American Horror Story is coming up on its tenth season, a landmark for any series and, as is typical for fans of the show, speculation has already begun about what the theme for the next season could be; there have been clues that suggest it’s all about myths and urban legends.
As is customary for American Horror Story, clues dropped in the previous season usually lead to a breadcrumb trail regarding the next. Though Ryan Murphy hasn’t yet revealed any major clues beyond what was delivered on screen, he’s good about dropping hints as well. Sharp sleuths typically string everything together in the off-season and, on a few occasions, have predicted themes for the show months before official news is announced and way before the show premieres.
Two major theories have been discussed in the wake of American Horror Story: 1984. The first suggests that Murphy will return to what was briefly touched on in Asylum and continue with an alien theme. Murphy has been reaching out to AHS alumni from all seasons, so there’s a chance of seeing character crossovers as well. Another theory suggests that Murphy dropped a massive clue in a season of 1984 that hints the theme will touch on well-known urban legends and mythological creatures.
American Horror Story Season 10 Theory: It’s About Myths & Legends
As some of the biggest clues regarding the themes come from the show runner himself, Ryan Murphy’s comment at a celebration for the show’s 100th episode suggested that episode 8 of 1984 could have a big clue. He tends to go back and forth on these things, though, and has stated he usually has a runner-up idea for each season. According to Murphy, he usually makes his final decision by Halloween. Season 9, episode 8, “Rest In Pieces”, introduced a minor character who could have dropped the big hint. While at breakfast with Donna (Angelica Ross) and Brooke (Emma Roberts), Stacey (Stefanie Black) made this comment: “Back in the 70s, all anyone cared about was Bigfoot and aliens, the Loch Ness monster…” She also went on to make a reference about the Leonard Nimoy hosted show, In Search Of.
While it does tie into the theory about aliens, Murphy has doubled down on a larger theme and incorporated smaller elements before. In Roanoke, for example, he took the larger history of the Roanoke colony’s strange disappearance and coupled it with multiple concurrent storylines that brought mini themes to the table. Urban legends and myths are a larger theme on the whole, which could mean both theories are technically right. Other fan groups have suggested that, due to their rise in popularity, North American cryptids may be the overall theme, which would stray from the urban legend aspect and focus more on creatures instead. American Horror Story hasn’t tackled a creature feature, and in some ways, it’s a facet of the many horror sub-genres that exist not to be covered by the series.
Such a broad topic could leave room for returning cast members to exist in multiple locations, timelines, and maybe even further the ties that bind every season of the show, since Murphy has confirmed that they are all connected. If the tenth season of American Horror Story is the last, it seems like a fitting end would be to find something that could bring everything together, which urban legends and cryptids could most certainly do.
Next: American Horror Story: Every Season’s Horror Concept (So Far)
