There are few television shows that are given the opportunity to run for 15 years without being canceled and that is especially true of horror and fantasy shows. Exceptions such as The Walking Dead aside, getting beyond two or three seasons can be a struggle for any series that dives into the supernatural or focuses on unworldly events with there being an expectation that should one make it past their first few seasons, then the five-season plan will likely kick in and end it soon enough. However, one show that has managed to stay afloat for 13 seasons now has just reclaimed its spot at the top of the Disney+ chart as its newest episodes bring one of the most disturbing and varied horror anthologies into its 15th year.
American Horror Story, the twisted brainchild of Ryan Murphy, has roared back to life with a brand new season that has delivered another chapter in one of the longest running anthology shows of last two decades. Yet its position at the top of the chart in the U.S. is one that doesn’t quite line up with its audience reviews which have been a bit of a horror story in their own right and completely disconnected from those of critics who have so far given the new season a high score. Returning shows never attract the level of critical reviews that early seasons and brand new debuts attract, which is why only seven reviews have been logged on Rotten Tomatoes, most of them proclaiming the new season to be “fresh.” Audiences on the other hand have branded the series as a “shadow of what it was” and accused the latest episodes of having “ruined the show with nostalgia” following the season’s debut with a story that needs some homework from fans.
To look at why American Horror Story 13 is drawing such drastically different views, you need to go back to the beginning as this season is not simply telling one story, but is pulling together stories from the entire history of the show in what Murphy himself called “an Avengers style crossover event in which character from all other seasons come together to defeat the ultimate evil.” The huge roster of characters includes many stars of the past such as Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Emma Roberts, and Jessica Lange returning and in many cases playing multiple of their past characters. Paulson in particular has a hefty slate of five characters, while Lange, who previously said that she was done with the series, is back to reprise four roles.
While there are some who revel in this kind of ambitious kind of crossover, fans have yet to be convinced, with many being disappointed by the opening episodes of the season. One review said they did “not have time to connect with any characters” thanks to the reduced episode time and multiple storylines. Others just feel that after 13 seasons it is perhaps a sign that American Horror Story has told its best tales in the past and is now just relying too heavily on its previous successes. Whether that is true or not, the new season has been a huge hit on Disney+, claiming the top spot while its companion show – FX’s American Horror Story Official Podcast – has also gained a spot near the top of the chart at number four. This kind of success suggests that regardless of the lacking reviews, 13 will not be an unlucky number for Murphy’s longest-running series.
