Ryan Murphy Made a Fatal Mistake by Butchering This ‘American Horror Story’ Season
Many fans argue that American Horror Story has deteriorated since the iconic first seasons. However, one particular decision might've killed 2 top-tier stories that were squeezed into “Double Feature”.
American Horror Story Season 10 stories had all the ingredients to join the ranks of “Murder House” and “Asylum”. But then the team made the bold choice to split it into a “Double Feature”, essentially telling two separate horror stories in a single season.
Why did “Double Feature” fail? The format could have worked if both stories were compact and focused. Instead, they chose two concepts so rich and expansive that each deserved their own full seasons to breathe and develop.
“Red Tide” Had More Potential For an ‘AHS’ Full-Length Season
Context: We meet Harry Gardner, a writer with a major block who drags his family to the creepy seaside town. There he discovers these wild black pills that basically turn talented people into creative geniuses with a tiny side effect of needing to drink human blood.
“Red Tide” was the star of this messy season. It had all the vibes of early AHS: that strange tension and psychological horror. The concept was good. But squeezing it into half a season meant we lost out on deeper character development and those slow-burn horror.
“Death Valley” Deserved Better, Too
Context: aliens making secret deals with the US government, weird experiments on humans, and a sprinkle of black-and-white nostalgia.
While “Death Valley” might be the weaker story of the two, it has some seriously epic sci-fi horror elements. We're talking about alien conspiracies spanning decades. This concept could've easily been stretched into a full season with proper expansion and creepy government coverups.
What Do Fans Think About ‘AHS’: “Double Feature”?
“I just watched “Death Valley” for the first time and it’s so bad. I’m surprised it got released tbh. I didn’t even realize the last episode was happening and it just started playing the next season. I didn’t think it would end that badly. Nothing redeeming really. I liked “Red Tide”,” Redditor Wontguessmyname wrote.
“The first one is good except the finale. I stopped watching the 2nd part on the second episode because it was so bad. It’s the only season I haven’t watched in full,” another fan on Reddit shared.
