Before American Horror Story came back for its thirteenth season, FX invited Los Angeles fans to walk through the show’s entire history.
FX designed the whole thing like a Rube Goldberg machine. Meaning nothing opens until you make it open. You solve a puzzle or pull a lever, and that kicks off the next room. It felt like a haunted house maze mixed with an escape room. You had to figure out how to get through zones while things are scaring you along the way.
AHS Freakshow room
Starting off, we began on the front steps of the Murder House, then moved through the dark hallways of Asylum. Additionally, we made our way through the eerie vibes of Hotel before reaching Freak Show’s carnival games. That’s the part that got me. You are standing beside a giant jack-in-the-box and you know exactly what’s coming. Except there is no way through unless you do what you have to. We all turned the crank, the tune played, and a real, full-size scary clown lunged right at us. Freak Show fans already know this franchise has a creepy clown problem.
Where the clown got us
Longtime viewers will catch Easter eggs from all twelve seasons around every corner. Eventually, the last room set off the final chain reaction and gave us a first look at the new season. For context, the experience was limited entry to guests 18 and older and waivers had to be signed before going in. That alone should tell you everything.
You can watch Season 13 right now. FX premiered three episodes on Thursday, Sept. 24, and Hulu dropped all three the same night. Like the activation, the new season digs through the show’s whole history. It also brings back characters and storylines from several past installments. The story plays out mostly in New York City and follows Ben DeSoto (Joey Pollari), a hospice caretaker who fears the number 13 and takes a strange job at The Apollyon, a building where characters from past seasons live.
Guests enjoying the experience
Several of the iconic cast of seasons past reunited for this special return. Jessica Lange, Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Angela Bassett, Kathy Bates, Emma Roberts, Billie Lourd, Gabourey Sidibe and Leslie Grossman all return, and Paul Anthony Kelly and John Waters join the AHS family for the first time.
FX and Hulu release new episodes weekly through the October 29 finale.
