Although he’s stayed lively and human-like for years since he started taking the black pills, American Horror Story season 10 is hinting that Austin is slowly turning into a dreaded Pale Person. In a new take on vampire lore, American Horror Story: Red Tide follows a Cape Cod town whose full-time and winter residents harbor sinister secrets of being blood-sucking killers. The way Provincetown’s residents become vampires is through mysterious black pills made by The Chemist, which give talented users an abundance of instant inspiration for their craft with the unconventional side effect of a thirst for blood.
Even more frightening than simply requiring blood to keep the inspiration alive, those who take the black pills but are inherently untalented turn into Pale People. They’re the pale creatures that roam the town twitching and focusing solely on their next meal. Although AHS hasn’t introduced any of the Pale People as characters, fans have theorized that Doris will soon become a vampire, albeit a Pale one. Nearly every character in AHS: Red Tide is a talented black pill user, though the season seems to be hinting that one of the notable writers will turn into a Pale Person himself.
AHS season 10 hasn’t explained what happens when someone who once thrived off of the pills with their talent suddenly loses their creativity. The stipulation is that one must be talented for the black pills to work and keep the user relatively normal, though Austin Sommers (Evan Peters), a Tony-winning playwright, seems to be coming paler and paler as Red Tide progresses. He’s only been shown to be sprung with inspiration once in season 10, which, when paired with his growing pale complexion, indicates that his creativity is running dry and AHS's black pills are no longer working for him. If this is true, Austin will likely become another of Ptown’s lonely Pale Person vampires by the end of Red Tide.
After Belle, Harry, and Austin went on their nightly feeding of some drug addicts in town, Austin seemed to be even paler than before, when it would make more sense for him to become more colorful and back to life after drinking the blood. Additionally, he was far more animalistic than Belle or Harry while actually feeding, suggesting he may be developing the more inhuman cannibalistic attributes of the Pale People. The promo for American Horror Story season 10 episode 4 also shows Austin as a former drag queen, showing he already has access to wigs and makeup that could help him cover up turning into a Pale Person. The next episode appears to be a flashback to Belle and Austin’s introductions to the black pill, which could show his fall from grace at the height of his Tony-winning talent to his fatal loss of creativity.
It’s possible that Austin has lost his talent; he’s a young man who has already crafted plenty of award-winning plays and might be losing his touch — or that the black pills eventually turn everyone into a Pale Person. If Austin shows more signs of transforming, like losing hair or control of motor functions, it could lead to Belle or The Chemist giving backstories on some of the current Pale People; it's probable that some were formerly talented writers, musicians, etc. that used up all of their talent and inspiration. Much of AHS: Red Tide’s vampire dialogue makes it a metaphor for Hollywood, where plenty of people are sucked dry of their talent and discarded to irrelevance. It’s part of why Ursula was so unphased by the messed up nature of the town and her exploitation of the black pills and peoples' talent, showing that even if she doesn’t take American Horror Story’s pill herself, she’s still a bloodsucker who profits from the talent of others.