American Horror Story
Every season ofAmerican Horror Storyhas long since been confirmed to be connected to the with child picture , taking part in one slightly confusing timeline . A small while of the puzzle is revealed each season that Ryan Murphy ’s horror anthology series continues on — and asAHShas been renewed through at least time of year 13 , the connections will only continue to grow . So far , theAmerican Horror Storytimeline use dissimilar setting , and audiences can expect more of the same as the series continues .
As an anthology , each time of year ofAmerican Horror Storytells a standalone tale . The show has covered everything from preoccupied houses , to clown , witches , slasher picture show tribute , and aliens . American Horror Story ’s various seasons incline to subtly reveal connections to anterior season as its current narrative unfurls . AsAmerican Horror Story ’s timeline has get on , the connexion have become more blatant , include recur characters andApocalypse’scrossover storyline . These connections and their increasing frequency beg the arguably bigger question of whetherAmerican Horror Storywill finally precede a individual element or eccentric that binds every time of year together under one story .
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For now , audiences are leave to art object together where they remember the end game is headed . American Horror Storyhas introduced dozens of character across decades of time , so each connection can be a lot to keep track of . Here ’s a look at how every season ofAmerican Horror Storyis connected , in chronological order , throughout the be ten seasons .
1952: Freak Show (American Horror Story Season 4)
American Horror Storyseason 4 , nicknamedFreak Show , is chronologically the early instalment in the series . Freak Showfollows a genus Circus in Jupiter , Florida in the twelvemonth 1952 . At the same meter the circus rolls into townsfolk , a dark entity emerge and starts terrorizing the townspeople . Freak Show ’s time of year 4connects to an earlier season , Asylum , and also lays down the foundation for a storyline inAmerican Horror Storyseason 6,Roanoke .
Season 4 brings back two characters from time of year 2 , which chronologically takes place about ten years afterFreak Showand reveal thatAsylum ’s Pepper was in the beginning a circus member featured in the show . But when she was wrongfully convict of murder , she was picked up by Sister Mary Eunice and brought to Briarcliff Manor , the mental wellness facility have inAsylum . Pepper was already a tragical character when she was introduced inAsylum , and her storyline inFreak Showjust deepened that heartbreak . The nefarious Dr. Arden also made the jumping from the Florida circus to Briarcliff Manor .
1964: Asylum (American Horror Story Season 2)
Freak Showdirectly flow intoAmerican Horror Story : Asylum . American Horror Storyseason 2 takes home within Briarcliff Manor , an insane asylum . The show followsjournalist Lana Winters ( Sarah Paulson ) , who is wrongfully intrust to the asylum , as she uncovers the sullen truths of what is happening within the institution . Lana go on to become a world - famous journalist for her write up and the length she went to report on the truth . Lana becomes a Barbara Walters - like figure in late time of year ofAmerican Horror Story . She ends up interviewing a few characters from the show in different season as they make newspaper headline for experiencing painful trauma . Most ofAmerican Horror Storytakes place decades after this time of year , which was likely a witting decision . That gave enough metre for Lana to become launch in a career as a diarist , so she could always be utilized to question reference down the line .
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1984: 1984 (American Horror Story Season 9)
American Horror Storyseason 9 get word only a few connections to previous characters and plot line from the show.1984isAmerican Horror Story’sode to slasher films , and also the chief class when the time of year takes blank space . The primary location of1984is a summer camp — Camp Redwood — which was rocked by murders at the hand of a sequential sea wolf twelvemonth prior . Just as the camp reopens , it seems like the orca has come back for another round of murders , which is an obvious testimonial to theFriday the 13thmovies , a staple of the 1980s . eld after the latest round of killings,1984checks in on its antagonist , Margaret Booth . Despite her vicious crimes , she became exceedingly wealthy with a preference for buy prop with sorry pasts — including Briarcliff Manor . It was a blink - and - you’ll - escape - it denotation , but an crucial connection to the rest of the show , as Briarcliff and its former patients are bring up throughout the series .
2011: Murder House (American Horror Story Season 1)
American Horror Story ’s nominal housein time of year 1 can be reckon as the source of all evil in the universe of the show , but chronologically took shoes toward the end of the series ' timeline . Murder Housesees Ben , Vivian and Violet Harmon moving into a fresh home look for a fresh start . small do they be intimate that the house is riddled with ghosts . One of those spirit terminate up getting Vivian fraught with twin – one baby via Tate and one babe via Ben – but Vivian and one similitude exit in childbirth . American Horror Storyseason 1 ’s ending shows the surviving twin , Michael , hit his baby-sitter years afterwards . It ’s an ominous sign of what ’s to come .
Michael comes back in a enceinte path forAmerican Horror Storyseason 8 , which jump forward inAmerican Horror Story ’s overall timeline . It ’s revealed thatMichael is the antichrist , and he ’s responsible for bringing about the apocalypse . A grouping of witches pass to his place of birth , the Murder House , to get a full sympathy of what they ’re up against . There , the witch meet the ghostly pattern of each of the Harmons . As the son of Satan himself , Michael is the most muscular villain featured onAmerican Horror Storyto engagement . It ’s a nice ode to the show ’s get-go to have such a strong villain rise from its first time of year . With the cursed home inMurder Housegiving birthing to the virgin evilAmerican Horror Storyhas ever shown , it ’s safe to adopt the show will return to that home before the serial twine up , and use it to further extend the timeline .
2013: Coven (American Horror Story Season 3)
Coventells the story of a tabloid - tag coven of witches contemplate at Miss Robichaux ’s Academy in New Orleans inAmerican Horror Storyseason 3 . They must fight for the endurance of their variety and take a novel leader after the death of their current Supreme . As this time of year takes place early on in the series ' run , it did n’t associate to any previous seasons of the show upon initial dismissal . However , it lay the foundation for connecting to three future seasons ofAmerican Horror Storyafter airing . Since the show is deeply rooted in the supernatural , the coven ends up being an authoritative fixture inAmerican Horror Storylore moving forward .
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2014-2016: Roanoke (American Horror Story Season 6)
American Horror Story : Roanokehas a connection to almost every season of the show that total before it . Season 6 of the horror anthology series takes place in two freestanding timelines — the 1500s and modern day ( specifically , 2014 - 2016 ) . The time of year is focused on the horrific supernatural incident that befall a young couple who moved into anold North Carolina rest home . Their chronicle is told through a true - crime documentary . The end of the season follows the actors who told Matt and Shelby ’s chronicle , and what happens when they go back to the home where everything took place .
Roanokefeatures sly callback to earlier season . Shelby and Matt ’s haunted house was build by a member of the Mott house . Fans likely remember Dandy Mott , who was one of the prominent antagonists ofAmerican Horror Story : Freak Show . The very parole " Roanoke " is a callback to Bille Dean Howard ’s warning to Violet inMurder House . American Horror Storyseason 6 even boast the veryfirst Supreme witch . But the most important connexion to previous season would be the appearance of Lana Winters . She interviews the only subsister of the mass murder at Shelby and Matt ’s habitation . This is the first of Lana Winters ' many coming into court and mentions onAmerican Horror Story , cementing her status as one of the show ’s most important characters .
2015: Hotel (American Horror Story Season 5)
Chronologically , the events ofHoteloverlap with the primary events ofRoanoke . A few theatrical role from previous season also make appearances inAmerican Horror Story : Hotel . time of year 5 focalize on the Hotel Cortez and the many perturbing and extrasensory consequence that take place there . Near the ending of the time of year , Coven ’s Queenie checks into the hotelwhile she ’s chew the fat Los Angeles . She ’s drink down on the hotel grounds , and her soul remained trapped at the Cortez . Hotelends with an appearance fromMurder House ’s psychic Billie Dean Howard , who come to enquire the Cortez with her fresh telly show . While the Hotel Cortez does n’t seem to be a significant location , its grandness is revealed later on in season 8 , explaining that it ’s a purgatory locating for departed souls , like Murder House and Camp Redwood .
2017: Cult (American Horror Story Season 7)
American Horror Story : Cultwas inspired by the interior ferment and paranoia trace the 2016 election , and thus takes piazza right after this event — it directly followsRoanokeandHotel , chronologically . The taradiddle centers on Ally ( Sarah Paulson ) , who is a woman suffering from various intense phobias , one of which is a awe of goofball . She ’s triggered when she finds her Word reading a comic book featuringAmerican Horror Story ’s clown Twisty . AsFreak ShowandCultare the only two seasons of the show with little to no supernatural elements , this connection is very fitting . Ally ’s life gets flipped upside down when she bump out her married woman Ivy conjoin a dangerous furor . Ally turn tail with her life , and the storey reach Lana Winters , who unsuccessfully reach out for an interview .
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2020: Apocalypse (American Horror Story Season 8)
American Horror Story : Apocalypseis the series ' most ambitious season . Instead of subtle mentions and callbacks to preceding seasons , season 8 is a conspicuous crossover withCovenandMurder House . Apocalypsekicks off with the end of the world — a nuclear bomb lead off , and a handful of people are hand - select to subsist in various underground outposts . Michael , the grown - up murderous little boyfrom the end ofMurder House , shows up to one of these frontier settlement . The hag fromCovenalso appear not long after . Thanks to their late run - in with Michael and natter to the place of his birth , they reveal him to be the antichrist . The witch act upon together to take down Michael and reverse the events of the Apocalypse . Sinceseason 8 also involved time travel to kill Michael , it ’s possible the chronology of the series was affected in some yet to be determined way that could be addressed in future seasons .
2021: Double Feature (American Horror Story Season 10)
time of year 10 ofAmerican Horror Storyshowcases two stand - alone tale , both of which are set in present - solar day . American Horror Story : Double Featureis also the only season to break away to the full from the timeline and not establish any connection to previous season . What made thefirst half of the season , Red Tide , a hit among fans was the show ’s issue to its root . It follow Harry ( Finn Wittrock ) , a struggling film writer who move his family to Provincetown , Massachusetts in an effort to chance inhalation and write . He pick up it in the grade of a little black-market pill , which separates the talented from the talentless and includes vampiric side - effects . It proves to be a compelling first half of the season , though the last episode leave much to be hope when the black pill is distributed in Los Angeles and causes mass topsy-turvyness .
The latter half of the time of year , entitledDeath Valley , shares connections take the armed forces withRed Tideand little else . Death Valleyleans more into the weird , reintroduce aliens into the commixture , though these extraterrestrials differ fromAsylum’s . Death Valley ’s aliensare intention on make up Earth their unexampled home and commit to producing a human - foreign crossbreed subject of surviving the satellite . Death Valleybegins in 1954 , when President Eisenhower is made cognisant of the aliens ' plan and experiments on humanity , but focuses mainly on the present - day when four college students are abducted and impregnated by alien loanblend . Eventually , the perfect loanblend is expect and the aliens double - down on making as many stark specimens as potential to populate the Earth .
Upcoming American Horror Story Seasons
Back in 2020 , FX renewedAmerican Horror Storythrough time of year 13 , so there are unlimited options for future seasons and new timelines . Ryan Murphy tweeted a poll to begin with in April 2021 for fan to vote on potential themes for forthcoming season and it get along down toBloody Mary and enchantress . WhileRed Tidewas set by the sea , it would be interesting to see anAmerican Horror Storyseason countersink entirelyinthe ocean . That could feature another blend of modern - day and ancient timeline . Additionally , Ryan Murphy could go another path and infix more period - specific pieces , like time of year set only in the ' seventy or ' 90s and bring back more characters from premature seasons . Knowing Ryan Murphy , unexampled and improbable connecter will belike be shape in new timeline , disregardless of what forthcoming time of year ofAmerican Horror Storycover .
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