Taking to his Instagram, Murphy’s post shows an isolated beach accompanied by the simple caption “American Horror Story. Clue”. Each year, Murphy drops similar clues surrounding the mysterious theme for the next season of the anthology series. However, certain themes have been released quicker than others, most notably being the release of 1984 in April 2019 in contrast to Roanoke back in 2016, whose theme was not publicised and was not released until the day the season aired.
All that is known so far about the tenth season is the cast and teasers Murphy posted on Instagram, with one showing hands washed ashore and clutching at the grass. Filming had been commencing in the coastal area of Provincetown, Massachusetts before production was halted on the series back in March due to the coronavirus pandemic. Although this means season 10 will be delayed until 2021, there is a silver lining as audiences will see the return of fan favourites Sarah Paulson and Evan Peters, who were notably absent from the last season for the first time since AHS debuted in 2011. Other returning cast members include Kathy Bates, Billie Lourd, Leslie Grossman, Adina Porter, Lily Rabe, Angelica Ross and Finn Wittrock alongside Macaulay Culkin, who will be making his AHS debut. Sadly, AHS veterans Cody Fern and Emma Roberts will not be returning.
Murphy has revealed that this season is "weather-dependent", perhaps giving another clue to the supernatural elements the series explores
So, what could this mean for AHS season 10? When thinking about the clues, surely “American Horror Story: Beach” doesn’t have a catchy ring to it? Murphy has revealed that this season is “weather-dependent”, perhaps giving another clue to one of the many supernatural elements the series focuses on. It has also been speculated that season 10 will be a crossover season between Murder House and Apocalypse, which itself is a crossover between Murder House and Coven, due to Murphy’s Instagram post hinting at the return of the Rubber Man. Although new fans to AHS will have no clue what the significance of the Rubber Man is, trust me, it’s a big deal.
Alongside AHS, Murphy recently announced that a spin-off series, originally named American Horror Stories, is currently in development at FX. The spin-off show will still be an anthology series but will focus on a new story each episode, in contrast to AHS which changes story arcs each season. As AHS is yet to embark on its tenth season and was commissioned for three more seasons back in January 2020, do we really need another American Horror Story series? Although the show has clearly been a success since its debut back in 2011 took audiences by storm, AHS isn’t a series that you can call consistent. The show has either major hits or major misses, there’s no in-between. Whilst receiving critical acclaim for the first three seasons, reception for newer seasons has been divided, with Apocalypse being noted as an improvement for the series.
However, after nine years and counting, it’s the loyal fan base which has kept AHS alive. Although I love this series one minute and hate it the next, there’s no doubt I’ll keep pondering Murphy’s cryptic Instagram posts as he teases the reveal of American Horror Story season 10.
Featured image credit: @mrrpmurphy, Instagram