: Jessica Lange as Fiona Goode, Sarah Paulson as Cordelia Foxx, Angela Bassett as Marie Laveau, Kathy Bates as Delphine LaLaurie, Frances Conroy as Myrtle White and Emma Roberts as Madison Montgomery.

Freak Show: 8.5/10, Finn Wittrock is undoubtedly the biggest star of the show. His performance as Dandy Mott was utterly convincing, probably a career-defining performance. I enjoyed this more than the first time I watched it. I'm not sure why I did not the first time but the writing and directing and premise are actually really well-executed. Again, AHS serves top-notch acting with tons of twists and scares, also a lot of emotional moments. The musical performances are also some of the highlights. Acting highlights: Finn Wittrock as Dandy Mott, Jessica Lange as Elsa Mars, Sarah Paulson as Bette and Dot Tattler, Angela Bassett as Desiree, Kathy Bates as Ethel Darling and Naomi Grossman as Pepper.

Hotel: 9/10, my favourite season. I was nervous to watch this one because Lange wasn't in it and we know how essential Lange is to the American Horror Story universe but honestly the cast is so freaking talented that they didn't need Lange. The new addition to the cast breathed a new life into AHS. It's thematically the darkest season (sex, pain, addiction, heartbreak, betrayal, materialism, alcoholism, revenge, trauma, sanity) and I honestly enjoyed everyone's acting. Absolutely the best one in character development, every character is given a chance to shine, their backstories are revealed, but it also drives every character forward by giving them a chance to interact with each other at some point in the hotel, with all of them converging into one towards the end of the season. Many real-life criminal figures are also referenced: Aileen Wuornos, Zodiac Killer, Jeffrey Dahmer, John Wayne Gacy, Richard Ramirez and how they blended it with John Lowe and James Patrick March was amazing. I also appreciate the reprisal of Queenie, Charles Montgomery, Marcy and Billie Dean Howard.

Notable performances: Lady Gaga as The Countess, Denis O'Hare as Liz Taylor, Kathy Bates as Iris, Finn Wittrock as Tristan Duffy/Rudolph Valentino, Evan Peters as James Patrick March and Sarah Paulson as Sally McKenna. Matt Bomer and Wes Bentley are also quite underrated.

Roanoke: 9.5/10, this is the most creative and unique season AHS has offered. The documentary and found-footage formats breathed a new life into the show. The twist in Episode 6 also completely changed the tone of the show, and I really liked that. The season finale where Lana Winters was brought in was also really smart in my opinion. I thought Asylum was the most disturbing season but I think Roanoke topped it. Acting highlights: Sarah Paulson as Shelby/Audrey/Lana, Lady Gaga as Scathach, Kathy Bates as The Butcher, Adina Porter as Lee Harris and Leslie Jordan as Cricket.

Cult: 9/10, I think this might be my favourite Sarah Paulson, and of course Evan Peters performance of all their contributions to the series. Ally and Kai were so well developed and played out by them. It had a really good story, and the directing, writing and acting were amazing. I like how they went back to the old route where they just developed the story gradually and incorporated into the season various twists and shock as opposed to the Hotel (backstory) and Roanoke (mid-season twist) styles. It's what I like about AHS, it's the same show but it offers so many different things in different formats.

The leads obviously slayed, but Adina Porter, Billy Eichner, Leslie Grossman and Billie Lourd deserved more recognition.

Apocalypse: 9/10, I watched the season twice and the show is actually very logical if you watch it the second time. A lot of fans were complaining as to how it didn't make sense, but it actually does if you see it for the second time, there are subtle hints in early episodes that indicate what's going to happen later and the dialogue and plot were surprisingly very consistent and logical. Somehow I hoped they let the brand new characters shine instead of focusing so much on the old ones (I love Coven and Murder House tho) but Ms. Venable is one of the greatest Sarah Paulson performances I've seen in AHS and I wish she was there more. I think it deserves a solid 9 because this season gave me goosebumps for a few times and it's not something I experience a lot watching movies/TV shows.

I think every single actor did a fantastic job, even if they had little screentime, they still managed to give their best.

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FameMonster01

Soo I watched 4 of AHS seasons, and I want to know are the rest ( especially Freakshow actually worth watching?)

My order would be smth like this:

1. Asylum. 9/10 

Now this one is easily THE best AHS season of all time. Everything about it is so da*n iconic. The song that they play all the time, and that song about names that Jessica Lange sings... A m a z i n g. The only thing that I dislike is that alien plot at the end.

2. Coven. 8.5/10

 I really love witches so this season was totally for my taste. This was the season that introduced me to my fav actress of all time, Angela Bassett. I loved her character soo much that I enjoyed literally every scene of her in there. The only negative point is that sometimes the episodes are a bit annoying to watch ( only towards the end tho). 

3. Hotel 8/10

Now, I don`t know why everyone is hating on this, but I really liked the vibe of the Hotel and fell in love with so many characters... Also our Mother slayed so much here, her acting was ON POINT. Interesting plot and characters.

4. Murder House 7.5/10

Well I liked this one, but I think it`s a pretty cliche plot. I liked how we were so eager to find out the killer tho! 

 

 

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Thomas P

Murder House:

Like you said, very cohesive plot, but the main characters are so annoying compared to the supporting. 

Assylum:

Best season. Other than the alien plot, I think this one is flawless.

Coven: 

Great start, but got worse and worse episode after episode. (Plus no one could ****ing die). 

Freak Show:

Worst season. I love the characters, but that’s it. 

Hotel:

Gaga and Evan are the shining lights of this season for me. Too much was going on. 

Roanoke:

Criminally underrated imo. Flawless twists, with the only bad thing being the ending. 

Cult:

i could feel my mind being played with while watching which I liked, but it got a bit melodramatic I guess. 

I’m a simple guy to please, if you like Melodrama, we chill.
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bloody g

1 Asylum: it was horrifying, irreverent, all characters were extremely solid, non stop twists and a very disturbing experience overall.

2 Coven: it wasn't scary, but it was disturbing. The small dimension inside the AHS involving witches (trials, 7 wonders, etc) was good enough for a whole spin off.

3 Murder House: the first of the series, the best structured one and it was truly shocking. Although some characters and arcs were lame.

4 Hotel: The hotel theme and the countess aesthetics were too big for such disappointing storyline. It made emotional at some points, especially Liz Taylor's arc.

5 Roanoke: The beginning was great. The second part was a bit scary too, a little bit too gruesome. But the writing and the missmanagement of the twist doomed it...

6 Cult: Kai is the only good thing about it. I felt no emotional attachment to any character at all. At least some parts were entertaining.

7 Freakshow: A bunch of decent characters lost in a non-eventful narrative. It had a lot of potential, but it went nowhere. There's a point when it stops being entertaining, something that didn't happen with the other seasons.

I think Apocalypse could land above Hotel... I have some expectations

『𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐝』
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bloody g
2 hours ago, Thomas P said:

Assylum

My favorite season :vegas:

『𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐝』
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ryanripley

Asylum: truly horrifying, endless twists and it had me gripped like no other. its main weakness is the aliens.

Murder House: an amazing first season full of mystery and horror with some very well written characters. i can't stand that little hussy though :messga: the one who the husband was sleeping with

Coven: so many looks, so much horror, so many great and iconic characters :firega: however i absolutely HATED how anyone who died came back to life :nails: it totally took away the importance of anyone dying lol

Cult: i put this one up here because honestly, it was an almost return to form. it started a bit slow and made me roll my eyes on the first time but i tried the season again and it was enjoyable with some decent twists. some of the characters were cool too but the ending is one of the worsts the show has to offer and the feminists were so random :messga: 

Roanoke: i also put this one above the last 2 because i greatly admire how ryan tried to mix things up. the concept was honestly very interesting at first and the mid-season twist helped not make it boring. however it ended up totally falling flat. almost none of the characters were memorable in their own way and the season just felt like a runaway train lol :ohwell: 

Hotel: gaga + looks = instant stan. this season also had some of the best characters of all time but also some of the WORST :messga: this season was a damn mess girls: way too much going on, relied way too much on sex and blood and i also had the ending spoiled for me :nails: 

Freakshow: terrible, awful, bad, tragic, not rewatchable, forgettable, should be forgotten, wasted potential, delete it tbh :oops: 

https://goo.gl/xMgMvJ
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