All 11 American Horror Story seasons ranked from worst to best
By Mark Lynch
8. American Horror Story: NYC
"“You know, I’m actually looking forward to being a one-man guy. I think I can do it. Since the guy is you.” – Theo Graves"
AHS: NYC was a deep season. The creative team behind this story hit on the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s and how LGBTQ men were treated. If you were gay, you were treated unfairly. That part hasn’t changed much, but it was worse back then. The addition of AIDS and HIV just made things almost unlivable. Without the proper information, gay men were treated like lepers. Even breathing the same air made people uncomfortable. It was a disgusting time for sure.
On the horror side, the killer for this season was a bit weird. This writer couldn’t tell if he was a metaphor or an actual ghost killing people. There was physical evidence that he existed, but that seemed to change at times. Sometimes this hurt the story more than it helped. It may have been better if he wasn’t in it at all. The payoff was mediocre.
You can’t talk about this season without discussing the flawless performances. Joe Mantello and Russell Tovey led AHS: NYC with brilliant acting in every episode. Zachary Quinto (this writer’s favorite) played an easily hatable guy almost too well. He was deplorable on a level only he could pull off.
This may not have had the same feeling that most American Horror Story has, but it was an important and well-done season.