Back in February, Lady Gaga, 29, who is arguably one of the most recognized women in the world, made the announcement that she would be starring in the latest installment of FX’s anthology series "American Horror Story." In doing so, she also announced the theme of this upcoming season, Hotel. Soon afterwards, the internet went into a frenzy and questions became even more abundant. Now, almost six months later, the hype is at an all-time high, even when compared to its other incarnations. Many fans, including myself, think that this may be the best one yet. I’ve browsed the internet and come up with these reasons as to why I think we’re in for a real treat:
- The show is moving back to Los Angeles. It’s not that I didn’t enjoy the witch-bitchery of Coven or the period-piece Freak Show, but the home of "American Horror Story" (AHS) is Los Angeles. Many people began to speculate as to why it was moving locations after two seasons. Ultimately, I think it was a wise decision on behalf of the writers. It opened up the possibility of characters returning from previous installments even more. After Christine Estabrook, the woman who played Marcy the realtor, previously from Murder House, was signed on to reprise her role, it was announced that the first season would be revisited. Including, yes, you guessed it, a return to Murder House, five years after the events of the first season have taken place. Oooh, the excitement!
- Character diversity. Another great thing about this season is the eclectic character range. Many AHS veterans, most notably Sarah Paulson and Evan Peters, will be joining a new cast of fresh faces, like Lady Gaga and Naomi Campbell. Lady Gaga will be playing Elizabeth, otherwise known as The Countess, the owner of Hotel Cortez. Likelihood of a freaky vampire orgy? Sign me up! Also announced was that Lily Rabe, who most recently reprised her role as Sister Mary Eunice in Freak Show, would be playing an infamous serial killer this year. Aileen Wuornos. If you know who she is, the name alone is enough to send chills down your spine. With this mix of old and new faces, we’re all in for a surprise!
- Jessica Lange isn’t coming back. Yes, I said it. One of the greatest things about this season is that Jessica Lange isn’t coming back. In my opinion, the show depended on her way too much, beginning with the third installment, Coven. Her characters were basically the same person, season after season, and eventually, it began to pull the show down. If Jessica were to have been cast as a major character in Hotel, the show probably wouldn’t make it to a sixth season. After the abysmal performance of Freak Show, a reinvention was not only necessary, but inevitable. All of this being said, it goes without saying that I admire what Lange has brought to the show for the past four seasons. She cannot and will not be replaced in the hearts of AHS’ fans. Even then, she probably won’t be gone for long, as Murphy stated that she just “needed a break” and she would “almost certainly be back in a reduced capacity.” So, don’t count your chickens before they hatch, storytellers!
Some things change, others stay the same, but it always works out in the end. We’ve lived in the murder house, escaped the asylum, protected the coven, attended the freak show and on Wednesday, October 7th, we will be checking into the Hotel Cortez. So turn off the lights, grab a friend or two and tune in! Or else…
Check out this teaser for FX’s American Horror Story: Hotel below and don’t forget to tune in on October 7th!
