The trailer for American Horror Stories season 2 dropped yesterday, creating quite a buzz. Well, even more of a buzz. Fans have been anticipating the second season ever since the first one ended. The trailer meant the wait was almost over while giving us a much-desired glimpse into the new season.
So what exactly can we discern from the trailer? Here are 10 things I took away from it, starting with exactly when season 2 starts.
However, I’d also love to know what you gleaned from the trailer. What did I miss? Be sure to check-in below and let me know!
1. American Horror Stories Season 2 starts on July 21.
Well, I already knew this from other sources, but the trailer was a great reminder that the start of the next season on Hulu was happening this summer.
2. Who we’ll see in American Horror Stories Season 2.
As E! News put it, “The next installment of Ryan Murphy’s American Horror Story spin-off is filled with franchise alums and some newcomers.”
Alums include Cody Fern, Max Greenfield, Nico Greetham, Denis O’Hare, and Gabourey Sidibe.
But joining them will be some exciting big-name newcomers like Alicia Silverstone (Clueless), Dominique Jackson (Pose), Judith Light (Who’s the Boss?), Bella Thorne (The Babysitter, Scream: The TV Series), and Quvenzhané Wallis (Beasts of the Southern Wild).
However, E! also made a great observation that even though Light and Jackson are new to the American Horror Story franchise, they’ve both worked on other Ryan Murphy projects before too. Light worked with him on American Crime Story, and Jackson on Pose.
3. Looks like Ryan Murphy once again made sure this season had an inclusive and diverse cast too.
This is sort of an addendum to number 2 above, but kudos to Ryan Murphy for once again covering all the bases. Or at least trying to. Black, white, men, women, gay, straight, skinny, heavyset…it’s closer to what the real world looks like than a lot of other shows.
4. There will be creepy dolls in American Horror Stories season 2…
This is a courtesy warning to those of you who don’t, can’t, or won’t have anything to do with dolls. The first episode, appropriately titled “Dollhouse,” goes there. Bigtime. No, seriously. As in life-sized dolls in addition to regular-sized ones.
5. …and also serial killers (or at least one)…
I’m not sure which episode it will be, but we know a couple of things about it. The first is that it’s the one Bella Thorne is in. The second, from the flyer on the windshield in the trailer, is that it’s about the “Nightclub Serial Killer.” (Note to self: Next time you’re looking for a serial killer rabbit hole to tumble down, find out if this episode was based on a true story.)
6. …as well as ghosts.
I don’t know which episode it will be, but in the trailer, a character laughs and says, “Ghosts? I mean, come on.”
Bad move, dude. That guarantees you’re going to experience some pretty wicked paranormal activity!
7. There will be a lot of masks and other creepy head coverings.
And to add to the creepiness, the mask-wearers will be doing creepy things. Like the guy in a bunny mask we see in a dark bedroom approaching a bed where a woman’s sleeping. Yeah. No good is going to come of that. (In fact, none already has. I’m definitely going to have nightmares thanks to that image.)
But those wearing head coverings might also fall victim to creepy things happening to them. Like the person writhing on the floor wearing a full headwrap of the variety people stereotypically don after cosmetic surgery. (But which always makes me think of the movie, The Invisible Man.) I’m betting that’s a scene from episode 6, “Facelift.”
8. Episodes will be a blend of contemporary and period settings.
Most seem to be set in the present day, but I’m thinking episode 7, “Milkmaids,” might be the one with the girl in the white gown holding a candle that goes out before a monstrous-looking hand lunges at her out of the darkness.
Or at least that’s what it looked like was happening at first glance. Turns out it’s a red-sleeved arm with pointy gold tips covering the fingernails.
There’s also a scene with men wearing period clothing. One is biting into something before we see another gentleman with bloodstained sleeves making a pained —or is it disgusted?— face about something. Will they be part of the same episode as the girl wearing the white dress? (If she’s even part of an episode set in another time, that is.) We’ll find out.
9. Episode names for American Horror Story season 2.
Okay, I’m cheating. This wasn’t something I learned from the trailer, but because of it so I’m including it here. I had to know more after watching the trailer and wondered if the episode titles would reveal any clues. A little.
With the exception of episode 5, they’re all just one word, but they do sort of hint at what the “story” might explore.
- “Dollhouse”
- “Necro”
- “Aura”
- “Drive”
- “Bloody Mary”
- “Facelift”
- “Milkmaids”
- “Lake”
10. It looks like it’ll be another scary season!
Dolls don’t freak me out, but grown men obsessed and playing with them do. Especially when it seems he’s collecting living women for his “dollhouse.”
I already mentioned the nightmare-inducing scene with the bunny mask. The Alicia Silverstone scene in the trailer involves a bathtub of grody-looking water with a hand shooting up out of it to grab her arm. That’s both “eww” and goosebump-giving. And also could be a #11: There will be arms reaching out to grab people.
But overall, the whole vibe of the trailer is on par with what we’ve come to expect from the American Horror Story franchise. From the looks of it, we’re in for another season of tantalizing terror! And I’m ready for it. What about you?
American Horror Stories Season 2 Trailer
https://youtu.be/QjbavLfirOI
Check-In
So? What did you take away from the American Horror Stories season 2 trailer?
Courtney Mroch is a globe-trotting restless spirit who’s both possessed by wanderlust and the spirit of adventure, and obsessed with true crime, horror, the paranormal, and weird days. Perhaps it has something to do with her genes? She is related to occult royalty, after all. Marie Laveau, the famous Voodoo practitioner of New Orleans, is one of her ancestors. (Yes, really! As explained here.) That could also explain her infatuation with skeletons.
Speaking of mystical, to learn how Courtney channeled her battle with cancer to conjure up this site, check out HJ’s Origin Story.
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I’m curious about these. They look like individual stories this time, instead of two separate stories only. BUT the last run of this was so uneven. I gave up two episodes into the alien story.
Okay, so you’re thinking of American Horror Story season 10, Double Feature. That was the first season they broke it up into 2 separate parts about vampires and aliens. American Horror Stories is a spin-off anthology series, and you hit the nail perfectly on the head: each episode is its own individual story. Season 1 premiered last year. I thought it was very well done, but it got a 50% score on Rotten Tomatoes. However, it also scored 6.1 out of 10 on IMDB, but 77% of Google users like it. If you have Hulu I’d say give it a try. The first 2 episodes are a two-parter but the rest are all individual. But you’ll know pretty quick whether it’s for you or not. lol
I may have to sign up for Hulu just to catch this and Reservation Dogs.
Oooh! If it worked out, maybe you could wait until all episodes are streaming and do a free trial week and then binge them all at once. Then you wouldn’t have to pay even for a month if you ended up not liking them. Also, I heard Reservation Dogs was great too. Haven’t watched yet, though.