Episode 1 of “American Horror Story: Cult” Will Make You Fear 2017

Welcome to American Horror Story

It’s been six years since FX’s hit horror anthology show “American Horror Story first aired its debut season “Murder House” and the series as been through hell and back – literally! If you’re unfamiliar with the show, each season showrunner Ryan Murphy and Co. take on a different time period, setting and all new horrors in an attempt to scare the pants off audiences.

While mischievous clowns aren’t too far off from the current reality, “American Horror Story”’s seventh season somehow manages to make the 2016 election a little more insane. The season’s first episode, appropriately titled “Election Night”, introduces the viewer to Sarah Paulson’s Ally, a diehard Hilary supporter who becomes paranoid when hearing about how the results of the evening played out. Of course, the other end of the political spectrum sees Evan Peters as Kai, a Donald Trump voter who finds comfort in instilling fear in anyone who opposes him politically.

While politics may keep you up at night, you may be wondering just where the Horror in American Horror Story is going to come into play this season. If this first episode is teasing anything, it’s that “fear” is the name of the game, which comes courtesy of the killer clown gang that roam the streets in an ice cream truck. Pair this with the appearance of “Freak Show”’s Twisty and people suffering from coulrophobia (fear of clowns) may want to reconsider watching this season.

Shopping in Clown Hell

American Horror Story works best when setting up haunting imagery, and “Election Night” certainly delivers in that department. The episode’s grocery store sequence in which a defenseless Ally’s clown paranoia gets the best of her was certainly a highlight, while Kai’s striking blue haired figure was creepy throughout, most notably during the opening sequence in which he imitates the president himself by covering his face in Cheeto-dust.

At this point, it’s fair to say that American Horror Story doesn’t always boast the strongest storytelling on TV. “Roanoke” went off the rails in the second half, “Coven” ended up being a little bit silly at times, and even we can admit that the alien storyline of “Asylum” was extremely unexpected. That being said, what “Election Night” tells us about the road ahead is that there’s a reason this show keeps us coming back; intriguing premises, great performances, and the fact that you can never, ever guess what’s coming next.