Commentary: The Idea Of ‘American Horror Story’

Sometimes, just the idea of a story is enough to captivate an audience; they are often not complicated. Horror fans like horror stories, the same way that romance fans like romance stories. It’s the idea of the abstract that allures viewers in and keeps them engaged. This is why anthologies are so powerful. They don’t have to restrain themselves to one tale that may be hit or miss. They can continually launch a new story that’s a new attempt to regain favor with the audience. It is this one concept that has allowed American Horror Story, which stars Emma Roberts in its current incarnation, to survive as long as it has.

American Horror Story had an undeniably strong first season. It premiered at just the right time to show audiences what a great cable television horror show was capable of. It had strong acting, compelling characters, a twisted story that pushed its narrative with just the right balance of shock value, and a relevant theme. Subsequent seasons tried to replicate this formula with varying degrees of success. However, each season has been so different from the ones that came before it that there is a risk audiences won’t connect with them all, and they haven’t. And yet, American Horror Story continues to flourish with over ten seasons and a spin off.

The show manages to stay alive because the idea of the show is stronger than the show itself. It’s a series that pushes the boundaries of horror television without conforming to any one genre. Horror fans absolutely love that concept. So while one season or another might struggle in terms of quality, each new season is an attempt to restart the formula and get it right. Because of this, fans continue to return to the series in hopes that the concept will succeed just as it had the first time around. This isn’t always the case, but the show isn’t going to a stop trying.

American Horror Story is streaming on Hulu.