American Horror Story season 11's subtitle, NYC, promises an underwhelming theme for the upcoming installment. American Horror Story season 11 has been confirmed to debut with two episodes on Wednesday, October 19 on FX, and on Thursday, October 20 on Hulu. To the delight of many fans, several AHS mainstay actors will return, including Billie Lourd, Zachary Quinto, Patti LuPone, Isaac Powell, Sandra Bernhard, Leslie Grossman, Denis O’Hare, Joe Mantello, Russell Tovey, and Charlie Carver. However, season 11's title doesn't pack the same punch as previous seasons — and this could be a big problem.
Expectations were high for American Horror Story: Double Feature, as viewers had to wait almost two years for a new season after receiving a steady flow of content for eight consecutive years. Unfortunately, the final product missed the mark. Double Feature's use of two simultaneous storylines seemed unnecessary, and the lack of thematic or narrative connection between the two certainly didn't help. Fans waiting for any connection between Death Valley and Asylum's aliens were left disappointed as well, and the absence of the much-theorized sirens bothered those who expected more supernatural creatures to show up.
Similar to Double Feature's Red Tide and Death Valley, American Horror Story: NYC's main theme sounds too vague to work with AHS's traditional format. New York is a densely populated city where countless movie-worthy stories happen every single day. While this provides a goldmine of story material, it can also make AHS's upcoming season far too unfocused. After another long wait between American Horror Story: Double Feature and season 11, the release of such a simple uninspired subtitle as "NYC" seems like American Horror Story is nowhere close to the glory days of Murder House, Asylum, and Coven.
Why American Horror Story Season 11 Needs An Interesting Theme
Past American Horror Story seasons have benefited from a strong theme, which is usually reflected in each season's subtitle. For instance, Asylum and Freak Show set the bar high with the simplicity of their concept and a crystal-clear setting where the stories take place. American Horror Story: 1984 takes a slightly different approach by tackling a specific time period, which paid homage to the slashers of the '80s. And while American Horror Story: Roanoke's subtitle is specific real-life location, the theme is made clear from the get-go: the real-life 1580s Roanoke Colony disappearance. Whereas titles like Freak Show and even Coven showcase the essence of American Horror Story by concept alone, NYC seems like it can encompass anything from Rosemary's Baby to Friends.
However, everything will ultimately come down to the execution. The quality of American Horror Story season 11 won't depend exclusively on New York City, but also on the time period, the characters, and of course, the depth of the writing. But all hope is not lost. While the new title and the official posters don't say much about the upcoming season, episodes 1 and 2 could establish a strong season 11 by clarifying how exactly New York City comes into play. There are many ways American Horror Story season 11 can go wrong, so NYC will have to hit the nail on the head in order to get rid of the bad taste left by Double Feature.