If American Horror Story Season 13 Doesn’t Do This, the Show Will Be Doomed

The 2000s were amazing for TV shows, with so many productions becoming classics over time. But when it came to horror, it was pretty hard to find anything that really stood out – until American Horror Story came along and completely skyrocketed a few years later. It made history as one of the best-executed and most-watched shows of its time. The unique format was a huge gamechanger, grabbing the audience’s attention right away. For a long time, Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk’s series dominated the ratings, but over time, that started to fade. There have been 12 seasons so far, and somewhere along the way, the stories just stopped hitting the same.

And that’s the big question – why? If we take a closer look, we can come up with some theories. The real issue is whether Murphy has noticed this problem and is actually doing something about it. He recently confirmed he’s not planning to end the show anytime soon, so maybe he’s got a plan. Season 13 is already in the works and shouldn’t take too long to come out, but if it goes down the same road as the last few, American Horror Story might be done for.

American Horror Story Season 13 Needs to Go Back to Its Roots

American Horror Story hit the scene in 2011 with a huge wave of hype. Right from the start, Murder House made a massive impact, and its characters left such a mark that they’re still considered series icons today – it’s impossible not to think of Tate Langdon, for example. The horror elements were so well done and perfectly woven into the episodes that it was impossible for fans of the genre to not get hooked. It really felt like the creators knew exactly what the audience wanted to see at all times, and that magic kept going strong for the next few seasons.

Take Asylum, for instance – many fans call it the best season ever. Meanwhile, Coven is hands down the favorite for others. Over time, American Horror Story just kept growing, pulling in more fans and climbing to the top of the best TV series lists. However, out of nowhere, things started to fall apart. The storylines got messy, the characters didn’t have the same spark, and the plots became way too confusing to follow. And one thing became painfully clear – the horror was gone.

[RELATED: Every Season of American Horror Story to Date, Ranked]

It’s interesting that American Horror Story has been branching out, especially after Cult. Up until Season 7, the show was all about straight-up horror – dark, terrifying, and packed with moments designed to make people scream. It fully embraced the grotesque and took things to extreme levels. Then came Apocalypse, which brought back some classic horror vibes but leaned more into fantasy than real fear. After that, Double Feature, NYC, and Delicate completely drifted away from that style. 1984 was the only season that somewhat stayed on track, with its throwback to ’80s slashers, but even that felt more like a lucky break for fans rather than a real return to form.

Reinvention isn’t a bad thing, after all, long-running shows need to evolve. The problem is that the series moved so far from its raw, disturbing horror roots that it lost part of what made it special in the first place.

Murphy has basically confirmed that the original cast will be back for Season 13, meaning Sarah Paulson and Evan Peters will likely return. That’s a huge deal for getting people excited again. But it’s worth remembering that having fan-favorite actors isn’t always enough – most of them were in Double Feature, and it didn’t make much of a splash. If Season 13 wants to win back its audience, it needs to strike a balance: keep things fresh, but also bring back the kind of fear that made the early seasons unforgettable. That’s the real key.

Take Delicate, for example. The biggest complaints about Season 12 weren’t just about execution and pacing – the main issue was that, for the first time, the story wasn’t original. It was adapted from Delicate Condition by Danielle Valentine. Also, while it had psychological horror elements, it lacked the show’s classic trademarks – brutal violence, serial killers, and that raw intensity fans expect.

At the end of the day, the title says it all. The show can’t afford to stray too far from what it originally promised its audience. One of the worst mistakes in TV is breaking the unspoken contract with viewers – if you sell them one thing and deliver something completely different, the backlash is inevitable. And even when American Horror Story does take risks, like it did with Apocalypse, it can backfire if the execution is too messy or the pacing is too rushed.

Season 13 needs to be all about horror – pure, bone-chilling fear. Now is not the time to experiment with the script. Fans want moments that haunt them, scenes that stick with them long after the episode ends. If the show wants to make a real comeback, it needs to go back to doing what it did best: leaving people genuinely shaken and on edge.

Why Did American Horror Story Lose So Much of Its Audience?

Ryan Murphy has built an impressive portfolio with hits like Glee, Pose, American Crime Story, Scream Queens, Monsters, and Grotesquerie. Looking at all his projects, it’s clear that horror is his go-to genre. So why did he let his most iconic horror series fade, pushing its main element to the background? Maybe with so many productions on his plate, he just didn’t focus as much on American Horror Story anymore – after all, it was his flagship show, practically a guaranteed success. Or maybe he wanted to explore different approaches, proving that horror doesn’t always have to be about blood and jump scares. But let’s be real – fans weren’t into that shift. Some even argue that the show seems to have changed its target audience.

Another possible reason? The setting. Strangely enough, a single, centralized location – something that worked so well in earlier seasons – might have played a role in the show’s decline when it was abandoned. The last time we really saw that was in Roanoke (though 1984 brought it back in a way). Whether intentional or not, the series had created a formula that resonated with fans, and stepping too far from it may have been a mistake.

Then there’s the anthology format. When American Horror Story first came out, the idea of a new story each season was fresh and exciting. Maybe that formula just doesn’t hit the same way today – or maybe the real issue isn’t the format, but weak storytelling. It seems like the show struggles to find a middle ground. When it takes big risks, it goes overboard and gets messy; when it plays it safe, it becomes dull and forgettable.

The usual audience dropped by almost 60% last season, but the show isn’t beyond saving just yet. It won’t be easy, but there’s still hope. American Horror Story just needs to get back on track. Season 13 is a make-or-break moment – either it turns things around or seals its fate. Will Murphy realize this in time? Only time will tell.

All seasons of American Horror Story are available to stream on Hulu.