Mary MacIntire

Contributing Writer

When this time of year comes around, fans of the cult classic anthology series “American Horror Story” know that a new season is on the way. With 12 current seasons, it has become a favorite of many horror fans. As someone who has been watching since season one, I, along with many other fans, have noticed that much has changed over the years.  

The last season I enjoyed was “1984,” which was released in 2019. However, many can agree some seasons before that were disappointing and dissatisfying. I fell off watching for a while after “Hotel” came out because something about the show seemed different. It was as if the themes and content in general had gotten darker and gorier than they had ever been.

Even though the first few seasons had their fair share of horrific and graphic content, it did not seem as intense as the themes they were starting to focus on in later seasons.  It almost seems as if the more disturbing content there is, the more it serves as a distraction from the lack of depth when it comes to the plot.

With episodes being released once per week, it leaves viewers confused and frustrated waiting to see what the point of all the unexplained violence could be. In seasons like “Hotel,” “Roanoke,” “Cult” and even “1984,” there is a ton of violence and character deaths (even though many end up sticking around as ghosts) before we even understand the reasons why. No one is asking for spoilers or plot twist reveals, but it might make it more bearable to watch if you have someone to root for or against.

When thinking about how good the earliest seasons were, the fact that the stories of the newer seasons are being dragged out and filled with so much random gore makes you wonder, “What happened?”

How did it go from stories of scary haunted houses, covens of ruthless witches, and creepy carnies in a rundown circus to all this nonsense splatter? When did gore become the most appealing factor in such a popular show?

The newest season, “Delicate,” is still in progress, but so far it seems like a rip-off of “Rosemary’s Baby.” Unlike other seasons, it is based on a book, “Delicate Condition” by Danielle Valentine. There is also a new writer working on this season’s episodes.

I personally do not enjoy the theme of the main character (Emma Roberts) struggling to get pregnant only for it to be turned into a horrific, irreverent nightmare. Or maybe I just love Emma Roberts and hate seeing her strung along like this.  

These could be some reasons as to why this season is not cutting it so far. The build-up to the climax is taking a while considering we are halfway through the season. Ultimately, the scariest part of it all is the disgusting visuals they force on us with little explanation or relevance as to what is happening. 

In all, I am a fan of the series, but I prefer the earlier seasons. I wish the writers would include more suspense, drama and plot details to carry me through. Instead, I am stuck having to shield my eyes or skip scenes that are too gross. New episodes are still airing every Wednesday, however compared to previous seasons it is not off to a great start.