American Horror Story: Ranking Every Season Premiere From Worst To Best
1. Welcome To Briarcliff
Whenever you hear someone talk about why Asylum is the greatest season of American Horror Story, there's a very large possibility that they'll make reference to the first episode. Welcome to Briarcliff sets the tone magnificently, and introduces us to this harrowing murderous world of 1960s America.
The characters we meet in this episode are among some of American Horror Story's finest, all of them boasting incredibly rich backstories as well as intense and complex arcs. Lana Winters and Sister Jude are the two particular standouts, and it's these who would ultimately carry the season.
Other elements aid greatly in creating the unsettling tone. For one, the repetition of song Dominique played a huge part, as did the colourless palette, which went hand-in-hand with the disturbing narrative, as well as complementing the grey-tinted walls of Briarcliff Manor.
It's also worth mentioning that American Horror Story's aspirational status as an anthology series was riding on Welcome to Briarcliff, and had the re-launch not turned out as well as did, then FX might not have seen a future in the series.
Which American Horror Story season premiere were you a fan of? Tell us in the comment section below!