Ryan Murphy continues asking fans to vote for the next American Horror Story theme, and it’s now down to two: Bloody Mary and sirens, but which one would work best? Back in 2011, Ryan Murphy shared with the world an anthology horror TV series titled American Horror Story. Each season covers a different theme within the horror genre, and while they are standalone stories, some characters have appeared in other seasons, forming a unified American Horror Story universe.
The first season was all about a haunted house, and was retroactively titled American Horror Story: Murder House, and introduced some of the series’ recurring actors, most notably Evan Peters and Jessica Lange. Murder House was a success with critics and viewers, allowing Murphy and company to continue telling different horror stories for nine seasons, the most recent one being American Horror Story: 1984, set in the title year and at a summer camp, and with the main theme being classic horror slasher movies from the 1980s, such as Friday the 13th and Halloween. Fans are now waiting for the tenth season of American Horror Story, titled Double Feature, to be released and for its theme to be revealed, but in the meantime, Ryan Murphy has been asking fans what they want to see in future seasons.
Thanks to its success, American Horror Story has been renewed through season 13, and Ryan Murphy wants to hear the opinion of fans. So far, the themes and topics addressed in American Horror Story have been haunted houses, asylums (and aliens, though as a subplot), witches, freak shows, haunted hotels, the 1580s Roanoke Colony disappearance, cults, the apocalypse (brought by the Antichrist, which connected with previous seasons), and slasher movies. Double Feature’s theme hasn’t been confirmed yet, but the season will have two stories: one set by the sea and another by the sand. Now, Ryan Murphy has been running a poll on Twitter where users use the hashtag of the theme they want to see in upcoming seasons, with the final two being Bloody Mary and sirens – and the latter is the best option for the show.
The Bloody Mary legend is quite popular and everyone knows at least one version of it, but essentially, it’s all about a spirit that appears in a mirror when her name is chanted repeatedly (the most common legend says it’s three times). Bloody Mary’s intentions also vary depending on the story you hear: she can either reveal the future or she can jump out to kill you. The Bloody Mary legend has been included in different media for years, and while it’s a character that would fit American Horror Story, it doesn’t offer anything different or that could make her stand out from previous seasons – sirens, on the other hand, offer a lot more possibilities for the show. American Horror Story is already taking the first step into aquatic horror with Double Feature, which was at one point believed to be covering sirens, but as Murphy added this theme to the poll, it can be ruled out. Now, sirens are mythological creatures said to lure sailors with their music and singing voices to shipwreck on the coast of their island. Sirens were believed to also charm the winds, and the legends say their music is impossible to resist.
Sirens influenced the figure of mermaids, who are also aquatic creatures but even though they are also linked to disasters, they are portrayed as less dangerous and nightmarish as sirens, as they can also be benevolent. The appearance of sirens has changed through the years, going from a combination of women and birds to the half-human half-fish figure everyone associates them with now. Sirens would be a completely new realm for American Horror Story to explore, and while it might sound like a strange theme for the show, it’s worth noting that the writers have shown a talent for adding unlikely themes and topics to the series that have worked quite well, as was the aliens subplot in Asylum. Fans have shown their interest in seeing sirens as part of American Horror Story, and if Ryan Murphy is really that open to listening to his audience, they can expect to see these creatures in the show in the near future.