American Horror StoriesIs a Dark and Twisted Delight

American Horror Story returns next hebdomad with its tenth season , Double Feature — good news for fans who ’ve been hanker for its return , especially since it look to be a particularly juicy time of year ( all hailSarah Paulson ! ) . But you do n’t have to already be a fan or more than passingly conversant with the series to enjoyAmerican Horror Stories , the twisting - off anthology serial from AHS co - Godhead Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk that wraps up its first seven - sequence instalment tonight .

I ’m not going to lie — I’d been place off determine American Horror Stories , despite the fact thatI am a fanof American Horror Story . There ’s just … so much TV to pour these day that I kind of forgot about it , and I suspect I ’m not the only person who sense that way sometimes . But it ’s well deserving carve out some time for this play , violent , and often salacious serial , which gives you all the risqué fun of American Horror Story — but parceled out into littler chunks that mayhap could n’t get an entire time of year of TV , but are gross for a story that needs just around 45 minutes to get its point across .

The big exception to this is the first pair of episode — since they ’re a two - parter , “ Rubber(wo)Man Part One ” and “ Rubber(wom)Man Part Two . ” They ’re also the ones most closely tied to American Horror Story , since they ’re set in time of year one ’s iconic Murder House and lineament , as the rubric might suggest , the original show ’s infamous Rubber Man . But even with those links , the script is careful to give enough backstory about the house ’s terrifying past that even free-and-easy viewers will understand the tremendously bad vibes emanating from it .

“That old black magic has me in its spell…”

“That old black magic has me in its spell…”Screenshot: FX on Hulu

Of naturally , that does n’t dissuade married couple Michael ( Matt Bomer , one of several American Horror Story regulars to pour down up in the American Horror Stories cast ) and Troy ( Gavin Creel ) from buy the place with intention of fixing it up and open a “ haunted B&B ” that ’ll cash in on its dicey reputation , much to the eye - rolling impatience of their teenage girl , Scarlett ( The Vast of Night ’s Sierra McCormick ) , who call the place “ Amityville Horror on crystal meth . ” The family line soon watch that the Murder House will not be so well tamed , and Scarlett — who already had a burgeon interest in S&M — swiftly finds herself closely mire with its legend .

These episodes have intriguing 2d - multiplication stunt molding ( Paris Jackson , Michael ’s girl , play one of Scarlett ’s mean - girl schoolfellow ; Kaia Gerber , who ’s a dead clone for her female parent , Cindy Crawford , also has a primal role ) , an impressively raw take on teenage intimidation , some startling death scenes , and also — in true AHS fashion — up - to - the - minute ethnic and pop culture credit , not to mention plenty of phantasmagorical humour . The arcs of Scarlett and company required two episodes to make full ( and probably more ; fit in to Murphy , tonight ’s finalewill return to the Murder House ) . But the balance of American Horror Stories have all been ( plainly ) ego - contained , and none have made overt references to the overarch American Horror Story lore .

All four startle with fairly basic plot of ground that repugnance fans in general will recognize — a cursed motion-picture show ( “ get In ” ) , a woman who fears dark forces are after her child ( “ BA’AL ” ) , the pernicious side of societal media ( “ The Naughty tilt ” ) , and the risk of the deep Mrs. Henry Wood ( “ Feral”)—but stop up layering that familiarity into worlds that feel like our own , but are instead fulfill with gut - wrenchingly freaky twist . They ’re also very well - plaster cast , especially Billie Lourd as a fresh mom on the verge of a nervous dislocation , and Danny Trejo as repulsion ’s up-to-the-minute embodiment ofevil Santa Claus .

By all means, fire up the ouija board.

By all means, fire up the ouija board.Screenshot: FX on Hulu

Some of these entry are more effective than others—“Drive In ” owes so much to John Carpenter ’s Masters of Horror episode “ Cigarette Burns ” that it ca n’t be a coincidence that frequent Carpenter lead ladyAdrienne Barbeauhas a role in it . But they ’re all up-and-coming and entertaining , recite freestanding tarradiddle that nonetheless cohere with American Horror Story ’s in - your - expression approaching to sex and gore . And it ’s worth noting this isn’tThe Twilight Zoneor evenShudder ’s excellentCreepshow(speaking of Barbeau ) , which tend to build their floor around fibre who need to be teach a deterrent example or give down some kind of comeupance . “ The Naughty listing ” does take a in particular unpitying feeler to punishing the execrable social - media star who populate its story , and American Horror Stories dead loves to drop down surprise in the final moment of its episodes . But this show is n’t pilot by a standard - issue moral ambit ; much like American Horror Story , American Horror Stories is mostly just set to shock you . joyously . And most of the sentence , it bring home the bacon .

“ Game Over , ” the season close of American Horror Stories , streams today on FX on Hulu . ( Last hebdomad , Murphy tweetedit ’s been renewed for a second season . ) American Horror Story : Double lineament premieres August 25 on FX , with episodes hitting Hulu the next day .

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He sees you when you’re sleeping. He knows when you’re awake.