The first part of American Horror Story: Double Feature, Red Tide, wasn’t what fans were expecting from the show in terms of quality and the themes addressed in it, and so season 11 should use Red Tide’s best debunked theory – here’s what it is. The horror genre is going through a great run and not just on the big screen but on TV as well, and the most popular TV series from this genre continues to be American Horror Story, the anthology series created by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk and which premiered on FX in 2011.
Each season of American Horror Story addresses a different horror theme with different characters and events, though with time, it has built a unified universe. The first season, retroactively titled Murder House, was all about a haunted house and the ghosts living in it, and since then, American Horror Story has explored a variety of themes, creatures, and places – from aliens to circuses and even cults. American Horror Story now has 10 seasons in its bag, and its tenth season, titled Double Feature, was divided into two parts: Red Tide and Death Valley, with one set by the sea and the other by the sand. Of course, there was a lot of speculation on the themes for season 10, more so after the teasers and posters showed the return of aliens, but the best theory around this season was quickly debunked.
Red Tide is the half set by the sea, and it takes viewers to Provincetown, Massachusetts to follow writer Harry Gardner (Finn Wittrock), his wife Doris (Lily Rabe), and their daughter Alma (Ryan Kiera Armstrong). The town turns out to be plagued by pale creatures who feed on blood, and they transformed into these monsters after taking a black pill that would have enhanced their talents, but they didn’t have any. Harry becomes addicted to the pills and Alma starts taking them as well, sending the Gardner family into a downward spiral of lies and death. Before the premiere of Red Tide, it was heavily theorized that, as it’s the part of the season set by the sea, that it was going to include sirens, but that was quickly debunked – but it can be used in American Horror Story season 11.
Sirens (not to be confused with mermaids) are creatures from Greek mythology said to lure nearby sailors with their music and singing voices to shipwreck on the coast of their island, so they are some of the most dangerous creatures you can encounter at the sea. The physical appearance of sirens has been described as a combination of women and birds in different forms, and not they not only have mesmerizing voices but are also believed to charm the winds so their targets won’t escape. American Horror Story decided to use vampires again (as it had already done so in Hotel) in Double Feature/Red Tide, but season 11 can easily go for sirens as its main theme, more so as it was one of the top themes voted by the audience when Ryan Murphy ran a poll on potential themes on Twitter.
American Horror Story has already been renewed for three more seasons, and there are still many horror themes that can be addressed in the series, but given the disappointment of Red Tide and the excitement around the possibility of sirens showing up, the best option for season 11 would definitely be those dangerous and mesmerizing sea creatures. Of course, American Horror Story would give sirens a twist to better fit the style of the show and make it as believable as possible, which only makes the idea more exciting.