American Horror Story: Double Feature Star Leslie Grossman Teases “Wildly Inventive” Death Valley Plot

The second half of American Horror Story‘s tenth season, Double Feature, is set to debut next week on Wednesday and with the vampire story of “Red Tide” coming to a bloody conclusion this week, fans are now eagerly awaiting what the “by the sea” component of this two-part season will bring. Previously released teasers and posters reveal that “Death Valley” brings aliens into the mix, but little else is known about this part of the popular anthology series’ tenth season, but whatever is in store for viewers, series star Leslie Grossman says it is “wildly inventive”.

Speaking with Newsweek, Grossman explained that she can’t give away any spoilers or details about the upcoming “Death Valley”, but did tease how each season of American Horror Story always has little connections and that what’s coming next would be very different from what we’ve seen before.

“I think the thing that I love so much about [American] Horror Story is that there are always little connections and Easter Eggs that are left for the fanbase, and so there’s always a tie and a connection with all of the seasons,” Grossman said. “I will say it is wildly inventive and, once again, I don’t understand how Ryan does this, that ten years in and ten seasons in he’s able to have these incredibly fresh, totally unique, really specific ideas. So, I think people are really going to enjoy it. It’s very different, and really clever!”

A recently-released teaser trailer for “Death Valley” saw franchise newcomer Neal McDonough’s Dwight D. Eisenhower confront an alien entity (Rebecca Dayan) and while McDonough’s character tells her to stop what she’s doing until they can “reach an understanding”, she lets him know in no uncertain terms that he is the one who will be listening to them now – whoever “they” are. The teaser also features glimpses of some of the other characters in this new installment, with at least some of the story taking place in the present or near-present. In addition to McDonough, Grossman, and Dayan, “Death Valley” will feature Sarah Paulson, Cody Fern, Angelica Ross, Lily Rabe, Kaia Gerber, Nico Greetham, and Rachel Hilson.

Grossman isn’t the only American Horror Story actor who has praised this season of the series overall. John Carroll Lynch, who recently appeared in the spinoff series, American Horror Stories, previously said that fans will not be disappointed.

“I can say nothing about it,” Lynch said. “These things, there’s such an iron pot lid on everything being created. And I understand it to a certain degree, because the amount of anger and frustration and also that things can be canceled before they even come out, because people are frustrated by some aspect of the intellectual property idea. The idea that we’re like, ‘Hey listen, everybody. Just relax, take it easy, watch something and be surprised. You don’t have to know about it beforehand.’ It’s actually more fun.”

He continued, “I know. That’s the other part, what’s happened with the pandemic has slowed everything down. But I mean, I love that it’s ‘Double Feature’. I love it. I mean, you’re not going to be disappointed.”

American Horror Story: Double Feature airs Wednesdays at 9/8c on FX. “Death Valley” debuts on September 29th.