1981 — "NYC"
- The majority of the events in "NYC" occur.
- A murderous duo begins targeting the gay community in NYC. Detective Patrick Read (Russell Tovey) and his partner Gino Barelli (Joe Mantello) begin an investigation.
1983 to 1984 — "Murder House"
- Constance Langdon (Jessica Lange) is living in the Murder House with her husband, Hugo, and her maid, Moira O'Hara. When she discovers her husband attempted to rape Moira, she kills them both.
- Constance moves to another house nearby with her children.
1984 — "Hotel"
- Nick Pryor checks into the Cortez, and with the help of the Countess, becomes Liz Taylor. The Countess hires her to work at the hotel so she doesn't have to go back to the closeted, conservative life she was living.
1984 — "1984"
- The majority of the events of "1984" take place.
- Brooke Thompson (Emma Roberts) is attacked by serial killer Richard Ramirez, also known as the Night Stalker (Zach Villa), in Los Angeles.
- Brooke and four of her friends decide to take summer jobs as camp counselors at the newly opened Camp Redwood. They soon discover that the camp is host to not one but two serial killers: the Night Stalker and Benjamin Richter, a recently escaped asylum inmate who they think committed a massacre at the camp in 1970.
- They eventually discover that the Night Stalker and the camp's owner, Margaret (Lily Rabe), are the actual serial killers, and also learn that the camp is full of the spirits of people who died there. A massacre ensues, which Margaret pins on Brooke.
1988 — "Roanoke"
- Two murderous nurses move into the Roanoke house and start a healthcare facility wherein they torture and kill their patients. They are very particular, and are attempting to spell out M-U-R-D-E-R with the initials of their victims.
- The Butcher murders them before they can finish their work.
1989 — "1984"
- A music festival takes place at Camp Redwood. Brooke is saved from lethal injection by camp psychologist Donna (Angelica Ross). The duo join up with Benjamin, who has escaped and started a new life and a family in Alaska, and they all return to Camp Redwood to prevent a massacre at the festival.
- Donna and Brooke manage to destroy Margaret and Ramirez with the help of the camp's ghosts.
