With the recent release of the new series American Horror Stories and the forthcoming 10th season, Double Feature, which will hopefully answer those nagging alien-related questions fans have had since Asylum, it seems to be the best time to be an American Horror Story fan.
Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk's groundbreaking anthology series debuted in 2011, bringing to the small screen all the bloody thrills, twists, and dramatic turns genre fans could usually only experience in theaters. With a series that has lasted for so long, there are bound to be some twists that fans saw coming from a long way off due to either the obvious nature of the twist itself or the fact that fans are actively looking for Murphy's fondness for dramatic reveals.
Return to Roanoke
From its very first episode, season 6 of AHS was dividing fans with its unfamiliar style of storytelling. AHS: Roanoke employed a combination of found footage and re-enactment style television more along the lines of something seen on Investigation Discovery rather than the past seasons of the FX program.
It was an intense season, but one twist that nearly everyone saw coming was the fact that all of the characters would return to the haunted grounds after being chased out by the violent spirits that lived there. How did fans know this twist was coming? The simple fact that the season's protagonists ran from their home only halfway through the season, leaving five episodes left.
The Rubber Man
Tate Langdon is at the heart of American Horror Story's Murder House, being not only a cruel—albeit intriguing—character with a dark past, but also one of the main catalysts for every terrible thing that happens within the titular home in the first season of American Horror Story.
Probably one of the most recognizable images of the show as a whole is the Rubber Man. Introduced in Murder House as the twisted creep that forces himself upon Violet's mother, fans were not entirely surprised to learn that Tate was the man behind the mask. It only made sense that such an evil young man would be responsible for being the one to beget the Antichrist.
The Supreme
Daughter of the powerful and conniving Fiona Goode, it came as no surprise that Cordelia, played by AHS staple Sarah Paulson, would take on the role of Supreme towards the end of the third season. It was heavily hinted at throughout the season that she would usurp her mother.
Some may have been surprised that Taissa Farmiga's Zoe Benson didn't take control of the Salem descendants coven, but fans of the show knew how fond Ryan Murphy is of turning expectations upside down and that it would be much more satisfying to see Cordelia bring down her wicked mother.
Ally Kills Ivy
AHS: Cult was a politically-charged season, heavily critiquing both sides of the 2016 election, albeit with a horror-themed approach. Sarah Paulson's Ally is tortured by phobias such as a fear of clowns, and she is brutally attacked by a gang of murderous clowns that seemingly know her every move.
It is revealed that Ally's own partner, Ivy (played by Alison Pill), is a devoted member of the gang, and, as soon as Ally makes this dramatic discovery, fans knew what had to happen.
Kai's Demise
Evan Peters shines in Cult, showing an impressive range by playing Andy Warhol, Marshall Applewhite, David Koresh, Jim Jones, Jesus, Charles Manson, and, most importantly, Kai Anderson, the enigmatic cult leader that makes it his goal to pull people under his spell of hatred.
Throughout the season we are shown how each famous cult leader portrayed by Peters goes out in a blaze of glory, forever immortalizing themselves in history. As Kai's cult grows in strength and numbers, fans saw that there was only one reasonable way for his story to end; just like his heroes, Kai dies a violent, public death.
Neighbors From Hell
AHS: Cult added two new actors unknown to the show's devout fans. Billy Eichner, mostly known for his intense comedic personality, and Leslie Grossman, known for her role on the sitcom What I Like About You, were given the roles of Harrison and Meadow Wilton, best friends that tie the knot despite their very different desires.
The couple moves into the house across the road from Ally and Ivy and immediately starts acting strange. Harrison's strange obsession with firearms and bees coupled with Meadow's allergy to sunlight made fans jump to the right conclusion—that they were part of Kai's deadly cult—almost as soon as they were introduced.
Dandy Takes The Role
Dandy Mott is a spoiled brat of a character that slowly becomes a true psychopath over the course of Freak Show, the fourth season of American Horror Story. Played by Finn Wittrock, fans instantly hated the character, as intended, and hoped for his quick demise.
Dandy became even more of a disreputable sort when he became obsessed with the serial killer clown, Twisty. From the moment he helped Twisty hold two children captive in the season's second episode, fans knew that, once the clown was either finished off or imprisoned, Dandy would be taking his role.
A Pretty Girl
Fans of Murder House knew this twist was coming only minutes before it happened, but that doesn't mean it was any less devastating. Adelaide Langdon, played by the incomparable Jamie Brewer, was a kind-hearted girl born with Down Syndrome who had the misfortune of being the daughter of a horrendous mother and the sister of an even worse brother.
Addie dreams of becoming a regular "pretty girl," and, after a vicious argument, her mother tries to make it up to her by giving her a rubber mask of a pretty young girl complete with hair and makeup. Addie rushes to put it on and go hunting for candy on Halloween night, and, as soon as she snatched up the mask, every viewer knew that something was going to go truly wrong.
Ultrasound
After Vivien Harmon and husband Ben are seemingly on the way to rekindling their relationship due to a steamy night of love, Vivien discovers that she's pregnant. Fans who knew the truth of their passionate night—the fact that it was Tate Langdon's ghost who slept with her—immediately suspected that this child would be something closer to a nightmare than a dream come true.
When Vivien goes in for an ultrasound the technician becomes truly horrified of what she sees on the monitor and leaves her job to join the church. Of course, fans know now that the child was a true Antichrist. As interesting as this twist was, it was easily predicted.
Homage
The most recent season of American Horror Story, 1984, was a direct homage to the classic slasher films of the seventies and eighties, so the twist that the main villain came from an extremely troubled background heavily inspired by that of Jason Voorhees from Friday the 13th came as little surprise to series fans. Benjamin Richter's—also known as Mister Jingles—mother, Lavinia, even has the same holier-than-thou attitude that Mrs. Pamela Voorhees has in the original film.