He's appeared in nine seasons of the critically acclaimed horror anthology American Horror Story, but what are Evan Peters' own favorite episodes from the series? American Horror Story premiered in 2011 as the brainchild of television writer/director Ryan Murphy, also known for popular series like Glee or American Crime Story. The show is known for its recurring cast members as they take on new horrific scenarios, plots, and characters in each season.
Actors Sarah Paulson and Evan Peters, notable for appearing in each year since season 1, were both absent from season 9, AHS: 1984. The beloved duo will both make a return for the upcoming 10th season AHS: Double Feature. Peters made his American Horror Story debut as resident ghost Tate Langdon in Murder House, a teen who seeks psychiatric assistant from new tenant Ben Harmon and falls in love with his daughter Violet. Since then, Peters has played a mental institution patient, zombified frat boy, freak show member, crazed serial killer, actor, alt-right psychopath, and hairstylist.
As a fan-favorite actor in the anthology, Peters’ return for the tenth season is sure to bring back the excitement for American Horror Story after the lukewarm reception to 1984. In anticipation of his new character, it’s the perfect time to look back at Peters’ performances from past seasons. The actor sat down with EW in 2019 to discuss his five favorite episodes from the seasons he was involved with, so here’s a breakdown of what they are and why they made such an impression on Peters.
Murder House: “Rubber Man”
American Horror Story season 1 episode 8, “Rubber Man” is one of the lowest-rated episodes from Murder House at only 58% on Rotten Tomatoes, but happens to be a top-five favorite for Evan Peters. It reveals one of the biggest mysteries of the entire season: the identity of the eponymous Rubber Man. The masked figure who raped Vivien Harmon is revealed to be Peters’ character Tate himself, having been convinced to conceive a child by his pseudo-mother-figure, the ghost Nora Montgomery (Lily Rabe) who is desperate to have her baby back.
Although AHS star Jessica Lange is notably absent from the episode, it’s important in giving more backstory to the ghosts inhabiting the house. The rubber suit is revealed to have been Chad’s (Zachary Quinto) sexual suit he bought to spice up his marriage with Patrick. The couple reveals they are not going to have a child, so Tate dons the suit and murders them as they are no longer useful in Tate and Nora’s plan. The other main plot involves Nora and Hayden (Kate Mara) attempting to drive Vivien insane with poltergeists so they can steal the twin babies when she is taken away. Peters’ character was core to both storylines in the episode and it revealed much about the psychological torture he has been under and perpetrated since his death.
Asylum: “Welcome to Briarcliff”
One of Evan Peters’ most beloved episodes is AHS: Asylum's premiere episode, which introduces his new character Kit Walker as a seemingly normal guy, a change compared to the disturbed soul he played in the prior season. The caveat is that Kit is arrested after his wife is seemingly abducted by aliens and he is accused of being the Bloody Face serial killer and is thus interred in the fictional Briarcliff Manor mental institution. The asylum is run by the catholic church, headed by Sister June (Lange), and becomes subject to investigation by reporter Lana Winters (Paulson) who seeks to expose Briarcliff’s mistreatment of patients.
AHS season 2 is Murphy’s commentary on the cruel nature of mental asylums, how American society treats mental illness, and the church’s inhumane involvement in the institutions’ practices. Even in Asylum's first episode, “Welcome to Briarcliff,” viewers are reminded of how, not so long ago, 1960s American culture ostracized homosexuality and, without reproach, allowed brutal atrocities to be committed on human beings.
Freak Show: “Monsters Among Us”
American Horror Story’s fourth season, Freak Show, takes viewers back to a twisted side of American life in early 1950s Florida. Freak Show documents American obsession with “otherness” and the natural differences that frighten people, furthering the American way of exploitation with circus-troupe “freak shows” made popular by P.T. Barnum. Elsa Mars (Lange) leads an ensemble of people with deformities in a traveling circus, finding much more supernatural and exploitative personalities along the way.
Evan Peters described the first episode “Monsters Among Us” as one of his five favorites from the entire series. Peters’ character, Jimmy Darling, is introduced as a young man with syndactyly that gives him the moniker “Lobster Hands.” Elsa gathers a group of people who are willing to expose their deformities for profit, and Peters is featured among a cast that includes a bearded lady (Jimmy’s mother) and conjoined twins. The premiere brings one back to wealthy white Floridian socialites who take joy in seeing ostracised people, though a more sinister attendee ends up becoming a psychopathic killer abusing the troupe. “Monsters Among Us” also happens to be a favorite of showrunner Murphy because of the quaint suburban contrast with Twisty the Clown’s brutal murder of a young couple.
Hotel: “Devil’s Night”
Though featured in a less substantial role than previous years, the fifth season episode “Devil’s Night” is another Evan Peters favorite. American Hotel Story: Hotel follows a similar base story to Murder House, where those who die in the hotel remain there for eternity. One of the most thematically dark seasons yet, Hotel is based on the real-life Los Angeles Cecil Hotel where several mysterious murders, suicides, and violent incidents occurred. Peters plays the deceased owner of the hotel, James Patrick March, whose serial killer nature kicked off the evil aura of Hotel Cortez back in the 1920s.
“Devil’s Night” is one of the most interesting episodes for true crime buffs, featuring a dinner hosted by March where prolific American serial killers who stayed at the hotel before their deaths gather yearly to celebrate their crimes. The psychopathic guests include John Wayne Gacy, Richard Ramirez (who returned in AHS: 1984), Aileen Wuornos, Jeffrey Dahmer, and the masked Zodiac Killer. The serial killers perform a ritualistic kill for “dessert” before departing until next year’s eve of Halloween.
Cult: “Charles (Manson) In Charge”
Season 7 of American Horror Story takes a break from nightmare-inducing horror tropes to focus on the real-time aftermath of the 2016 presidential election. Ryan Murphy advances the guidelines of horror for the cults that have plagued American society including Charles Manson, Nazis, Heaven’s Gate, and Jim Jones to the modern-day Trump cult. Evan Peters has a central role in the season as Kai Anderson, an alt-right male who supports Trump and becomes a cult leader with inspiration from Charles Manson, a figure Peters also briefly portrays.
Evan Peters revealed his favorite of the season to be the penultimate episode “Charles (Manson) in Charge,” which focuses on Kai. This hour-long episode features Peters in nearly every scene and the intense work that went into making the episode had a lasting effect on the actor. This American Horror Story episode details Kai as he formulates himself as a new cult leader focusing on praising Trump, bringing together angry white males, and creating a toxic community that reflects Charles Manson nearly 50 years prior.