Every Season Of American Horror Story - Ranked

And, at last, we’re back to where it all started.

American Horror Story exploded onto our screens in 2011 with its first season, Murder House. And we’ve never recovered.

Gothic and tragic, this season sarcastically jabs at horror clichés – while also adhering to them. It explores the theme of hauntings in a modern-day setting. A damaged family (Vivien, Ben, and Violet) move from Boston to LA for a fresh start, unaware that the converted mansion they arrive at is haunted by previous murdered owners.

The pace is set for what viewers will come to expect for the next 9 years – lots of death, a variety of characters, risqué scenes, and Americana-themed horror at its finest.

Little did we know back then it would also set the stage for a wider story that is concluded (or is it?) in Apocalypse with the grown up Antichrist Michael Langdon. This theme of an “Antichrist” or some other form of demonic child is seen throughout American cinema, and was inspirational to Ryan Murphy in the development of this season – The Omen and Rosemary’s Baby are visible as references to Vivien’s paranoid pregnancy.

But the psychology of the show runs much deeper than that – regret is a huge theme in Murder House as we see Ben’s guilt at cheating on his wife and hurting his family. Generations of vengeful ghosts represent all the regret humanity can hold for their past actions.

It’s a powerful season, and establishes the roles of cast favourites Jessica Lange, Evan Peters, and Taissa Farmiga.

The story of Murder House may have been rounded off, but it will be remembered as American Horror Story’s first, and finest, season.