Fans of ‘American Horror Story’ may want to head out and buy the latest issue of Entertainment Weekly because gracing the cover of the magazine is Jessica Lange in full ‘AHS: Asylum’ costume! What’s more is that inside there are some juicy details and character photos that fans have been waiting for since the announcement of Season 2 and we have a few tidbits to share!
WARNING! SPOILERS AHEAD!
Lots of details about the upcoming season weren’t known until today beyond the fact that Lange would play a nun and that the location would be at an insane asylum in Boston. If it didn’t seem as though co-creator Ryan Murphy could up the stakes then think again. “I don’t think people tune in to the show because they want (to watch) ‘My Dinner With Andre,’” he says, “I think they want to be scared. I’m just writing what I would like to see. I’m scared of aliens and I’m scared of Nazis and I’m scared of nuns. So it’s the perfect stew of horror and fear.”
Wait! Aliens? Well, Murphy did say sanity would be the theme.
The asylum for the criminally insane is called Briarcliff Manor and not only does Murphy introduce aliens, but also Nazis and a serial killer called Bloody Face who wears a “mask made out of his victims’ skin along with a black nightie and opera length gloves.” If you recall, Bloody Face had already made an appearance in a photo with Adam Levine.
The asylum is run by Sister Jude, a stern woman with a “dark past that will resurface.” As Lange reveals, “If I were playing a straitlaced nun, start to finish, I can’t say that would interest me too much. What’s great are the extremes. To go from where she was and where she’s getting to, that’s what’s going to be interesting.”
Besides Lange’s role, EW also had a short run down of the other main characters:
Sister Jude (Jessica Lange): Sister Jude is a nun who’s more sadistic than saintly with a dark past.
Dr. Thredson (Zachary Quinto): Quinto will once again tangle with Lange, portraying a psychiatrist whose forward-thinking ways conflict with Sister Jude’s management style.
Dr. Arden (James Cromwell): Dr. Arden may appear harmless, but the not-so-good doctor is behind one of the season’s newest frights: the Raspers. The mutated humans lurk in the forest outside of the institution and are a product of Arden’s diabolical experiments on Briarcliff’s inmates. Dr. Arden may or may not be a Nazi.
Sister Eunice (Lily Rabe): Sister Eunice is second-in-command to Sister Jude. Eunice may seem to be a bit dense, but there’s more to her that meets the eye.
Monsignor Timothy O’Hara (Joseph Fiennes): Sister Jude’s superior finds himself on the receiving end of the nun’s affections (and fantasies), but he’s not entirely innocent. There are dark intentions under Msgr. O’Hara’s grace and piety.
Leo (Adam Levine): Leo is one half of a newlywed couple that visits Briarcliff. He gains the attention of the “Big Bad” who will be the Rubber Suit Man of this season.
Teresa (Jenna Dewan Tatum): Teresa is the second half of this high-profile newlywed couple.
Lana (Sarah Paulson): Lesbian journalist Lana is committed to the asylum by her own girlfriend after she nearly exposes Briarcliff’s darkest secrets.
Shelley (Chloe Sevigny): Not much is known about the character of Shelley other than that she’s a nymphomaniac which has been mentioned already.
Kit (Evan Peters): One of the newest Briarcliff inmates, Kit is committed after being accused of murdering his wife (played by Britne Olford), though he claims she was abducted — and not by humans. (Here’s the alien connection!) He’ll be subject to Sister Jude’s brutal punishment (read: shackles, canes). Unlike the character of Tate that he played last year, in this season’s storyline, he’s a good guy.
There you have it! The descriptions do give a little more explanation of the teasers that we’re seen the last few days. For example, the first teaser with the nun heading into the woods obviously has to do with Dr. Arden and his experiments.
If you’d like to read the full story and see photos of the cast in character, you can head to EW. And make sure you check out ScienceFiction.com as we’ll have a recap of each episode starting with the first one premiering on October 17th.
