Published Aug 9, 2026, 6:00 PM EDT
Tom is a Senior Staff Writer at Screen Rant, with expertise covering everything from hilarious sitcoms to jaw-dropping sci-fi epics.
Initially he was an Updates writer, though before long he found his way to the TV and movies team. He now spends his days keeping Screen Rant readers informed about the TV shows of yesteryear, whether it's recommending hidden gems that may have been missed by genre fans or deep diving into ways your favorite shows have (or haven't) stood the test of time.
Tom is based in the UK and when he's not writing about TV shows, he's watching them. He's also an avid horror fiction writer, gamer, and has a Dungeons and Dragons habit that he tries (and fails) to keep in check.
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There has always been anticipation surrounding the next season of American Horror Story ever since season 1, Murder House, concluded in 2011. However, the hype has never been quite as high as it is for the upcoming 13th season, which is bringing together some of the most beloved characters and cast members from the show’s history. After years of increasingly disconnected stories, AHS season 13 looks designed to reward fans who have stayed with the anthology since the beginning.
American Horror Story season 13 has a cast that reads like a greatest-hits lineup. Not only are many of the show’s veterans coming back, they will also play multiple characters. Sarah Paulson is returning for as many as 7 roles; Evan Peters has a reported five characters at least; and Jessica Lange will reprise four of her previous AHS appearances. Emma Roberts will be stepping into Madison Montgomery’s shoes once more, Frances Conroy’s Myrtle Snow is making an appearance, while Angela Bassett, Kathy Bates, Billie Lourd, Gabourey Sidibe, and John Carroll Lynch as Twisty the Clown are back too.
With American Horror Story season 13 shaping up to feel like a celebration of the show’s 15-year history when it arrives on September 24, it would be easy to believe this would be the end of AHS, allowing it to finish on a high. However, recent comments from Ryan Murphy suggest that isn’t the case. Murphy has confirmed that season 13 will not be the finale and is already working on season 14. More American Horror Story will always be welcome news for fans, but stopping at the right moment may matter more than continuing.
Ending With Season 13 Would Have Been Perfect For American Horror Story
A show like American Horror Story needs to go out on a high note. Its anthology format has allowed every season to reinvent the series, creating a uniquely dedicated fandom that has followed it through haunted houses, asylums, witches, hotels, cults, and apocalyptic nightmares. That freedom is a major part of its legacy, but it also makes the final season important. AHS cannot afford to end with a story that feels like an afterthought and ignores what came before.
That is why season 13 seems almost perfectly designed as an exit ramp for American Horror Story. A roster of beloved characters from AHS’s best seasons, the involvement of major stars from the show's earliest years, and Jessica Lange's return after 2014’s Freak Show and a brief cameo in Apocalypse in 2018 make it feel like a genuine celebration rather than another disconnected chapter. Even the fact that it’s the 13th season carries obvious significance for a horror franchise. If this is going to be the final season, American Horror Story could end with its most appropriately ominous number.
All in all, season 13 would be the ideal place to end the show once and for all. It’s the perfect chance to give AHS the celebratory sendoff it deserves. Surprisingly, however, that opportunity appears to have been lost on Ryan Murphy. Discussing the fact that American Horror story season 13 will be the biggest show-wide crossover so far, Murphy confirmed he is already thinking about what comes afterward for AHS: “Season 13 is not the end; I’m working on season 14 as we speak in terms of, 'What’s the idea?' and 'Who wants to be in it?”
Ryan Murphy working on more American Horror Story will undoubtedly be welcomed by fans, but continuing beyond season 13 risks missing the chance to give the series the perfect ending it’s so close to having. A franchise built around reinvention has an unusually rare opportunity to choose its own final chapter. Season 13 looks like it should have been that chapter, and extending the story with an American Horror Story season 14 could mean losing the impact of ending at exactly the right moment.
American Horror Story Has Been On The Decline For A Few Seasons Now
There is another reason Ryan Murphy's comments about season 14 are not an immediate cause for celebration. Even the most dedicated American Horror Story fans would struggle to argue that the series has maintained the extraordinary consistency of its early years. Seasons 1 through 4 (Murder House, Asylum, Coven and Freak Show) established the show's reputation for ambitious storytelling, memorable characters and genuinely unpredictable horror. From season 5 onward, however, the quality that once defined AHS became harder to find.
That does not mean every season after Freak Show was bad. Season 7, Cult, remains one of the show's sharpest and most politically charged chapters, while 1984, season 9, demonstrated that AHS could still successfully embrace a focused horror subgenre without getting lost in its own lore and legacy. The problem is that those successes have become increasingly inconsistent, making every new season a gamble for longtime viewers. For every hit like Cult and 1984 there are flops like Roanoke and Double Feature.
This rocky recent history explains why season 13 has generated so much excitement. Rather than presenting another entirely new story, it’s returning to one of the periods that made American Horror Story such a phenomenon. Cordelia, Madison, Constance and the witches of Coven are returning, while franchise-staple cast members including Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Angela Bassett and Jessica Lange are once again sharing the screen. The upcoming episodes will even bring back characters from multiple different seasons, reinforcing its greatest-hits approach.
If season 13 successfully recaptures the energy of the show's early years, ending American Horror Story there would b beyond perfect. AHS has already secured its place in modern horror television, but its legacy is not strengthened simply by adding more seasons. Another disappointing chapter could become part of the conversation surrounding the franchise, whereas a spectacular season 13 could allow the series to leave its audience wanting more. For a show whose greatest strength has always been knowing how to reinvent itself, knowing when to stop may be American Horror Story’s most important reinvention yet.
Release Date October 5, 2011
Writers Halley Feiffer, Ned Martel, Crystal Liu, Charlie Carver, Kristen Reidel, Adam Penn, Douglas Petrie, Todd Kubrak, Reilly Smith, Jay Beattie, Dan Dworkin, Joshua A. Green, Akela Cooper, Asha Michelle Wilson
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Sarah Paulson
Tuberculosis Karen / Mamie Eisenhower
English (US) ·