American Horror Story co-creator Ryan Murphy hinted that the witches from American Horror Story: Coven will return in future episodes of the hit anthology TV show. American Horror Story: Coven was the central theme of the third season in the series.

Over its eight-season run thus far, the widely acclaimed horror series has done its best to tap into viewers’ deepest, darkest fears – from witches, demons, and clowns to hospitals, insane asylums, and the apocalypse. Set in 2013, American Horror Story: Coven follows the descendants of witches who survived the Salem Witch Trials and the struggle they face to keep their identity hidden in modern times. This includes setting up an all-girls boarding school in New Orleans to help isolate and protect young witches from religious townspeople, witch hunters, and angry mobs. Coven was a clear fan favorite, boasting the highest average number of viewers per episode over a full season at 4 million and an 83 percent “fresh” critics score on Rotten Tomatoes. Now, audiences can expect to see more of its characters in the future.

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In an interview with Entertainment Tonight following a ceremony in which Murphy was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the do-it-all creator hinted at the future of the horror franchise by saying, “The witches will be back.” He was quick to add that he did not mean the witches would return next season, but rather at some point down the line. There was, however, a crossover between some of the characters of Coven and the most recent season American Horror Story: Apocalypse, wherein the witches attempt to save humanity from global destruction.

While every season of American Horror Story essentially offers a new storyline and characters, Murphy retains many of the same actors, providing a sense of continuity. For American Horror Story: Apocalypse, Murphy built further familiarity into the crossover season by involving characters from both season 1, American Horror Story: Murder House, and season 3, American Horror Story: Coven. This was originally supposed to be 2019's season 9, but they moved it up and will instead be starting with something fresh. Whether the next witch appearance includes central characters like Sarah Paulson's school headmistress Cordelia Foxx and Taissa Farmiga's Zoe Benson remains to be seen.

A clear winner from a critical reception and commercial success standpoint, it’s not surprising to see Murphy and the American Horror Story team wanting to explore the Coven storyline further and milking it for all it’s worth. The only fear, aside from the tricks of the series itself, is that too much of a good thing can ruin even the best show. It’ll be interesting to see if they successfully avoid this pitfall or end up jinxing themselves.

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Source: ET Online