However you feel about the American Horror Story franchise's various installments, you cannot deny that Ryan Murphy and Co. are wildly creative when it comes to their yearly dish of blood-curdling terror. From the swanky digs of a haunted hotel to the torturous backroom dealings of an insane asylum, the series has run the gamut. Season 9 was no different — it took viewers on a wild, Satan-fueled ride through the bloodsoaked grounds of Camp Redwood.
That journey back to the 1980s, complete with so much aerobics spandex, short-shorts and Leslie Grossman looking like Ivana Trump's doppelganger, was a divisive season. Some fans were super into it and others... not so much.
As for the next installment, Murphy is staying fairly mum about the setting and plot. All he has said so far is that they're "quietly reaching out to various people" about it."
"We're working on an idea for season 10 that we think people will love because it's about reuniting fan-favorite actors to come back — because it might be our last season. It's the last season we have contracted," Murphy tells Deadline.
With the possible final season on the horizon, let's take a look back at the past nine seasons, ranking them in order from worst to best. Each season has its own positives and negatives, so weigh-in in the comments if you agree or disagree with Collider's definitive ranking.
9) Season 5 - Hotel: The One with Vampires and Lady Gaga
Dramatic highs: Max Greenfield's brief appearance was arguably the most disturbing thing AHS has ever done when his character met the Drilldo demon. Evan Peters' appearance midway through the season was a fun surprise, especially since he was playing against his AHS type as the sadistic James March.
Dramatic lows: Um, everything else? The Ten Commandments Killer and the vampire stuff just were not executed well at all.
What was Feud's immense gain was definitely American Horror Story's loss when Jessica Lange departed the AHS franchise. Lady Gaga was brought in as the "headliner," and while she was better than I thought she'd be, she definitely was no Lange.
That wasn't the only problem, however. Hotel was kind of all over the map both thematically and storyline-wise, with the serial killer investigation falling flat and overdoing it on the vampire aspect. Sarah Paulson, a Murphy stalwart, was severely under-utilized as Hypodermic Sally — and I do realize that's because she was busy simultaneously filming an incredible performance for American Crime Story, but it doesn't change the fact that she should have either been a bigger player or just skipped this AHS season. She's just too good to waste that way.
The style of the season was incredible — hats off to the set and costume designers. But this season ranks last because it often felt like it was favoring style over substance.
The one bright spot was Denis O'Hare's Liz Taylor, but one amazing, sympathetic character does not a good season make.
8) Season 9 - 1984: The One With the Night Stalker
Dramatics highs: John Carroll Lynch is a gifted actor and "1984" gave him some juicy stuff to work with, turning him from a sadistic slasher to a protective father wracked with guilt over his younger brother's death. He and Lily Rabe, who played his mother, stole the season.
Angelica Ross was another scene-stealer — and she's new to the AHS troupe to boot. Her turn as the camp nurse who is actually the daughter of a serial killer who now studies serial killers was a lot of fun.
Dramatics lows: So much. Thematically and plot-wise, this season was a complete mess. It also really suffered from Sarah Paulson's absence. She brings dramatic weight to the series and nobody really filled that void this season.
