Diksha Sundriyal
It is time to return to the haunted world of FX’s ‘American Horror Story’ with the thirteenth season, which brings a brand-new story of horror and hell. What makes this season more interesting is that it not only brings back major recurring cast members from previous seasons but also marks the return of fan-favorite characters. For the fans, this marks the beginning of a delightful journey filled with intriguing connections and exciting Easter eggs. However, for a person new to the world of ‘AHS,’ the 13th season can seem a bit daunting.
Moreover, the show aired its first season in 2011 and has aired for the past 15 years. So, even for someone who has been religiously following the show, a refresher might seem like a good idea. But watching twelve whole seasons or even revisiting the entire timeline can get a bit too much. Fortunately, the first three episodes confirm which seasons are the most important ones to watch. SPOILERS AHEAD.
AHS:13 References Three Major Seasons From the Past
When Ryan Murphy set out to make the thirteenth season of his highly popular horror show, he thought about making it a track of all the greatest hits. However, to do so, he needed to know that all the actors were on board with this idea. Most importantly, he needed Jessica Lange to come on board. She had been one of the main cast members in the first four seasons of the show: Constance Langdon in ‘Murder House,’ Sister Jude in ‘Asylum,’ Fiona Goode in ‘Coven,’ and Elsa Mars in ‘Freak Show.’ Since then, she has not appeared in any new role. Her last appearance on the show was in its eighth season, ‘Apocalypse,’ in which she briefly appeared as her Season 1 character. Murphy knew the greatest-hits idea couldn’t work without Lange, and it was only when she said yes that he decided to move forward.
Now, Lange is once again at the forefront of the show with ‘AHS: 13,’ and this time, she is bringing all four of her past four characters. The first three episodes confirm that Constance will take the lead, which makes ‘Murder House’ an essential watch before ’13.’ After Lange, Murphy reached out to Sarah Paulson, who has appeared in the first 10 seasons of the show and played about a dozen distinct characters. Of them, she is poised to play six in this season. Her first confirmed character is Cordelia Goode from ‘Coven,’ a role she also reprised in ‘Apocalypse.’ Another role from ‘Apocalypse’ that she will be picking up is Wilhemina Venable. Since ‘Murder House’ seems to have a direct thread to this season, she might also take over as Billie Dean Howard, who has also been a part of ‘Hotel’ and ‘Apocalypse.’
It remains to be seen which other Paulson characters will be pulled out, but it does confirm that ‘Coven’ should be on the watchlist before ’13.’ Other returning actors reprising their roles from the third season are Emma Roberts, Kathy Bates, Angela Bassett, Frances Conroy, Gabourey Sidibe, and Leslie Grossman. Almost all of their characters have also appeared in ‘Apocalypse,’ with some appearing in ‘Hotel’ as well. This makes ‘Apocalypse’ the next one to binge. However, in his interviews, Murphy has mentioned ‘Hotel’ as one of the seasons besides ‘ Murder House’ and ‘Coven’ to set the tone of ’13,’ which places the Lady Gaga-starrer season as another important watch. Another actor to have left an indelible mark on ‘American Horror Story’ is Evan Peters.
He has played a whopping 16 characters over the course of nine seasons. In the thirteenth season, he will bring five of his past characters to life, two of whom have already been introduced in the premiere episodes. So far, we have seen him as Tate Langdon from ‘Murder House’ and Kai Anderson from ‘Cult.’ Billie Lourd also returns as Kai’s sister, Winter. This means we might see more references to ‘Cult.’ Thus, it is safe to say that anyone who has watched the first and third seasons should be good to go. But having some basic knowledge of the fifth, seventh, and eighth seasons will also help in picking up some essential details and easter eggs. Still, Murphy has stated that all 12 seasons have been referenced in ’13’ in differing capacities. So, dedicated fans can take a shot at a thorough binge of the entire series before starting with the latest installment.
Read More: AHS 13: Is the Apollyon a Real Place in New York?
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