Why Apocalypse Is One of the Best Seasons of AHS

**Spoiler warning for all 12 seasons of AHS so far!**

The 13th installment of American Horror Story is upon us, and, so inevitably, people are looking back at past seasons of the show.

Not only because the new installment is a huge crossover event, supposedly bringing back characters and settings from every season so far.

Or because FX has proscribed a list of 13 essential previous episodes to watch beforehand to understand what looks to be a complex narrative.

But the expected posts ranking the best AHS seasons so far, which usually accompany the launch of a new installment, have also been appearing. They vary widely depending on taste, so I thought I’d throw my ring into the hat!

And I make my case for why I think the divisive Apocalypse is one of the best seasons so far. And why its strengths bode well for number 13!

Ranking the Seasons of American Horror Story

Some of these won’t be a surprise. Pretty much everyone agrees that the first three seasons rank towards the top of the list, while Cult and Delicate firmly hit the bottom of the barrel.

But some fans will question my sanity by giving Roanoke and Double Feature relatively high rankings. While others will be up in arms over the low position given to Freak Show.

But so it goes among the AHS fandom. Some people adore seasons that others consider embarrassing trash.

I have tried to be objective, taking into account the strength of the story, characters, performances, and production values.

Some will strongly disagree with my picks. But I’ve tried to make the best case for why I think each season deserves a particular ranking.

Asylum (2012)

Strong core story and character arcs
Stuck the landing in final episode
Well-developed themes
Incredibly atmospheric and scary at times
Fantastic production design and cinematography
Memorable title sequence
Excellent central cast (including Sarah Paulson, Jessica Lange, James Cromwell, Lily Rabe) playing memorable characters (Lana Winters, Sister Jude, Dr Arden, Sister Mary Eunice)
Perfect casting for guest roles, such as Ian McShane as a murderous Santa Claus, Franka Potente as Anne Frank (!), and Frances Conroy as the Angel of Death!

Murder House (2011)

Gave Lange her best role in years and reminded the world what a great actress she was
Strong breakout roles for Evan Peters, Taissa Farmiga, Rabe, and Paulson
Excellent support from the rest of the cast, particularly Conroy and Denis O’Hare
Simple yet effective premise played out with restraint, stuck to rules it established
Solid dramatic arcs for well-developed characters
Stuck the landing in final episode
Genuinely spooky and scary
Memorable title sequence

Coven (2013)

Probably the most iconic and beloved characters in the show (Fiona Goode, Myrtle Snow, Misty Day, Madison Montgomery, Marie Laveau, Madame LaLaurie, Queenie, Papa Legba)
Fantastic performances from Lange, Rabe, Conroy, Emma Roberts, Angela Bassett, Kathy Bates, Gabourey Sidibe, Lance Reddick, and more
Atmospheric and handsomely shot
Always interesting
Some of the best dialogue in all of AHS
The final episode brought things to a satisfying conclusion
Memorable title sequence
BUT messy story, too many subplots and reversals throughout the season
Poor handling of some characters who deserved better (Misty, Madison)
Some characters completely fell flat (the Witch Hunters and Peter’s Kyle – there’s a reason they have never brought him back!)

Apocalypse (2018)

See below!

Roanoke (2016)

An eagerness to play with format and expectations absent in most AHS seasons
A really juicy dual role for Kathy Bates, who gives it her all (and who doesn’t want to see her drenched in blood and madly swinging a meat cleaver while shouting “This is my land!”??)
Gives the talented Adina Porter (perhaps previously best known as Tara’s unstable mother in True Blood) the chance to shine in a leading role
Some memorable, surprising supporting roles for returning stars in first half (Lady Gaga, Conroy, Peters)
Tense and genuinely scary at times (especially when the real ghosts show up)
BUT some bad acting in the second half of the season (sorry Paulson and Peters!)
A messy final episode that felt superflous (though Porter’s final scene and the house blowing up was admittedly satisfying)

Double Feature (2021)

Another experiment with format that (in my opinion) mostly worked
Excellent cast of returning vets who had been away for a while (Paulson, Peters, Conroy, Rabe)
Some standout supporting players, including Macauley Culkin, Angelica Ross, Leslie Grossman, and Cody Fern
Some memorable characters (Conroy’s Belle Noir, Paulson’s Tuberculosis Karen and Mamie Eisenhower, Grossman’s Calico, Ross’ terrifying alien-human hybrid Theta)
A strong and atmospheric story to start with in the first half
A genuinely disturbing historical conspiracy plot in the second (though it felt like it could have had a season all its own)
BUT poor conclusion to the first half (probably the worst example of AHS‘ tendency to time-jump and move locations to wrap up a story when it should have just stayed in the moment)
Weak start to the second half (though in my opinion it got better as it went along and has one of the bleakest, most unnerving conclusions)
Initial focus on cast of annoying spoiled brat teenagers in the second half
Some disappointing roles for capable actors in the first half (Rabe, Billie Lourd, Finn Wittrock)

NYC (2022)

Strong core story
Satisfying (although bleak) conclusion
Powerful performances from Joe Mantello, Zachary Quinto, Charlie Carver, and Isaac Powell
Maybe most stylish season after Hotel
BUT some subplots went nowhere
Russell Tovey, Lourd, and Grossman got weak characters
Did dirty by Patti LuPone and Sandra Bernhard, who both disappeared after inital prominence
Probably the most depressing and heavy season
Didn’t bring Frances Conroy back to play the Angel of Death!

Hotel (2015)

Memorable characters for Gaga, Peters, Paulson, Bassett, Rabe, Mare Winningham, and O’Hare (his best, in my opinion)
Spooky and genuinely scary at times
Probably the most stylish season
BUT unfocused plot that drops seemingly important characters like flies
Bad “surprise” twist
Runs out of steam far before the end
A sappy and unsatisfying final episode
Bland characters for some otherwise capable actors (Bates, Wittrock, Wes Bentley, Matt Bomer, Chloë Sevigny, Mädchen Amick)
Throws in and then unceremoniously kills off a beloved character from a previous season, seemingly just for shock value

Freak Show (2014)

Lange, Paulson, and Wittrock work their asses off to deliver memorable performances
John Carroll Lynch gives a genuinely terrifying performance as Twisty the Clown
Ace production design and cinematography
Some memorable musical numbers
BUT any plot there is dissipates pretty quickly
Full of random subplots that don’t go anywhere
Wastes its most effective villain
Thin and unengaging characters given to Peters, Bassett, Bates, Roberts, and O’Hare
Underwhelming and unsatisfying inclusion of characters from Asylum (Pepper, Sister Mary Eunice)
Unbelievably tone-deaf final episode that gives happy endings to characters who didn’t deserve them

1984 (2019)

Memorable title sequence and music
Atmospheric and campy fun to start with
Fun performnces from Grossman, Lourd, Ross, and Fern
BUT unfocused and completely loses the plot after a few episodes
Perhaps one of the worst AHS endings
Roberts is bland as the main character
Carroll Lynch, Rabe, and Whittrock get poorly developed characters to work with
Questionable depiction of real serial killer Richard Ramirez as a superpowered, cartoonish villain

Cult (2017)

Weak and VERY meandering story
Heavy-handed metaphors
Poor attempts at political satire
Weak characters (I just remember Paulson’s Ally and Peters’ Kai screaming and shouting a lot, and can barely recall the other actors in it)
BUT some memorable sequences (including the clown attack in the supermarket)
Does let Adina Porter shout “Ave Satanus, motherfucker!” before chopping someone’s head off

Delicate (2023)

A nothing burger of a season, essentially a re-hash and expanded edition of the Antichrist baby plot from Murder House and Apocalypse that no-one was asking for
Extremely underwhelming mystery and conclusion
Roberts, Kim Kardashian, and Matt Czuchry are bland and uninvolving as the main characters
Mostly visually uninspired
BUT the villains played by Grossman, Lourd, and Cara Delevingne are quite fun
We do get to see Kardashian wither and turn to ash after a season’s worth of bad acting, which is at least somewhat satisfying!

Why Apocalypse is the 4th Best Season of AHS

Naming Apocalypse the 4th best season of AHS may be controversial (some people will ship Freak Show and Hotel to the end.) But I feel there are certain factors that elevate it above most other installments.

Don’t get me wrong, the season definitely has its faults (I think it could have been at least two episodes shorter and more effective for it, some new characters don’t land.) But for me the strengths outweigh the weaknesses.

**Heavy spoilers for AHS Apocalypse follow!**

It Was (Mostly) Atmospheric and Claustrophobic

The central location of Apocalypse is gorgeously designed and shot: an expansive underground bunker meant to house the super rich, but that feels positively Victorian in its design and decor. And in its bizarre and restrictive rules.

Some will argue that the eerie mood conjured inside the bunker dissipates when the season leaves the location for some lengthy flashback episodes. But the bunker remains a key space even then, and is revealed to have a surprising history that helps to explain its spooky vibes.

And the majority of the most important beats of the story take place in the bunker. Including the excellent, bombastic climax.

The few glimpses we get of the irradiated outside world are also creepy and terrifying: a mist-shrouded, bleak wasteland through which mysterious black horse-drawn carriages move without impunity.

It Had Entertaining New Characters

The success of this season really hinged around one performance, by whoever would take on the role of Micheal Langdon, the grown-up version of the baby and toddler we saw in Murder House. Who was prophesied to become the Antichrist.

Luckily, franchise newcomer Cody Fern was more than up to the task. His Antichrist was genuinely terrifying in the present day scenes. And Fern also convincingly conveyed Micheal’s transformation from a scared teen to a fiendish psychopath in the flashbacks.

Sarah Paulson and Kathy Bates got very fun villains to play around with in the brutal enforcers Venable and Ms. Mead. And their performances were very entertaining.

Likewise, Adina Porter and Leslie Grossman were also fun to hate in the early episodes. And Billy Porter and Jon Jon Briones made for engaging sub-villains and/or eventual allies to the witches as disgruntled warlocks.

Admittedly, some others didn’t work so well. Evan Peters’ new characters were broad and cartoonish, particularly his tech bro from the second half . Same goes for Billy Eichner.

And then there’s the much-hyped inclusion of Joan Collins, who is entertaining but somewhat misused. It’s truly puzzling why they gave her two similar, pretty thin roles to play rather than one fully-rounded character that would have fit better into the witches’ scheme.

It (Mostly) Did Right by Returning Characters

One thing that Apocalypse absolutely got right was the characterization of Paulson’s Cordelia Goode. Where Cordelia was something of a constant victim in Coven, her character almost exclusively defined by having bad things happen to her, here she is a brave hero who takes action and is easy to root for.

Her most important allies, Madison and Myrtle, are also allowed to do all the fun things that made them such great characters in Coven. While developing as characters as they step up to face the threat.

And then there’s Misty, one of the most beloved characters in the entire show for her wholesome nature and resilience through trauma. Who gets the happy ending here that she deserved, and which Coven cruelly denied her (see below.)

When the season made a stopover at the mansion from Murder House, it also gave most characters from that season (Constance, Moira, Vivian and Ben) the closure that they deserved (but well, Tate and Violet less so.)

There were also some welcome and fun surprise cameo returns. Particularly Peters’ Mr. March from Hotel, and Angela Bassett’s Marie Laveau.

It Corrected Missteps from Past Seasons

One thing that Apocalypse should be applauded for is its willingness to correct past mistakes in a satisfying way (from Coven and Hotel at least, like I said above Murder House not so much…) And give mistreated characters a new lease of life.

Creator Ryan Murphy has said he tracks fan reactions to developments in the series. And it seems like he and the writers really listed to the strongest objections, agreed with them, and set about doing something about it.

Undoubtedly the most impactful of these corrections was the rescue of the sensitive Misty from her devastating entrapment in hell at the end of Coven. Her reunion with Cordelia was genuinely emotional (and led to many shipping them as a couple!)

And the fact that she got to walk off into the sunset (or rather go on tour) with her idol Stevie Nicks was a lovely send-off for her. It’s unclear whether she will appear in 13, but, while it would be nice to see her, I definitely don’t want to see her put in harm’s way or killed again!

And another rescuee from hell, Madison, was equally as surprising and welcome. And even more fun. Her death in Coven was undignified to say the least, strangled to death by Kyle after getting involved in a listless love triangle.

But in Apocalypse the writers seriously salvaged her character and allowed her to be the endearing bitch she always was. While bringing her into the fold as an initially reluctant team player who grows into a brave hero.

Finally, the writers realized they had made another big mistake by having Queenie check in and never out of the Hotel Cortez in season five. And so seeing her escape from an eternity of playing cards with Mr. March and helping to rescue Madison was also incredibly satisfying.

It Told a Satisfying Story

Establishing a palpable threat and intimidating villains before introducing heroes that could vanquish them (or, more common in horror, tragically succumb to the evil) is a tried-and-trusted storytelling device.

It’s worked in great films as diverse as Disney classic Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), the original Star Wars (1977), the first Lord of the Rings (2001), No Country for Old Men (2007), The Dark Knight (2008), and Inglourious Basterds (2009).

And it worked in the best American Horror Story seasons. The corrupt system of the church-owned psychiatric hospital was well-established before we met intrepid journalist Lana Winters, who, despite numerous obstacles, was finally able to take it down.

And the all-consuming evil nature of Murder House was effectively set up by an opening sequence that showed the brutal deaths of children, accompanied by the haunting song “Tonight You Belong to Me”. Before the Harmon family arrived.

Weaker seasons of the show arguably strugged because they lacked a clear threat and villain. Freak Show, Hotel, 1984, and even Coven had various villains but not an overarching threat to unite the disparate characters. Which left the final episodes feeling anti-climatic.

Apocalypse starts with the biggest threat of all: the nuclear annihilation of society. And the aftermath the surviving characters find themselves in is truly nightmarish: a creepy bunker ruled by iron-fist enforcers who make them follow bizarre and restrictive rules by threat of execution.

It’s also made clear early on that there is something insidious and supernatural going on in the bunker. Which only amplifies when a deeply sinister character arrives to purportedly weed out the survivors suitable for transfer to a superior facility.

But it soon becomes clear that this is not his intention at all. And he’s eventually revealed as the Antichrist, with the goal to completely annihilate the human race.

And by the end of episode 3, the show has pulled a ballsy move: all of the new characters introduced at the beginning of the season are dead. Including Billie Lourd’s sympathetic and mysteriously super-powered servant Mallory, who seemed like the only person capable of defeating Micheal.

So it seems that the Antichrist has achieved his goal of ruling over nothing but ashes. But then the show pulls another ballsy move (and delivers perhaps one of the most cheer-worthy moments in the entire show.)

Some surprising figures emerge out of the fog outside of the bunker, to the tune of “She’s a Rainbow” by the Rolling Stones: three of the witches from Coven (two of whom are supposed to be dead!) And they are headed straight for an epic confrontation with Micheal.

But first we get half a seasons-worth of flashbacks, showing Micheal’s rise and how the world went to shit. And what on earth the witches from Coven have got to do with it.

For some, this story structure was a failure. And they felt cheated for being asked to invest in the bunker dwellers for three episodes, only to find that most of them were inconsequential to the actual story being told.

For others, the flashback episodes were indulgent and unnecessary. I agree with this to a point (did we really need to see Venable and the obnoxious tech bros’ schemes pre-bunker?) And think that they could have been condensed into three or four max.

But the show eventually gets back to the conflict it had set up at the end of episode three: the surviving witches against the Antichrist. Well, and his deadly robot minion played by Bates (would probably need another whole article to explain that, so not going to try!)

And the battle we get is truly epic, with some spectacular deaths. The stakes couldn’t be higher and there is a ticking clock as the witches desperately try to unlock Mallory’s secret power as Micheal advances on them.

It’s not really a surprise that the witches eventually win (sort of, otherwise there wouldn’t be room to bring them back for 13), but it is immensely satisfying. And the characters we want to see get their happy endings do (for now, we’ll see about the new season!)

Apocalypse’s Strengths Bode Well for AHS 13

**Possible spoilers for AHS 13**

At the end of the day, Apocalypse was made for fans of the earlier seasons who felt burned by the recent dip in quality. It was humble enough to admit that the show had made mistakes in the past and correct them, do justice to beloved characters, and was written with care to give fans what they wanted to see.

AHS 13 seems to be doing the same, but is even more ambitious. It’s not just a crossover of Coven and Murder House, but every season. Even the ones that are least liked, such as Cult (though it’s currently unclear if it will even bother with Delicate.)

The disparate characters won’t just be cameos but integral parts of the story. And it’s been revealed that some of them who are played by the same actor will meet face-to-face, which should be VERY interesting.

Of course, the Coven witches will feature prominently, as they rise to face another world-ending threat. And it seems like that will be Paul Antony Kelly’s new character, who Ryan Murphy has heavily implied will be Satan himself.

I was hoping the witches would go up against the Double Feature aliens, but well, it’s unlikely that Angelica Ross would ever return. And the devil is a solid villain! Here’s hoping that season 13 also delivers on the storytelling that makes Apocalypse one of the best.

American Horror Story: 13 premieres on September 24, 2026

Let me know on Instagram if you strongly agree/disagree with my ranking of the AHS seasons and assessment of Apocalypse! And if you’re excited for the new installment!