American Horror Story has been delighting and infuriating fans for eight seasons now and the show has reinvigorated television in a number of ways. The series has absolutely rejuvenated anthology shows and reestablished the value in such vehicles. The show has also helped remind audience’s how much they love horror on television and what a fun genre it is. Every season indulges horror in a totally new way and throws in a fun new collection of guest stars, too. American Horror Story is far from perfect, but it remains one of the craziest shows on television and even when it’s a messy debacle, it still strangely demands to be seen.
Even though secret storylines and dark set-pieces tend to be what get people’s attention in this show, another area that’s vastly popular is the many romantic pairings of the show. American Horror Story aims to titillate, which means that its romances come fast and come often. Every season is full of raging hormones and that’s likely not going to end any time soon. We thought it would be fun to take stock of all the romantic successes and misfires throughout the show’s run. Accordingly, Here Is Every Couple From American Horror Story Officially Ranked!
Cordelia And Hank Foxx
It’s easy to forget that back during Cordelia Foxx’s introduction in AHS: Coven, the character had a completely disposable husband, Hank. Cordelia and Hank’s marriage appeared to be the typical dysfunctional relationship, but it turns out that not only was Hank unfaithful but that he lied to Cordelia about everything. He’s actually a witch-hunting member of the Delphi Trust whose name is Henry Renard. Matters are on the rocks between Cordelia and Hank before his secrets come to light and Queenie puts him out of his misery.
Many of the Coven characters returned in AHS: Apocalypse, but no one brings up Hank, even to get in digs at the character. He’s better off forgotten.
Lana Winters And Wendy Peyser
Lana and Wendy’s relationship is just brutal because at its core there does seem to be a lot of love and their scenes together show a very loving couple, albeit one that had to hide their relationship in secret. The major turning point between Lana and Wendy is when Wendy betrays her partner and signs her over to Sister Jude at Briarcliff. Granted, Sister Jude blackmails Wendy in a way that could cost her her job, but Wendy signs away Lana’s freedom in a way that’s just unforgivable. It’s a move that destroys Lana’s spirit in many ways when she’s within the asylum.
Ivy Mayfair-Richards And Winter Anderson
American Horror Story: Cult made the bold choice to ground itself in a reality of sorts where there was no supernatural element that led to the season’s horrors. Accordingly, AHS: Cult weaves a rather crazy web between the many characters and relationships that come into contact with the manipulative Kai Anderson. Perhaps the most brutal example of this is how Kai systematically takes down Ally’s support systems, with the most devastating blow coming in the form of Winter stealing her wife.
Ivy and Winter’s relationship is icky right from the jump and it’s entirely steeped in lies and deception and used as a tool to hurt Ally.
Ally And Ivy Mayfair-Richards
It’s really rough to watch Kai break down Ally Mayfair-Richards and remove the people that she loves in her life. For most of AHS: Cult, Kai succeeds in his mission, but even before the charlatan is able to get into Ivy’s head and sway her other to his dark side, it’s clear that there are fundamental problems in her relationship with Ally. Ivy’s just looking for a reason to jump ship.
Ally and Ivy played like a caricature of a happy progressive couple more than they felt like the real deal. The craziest thing here is that the turning point between Ally and Ivy was apparently that Ally voted for Jill Stein in the election…
Will Drake And The Countess
AHS: Hotel establishes that Lady Gaga’s The Countess enthralls people in a certain supernatural hold. She’s a powerful creature and many characters can’t help but succumb to her charms. Some of the Countess’ relationships have substance to them, but even more of them are just frivolous examples of her need to feast. The Countess’ brief tryst with Will Drake falls into the more passionate examples of her relationships, but he’s an especially regrettable case.
Will Drake is openly gay, yet the Countess is so alluring that she’s able to be the exception to the rule and still attract him. The whole thing turns into a rather over the top display of preference and hedonism.
Ben Harmon And Hayden McClaine
Ben Harmon and Hayden McClaine’s torrid affair is one of the first relationships in American Horror Story that really ticked people off and it still causes a number of fans to cringe. When distance forms between Ben and Viven Harmon, Ben turns to find solace in one of his younger students. He totally takes advantage of the situation and leaves his life feeling frail. On top of that, when Hayden gets pregnant, Ben abandons her and makes it clear that he’s not leaving his wife to be with her. Things only get worse from there.
Unsurprisingly, Hayden’s ghost did not return in AHS: Apocalypse to receive redemption.
Detective John Lowe And Dr. Alex Lowe
Detective John Lowe goes through a lot in American Horror Story: Hotel. His story begins at what’s essentially the worst chapter of his life and not only does he have a serial criminal to catch, but his son Holden is missing. As a result, it’s understandable that there would be tension between John and his wife, Alex. So while they’re hardly the picture-perfect marriage, they still manage to be decent to one another and things don’t look so bad before Holden disappears. With these two it at least looks like they want to make it work, at first.
Constance Langdon And Travis Wanderly
Travis Wanderly isn’t one of the most memorable characters from American Horror Story’s run, but he serves a purpose for Constance Langdon throughout the show’s first season. Travis is basically a stand-in for Constance to help her feel young and have some easy fun. When Constance begins to panic and proposes that Travis and she raise a baby together, he balks on their relationship.
The tragic irony with Travis is when he finally realizes that he oddly does love Constance, he’s mowed down in anger by Hayden. He’s yet another example of the dangers an consequences of frivolous love.
Desiree Dupree And Angus T. Jefferson
Throughout American Horror Story: Freak Show, Desiree Dupree’s primary relationship is with Dell Toledo. Granted, Desiree and Dell experience plenty of happiness together and he certainly sacrifices a ton in Desiree’s honor, but there’s simply too much pain and compromise between the two of them. Their relationship ends in a bad place on top of all of that.
However, what follows Desiree and Dell’s relationship is her marriage to Angus T. Jefferson. The specifics of Desiree and Angus’ relationship don’t get shown to great detail, but they have two kids together, and it seems like they get to experience a genuinely happy ending.
Dr. Charles And Nora Montgomery
Charles and Nora Montgomery are essentially the poster couple for unhappy marriages. They experience every symptom of a married couple who has just grown to despise one another and their hate for each other only festers and grows over the years. In fact, the rage between these two is so intense that it ostensibly what gives the Montgomery House its “Murder House” reputation. The lack of love between these two starts off the many chain reactions through decades that continue to decimate people and drag them into the afterlife. All because this married couple couldn’t properly resolve their problems.
Ben And Vivien Harmon
Ben and Vivien Harmon have good intentions, but the disintegration of their marriage becomes very much the centerpiece of American Horror Story’s first season. A miscarriage causes Vivien to shut down and become complacent and Ben begins a series of affairs that only draw him further away from his wife. Their marriage becomes so toxic and they experience so much that meeting their end is almost a relief for these two.
In fact, Ben and Vivien are oddly able to find peace and reconcile their love after they become ghosts. It’s not much, but it’s something.
Harrison And Meadow Wilton
Harrison and Meadow Wilton from AHS: Cult appear to be a picture-perfect couple, but there’s a tragic core to this bubbly pair. Harrison and Meadow resolved to marry each other if they were both still single when they hit 35, even though Harrison is gay. Against all odds, the two found a way to build an atypical relationship that still allowed both of them happiness and gave Harrison opportunities to be true to himself.
Unfortunately, Meadow is actually in love with Harrison and Kai uses this vulnerability to not only take advantage of her but also turn her love towards him. It turns into a very desperate, sad exchange.
Madison Montgomery And Kyle Spencer
Kyle Spencer may not have been an angel during his time as a living, breathing person, but after he’s brought back to life and pieced together Frankenstein’s monster style by Zoe, he’s just continually used as an object of desire. There’s an undeniable connection between Zoe and Kyle, which is something that the egocentric Madison Montgomery can’t stand to accept. She makes it her mission to steal Kyle away from Zoe and even though she temporarily “succeeds,” there’s nothing of substance in this relationship. The whole thing comes down to physicality and jealousy and Kyle’s turned into an unfortunate victim through the whole experience.
Chad Warwick And Patrick
The saddest thing about Chad and Patrick is that they might have been able to live happily ever after if they were just able to get out of the infamous Montgomery House. Chad and Patrick are the occupants of the Montgomery house before the Harmons take up residence and their plan is to quickly flip the place and make a profit before the housing market traps them in there.
The evil spirits within the house prey upon Chad and Patrick’s insecurities and the nice relationship sours and Patrick starts to sleep around. When Tate ends their story, they’re a truly miserable couple.
Dandy Mott And The Tattler Sisters
The two-headed Tattler Sisters, despite their very obvious unconventional appearance, become the object of affection for several characters throughout American Horror Story: Freak Show. The Tattler Sisters eventually find a happy ending of sorts, but their “relationship” with Dandy Mott is built on obsession and fear rather than love and respect. When the spoiled megalomaniac, Dandy Mott, first lays eyes on the sorrowful Tattler Sisters he knows that he needs to have them.
It takes Dandy some time, but he does eventually get the Tattler Sisters in his home. It’s a tragic display of Stockholm Syndrome, but fortunately, they’re not trapped with him for too long.
Coco St. Pierre Vanderbilt And Brock
Fans had such a fun time with Billy Eichner and Leslie Grossman’s relationship in AHS: Cult that Ryan Murphy decided to have fun and return to this dynamic with Coco and Brock in AHS: Apocalypse. At the beginning of the season, Coco and Brock appear to be just some conceited, affluent couple. As the season plays around with time and sheds in more details, it turns out that Coco is a powerful witch who Brock just encountered at the right time.
When the apocalypse heats up, Coco abandons Brock and leaves him to turn into a genetic mutation who’s bent on revenge. They’re not exactly concerned about each other’s safety.
Valerie Solanas And Bebe Babbitt
One of the more interesting decisions that AHS: Cult decides to make is to jump through time and visit other major cults throughout history and investigate how they got started in comparison to Kai Anderson’s dangerous following. Charles Manson and many infamous individuals are visited, but Lena Dunham briefly shows up as Valerie Solanas, who the show even playfully posits was an influential criminal.
A lot of Valerie’s history is filled in during the present through Bebe Babbitt, her former lover. Not much of Valerie and Bebe’s relationship is shown, but what begins with admiration slowly sours and spirals out of control.
Tate Langdon And Violet Harmon
Tate and Violet are arguably the most controversial couple in the history of American Horror Story. They’re the original Romeo and Juliet from the series and when AHS: Apocalypse was gearing up, fans were desperate to see these two reunited. American Horror Story even paired Taissa Farmiga and Evan Peters together again in AHS: Cult because their relationship was so popular.
That being said, Tate is a reprehensible life-taker who causes constant pain to the Harmon family and others. AHS: Apocalypse retroactively redeems the character in a few ways, but people still want to make this villain into a heartthrob.
Matt And Shelby Miller
It’s pretty clear that in the world of American Horror Story, if you move into a haunted house, then your marriage is going to take a nosedive. Much like the dangers of the Montgomery house, the Roanoke house from AHS: Roanoke wreaks havoc on the once-happy Millers. Shelby is quickly suspicious of the dangers within the house, but because Matt has basically put their entire savings into the home so he’s hesitant to leave. This conflict only intensifies and thankfully Shelby is able to leave her husband and the house before it’s too late, but Matt gives in to the sinister forces and doesn’t come out so fortunate.
Leo And Theresa Morrison
American Horror Story is fully capable of weaving long, impressive stories with its characters and relationships, but it can also heavily indulge in stunt casting and crazy set-pieces. AHS: Asylum got particularly gratuitous with some of its random stunt casting and tried to bring in as many unexpectedly people to the party as possible. One such example is Adam Levine, who plays Leo Morrison.
One cold open to an episode features Leo and Theresa attempt to have some creepy afternoon delight during their honeymoon. They try to get frisky in the wrong place and they don’t get to celebrate any wedding reunions as a result.