If you think you’ll be seeing more of the Harmons after last night’s ‘American Horror Story’ season finale, think again. It looks like executive producer and co-creator Ryan Murphy has left them to live out their story in the creepy old house and will be taking audiences to a new setting with all new characters and a whole new set of horrors next season.
Murphy has always said he originally intended ‘American Horror Story’ to be more of an anthology series. “It’s a really fun idea to do an anthology show,” he says, “That’s the way it was designed from the beginning. Every season of the show will have a beginning, middle and end, and all new characters and setting. There will be a new haunting and we’ll have a new overriding theme.”
So don’t expect to see another haunted house in the next season. “The (haunted) house is done.” Murphy stressed. There are other haunted areas besides homes which intrigue the executive producer such as prisons and empty buildings. “Every season of the show will be a different haunting. That’s always been the plan,” he says. Although still early in the creative process, he is also looking forward to developing new creatures such as the Rubber Suit Man and the Infantata.
Does that mean we won’t get to see Dylan McDermott, Connie Britton or Jessica Lange anymore? Murphy coyly answers, “Some (of the actors in the first season) will be coming back. I’m talking to several of them and we’re in negotiations. There will be familiar faces, but there will also be new faces on the show.” They won’t, however, be reprising their roles and may end up as different secondary characters.
So what can we expect in season two? Murphy has hinted that the theme for season two was hidden within the last three episodes of season one. (If you don’t remember the episodes, here’s the recaps of ‘Smoldering Children‘, ‘Birth‘, and ‘Afterbirth‘ to refresh your memory!) What will remain the same is the inclusion of true crime stories and the definition of what an American horror story can be.
Last night’s finale averaged 4.4 million viewers making this the most watched episode of the series. It ties with TNT’s ‘Falling Skies’ as the number one new show among adults 18-49 and is the highest rated first season show for FX.
John Landgraf, FX president and GM, has already announced that the series will premiere either in late September or early October next year for season two. “(It’s) a great fall Halloween show. The intent on the network side is for it to become a Halloween tradition for people who love the genre.”
Announcements about the cast, theme and setting for next season should be revealed around February according to Murphy. As fans of the show ourselves, you know that once these announcements are publicized, we’ll let you know so keep checking the site.
Do you like the idea of a whole new storyline or would you rather see more of the Harmons? More importantly, what do you think next season’s theme will be?
