On the last season of American Horror Story [1], we got to see how Freak Show connects to Asylum — the first time any two of creator Ryan Murphy's separate seasons are connected. Now we know that the new season, Hotel [2], is giving us even more intersections, especially since its setting — LA — is the same as the first season. The connection thing was kicked off when Murphy first revealed that all of American Horror Story's seasons are connected [3] in an interview, and now that we know another familiar character will be showing up on Hotel [4], we're even more curious. Keep reading to see how the seasons are already connected.
The Origin: Ryan Murphy's Comments
Here are most exciting excerpts from Ryan Murphy's interview with Entertainment Weekly [5] in October of 2014:
- "They're all connected. We're just beginning to tell you how they're connected. They're all very separate but there's clues every season that we're now telling you how the different worlds are intertwined."
- "Part of the fun of the show is the Rubik's cube design of it, but, yes, there are purposeful connections, character connections, and similarities and things that connect that we'll continue to connect moving forward."
- "This is the first year where we begin to tell you that season two is connected to season four, which is connected to season one. People have started to write articles about that."
The Settings and Times of All Five Seasons
- Murder House takes place in Los Angeles. Although the majority of the season takes place in the present day, there are flashbacks to the '20s, the '40s, the '80s, and the '90s.
- Asylum is set primarily at Briarcliff Manor in Massachusetts. Almost all of the events happen during the '60s, with brief flashes forward to the '70s and the present day.
- Coven takes place in New Orleans. It almost exclusively focuses on events of the present day, with brief flashbacks to the 1800s, the early 1900s, the '60s, and the '70s.
- Freak Show's season is in Jupiter, FL. The time span is almost exclusively 1952, although we get very brief flashbacks when characters reveal their backstories.
- Hotel, the current season, is set in LA at the fictional Hotel Cortez. It's already directly connected to season one because the Harmon's home (aka Murder House) is featured [6].
Pepper Is the First Character to Appear in More Than 1 Season
The Winter finale of Freak Show showed the first occurrence of two seasons actually colliding, when we watched as Pepper is handed back over to her sister on Freak Show. We watched as her sister frames her for the murder of her baby. But Pepper is only the beginning — here's everyone who has crossed over [7] so far.
Sister Mary Eunice Bridges the Asylum-Freak Show Gap, Too
We see how Sister Mary Eunice comes into American Horror Story: Freak Show [8] when she appears in the season's Winter finale. We got to see the rare, prepossessed version of Sister Mary Eunice and just how she committed Pepper to Briarcliff.
Elsa Mars and Dr. Arden Crossed Paths in Germany
In flashbacks, Elsa reveals her past [9], saying her legs were sawed off during a snuff film gone wrong, and a doctor (played by AHS alum Danny Huston) fit her with prosthetics. The doctor then shows up at the freak show near the end of the season, to fit Jimmy with prosthetics of his own. He reveals that one of the soldiers responsible for mutilating Elsa was named Dr. Hans Gruper, who we all know becomes Dr. Arden in Asylum. That makes three connections to Freak Show!
Vivien Harmon: The Possible Season 1 Tie-In
If Murphy said "season two is connected to season four, which is connected to season one," we may have found a thread. It's brief, but in season one, you may recall that the Harmon family originally plans to head to Florida, so Vivien can give birth. Vivien mentions she has family there. What's her maiden name? Could she somehow be linked to one of the characters in Jupiter, FL?
Season 1 and Season 5 Have a Huge Connection
While we are tracking the timeline for Hotel [10], Ryan Murphy confirmed at this year's TCA panel [11] that we would see the season one house [12]. As a bonus, Murphy mentioned that both seasons share a similar theme: "honest, primal fear." The fact that season one has such a broad timeline (from the 1920s to present day), there are tons of opportunities for the two worlds to collide. In the Hotel episode "Room 33," the Countess actually visits repeat character Charles Montgomery [13], the twisted abortion doctor.
The Thing About Madison Montgomery
One major, obvious connection between seasons one and three is Madison Montgomery. Here's a friendly reminder that the original owners of the Murder House were also called Montgomery. Madison's a Hollywood movie starlet, so is it possible she's a direct descendant? The answer is yes.
But Where Does Coven Fit Into All of This?
Beneath all these layers, we have the witches. Coven is a little trickier. Of course, the season takes place in New Orleans in present day, but what about the witches who founded Miss Robichaux's? Those witches were said to have fled Massachusetts after the Salem witch trials. In Murder House, the Harmon family initially moves to LA from Boston. In Asylum, Briarcliff is also in Massachusetts, so it's not far off from the Harmons and the possible origins of Coven. Could the freaks be connected somehow, too? Could there be a witch in their midst? Only time will tell.
Previous Characters as Potential Hotel "Guests"
At this year's Comic-Con, Ryan Murphy teased [14] that "more and more" characters from previous seasons are coming into play. Specifically: he said we'd see some familiar faces checking into the hotel! This means season five could be an incredible collision point for not just one, but multiple seasons. We already have a wish list [15] going.