The AHS Season That Gets Better On The Second Watch According To Fans
Every fan of "American Horror Story" has their own favorite season among the 10 that have aired so far. Some people prefer the elegant old-style spookiness of "Murder House;" others take to the all-out insanity of "Asylum" or the decadent garishness of "Hotel." Others still prefer the genre throwback vibes of "1984" and "Double Feature," or the more dramatic bent of "Freak Show." Whatever your opinion about the consistency and refinement of the show as a whole, there's no denying that it has been able to offer horror fans something different and unique with each new batch of episodes.
Aside from the broader argument over which is the "best season" of "AHS," the anthology structure has motivated many other debates among fans throughout the years: Which season is the scariest? Which one starts out and finishes strongest? Which one has the most memorable main villain?
One fresh debate that feels worthy of consideration recently cropped up on Reddit: Which season most rewards a rewatch? Put another way, which season actually improves on a second viewing, after you know the scares and twists that are coming? The community of "AHS" Redditors has some fascinating answers.
The innovative structure of Roanoke works better on a rewatch
Every season of "American Horror Story" is an outlier in a sense, as Murphy and Falchuk have always gone out of their way to keep them fresh and special. But the biggest outlier is arguably Season 6, "Roanoke."
Billed from the start as a "mystery box" season, with limited publicity and a smaller number of episodes, "Roanoke" surprised viewers with the most innovative structure out of any "AHS" era yet: The first half of the season consisted of a show-within-a-show paranormal documentary entitled "My Roanoke Nightmare," which re-enacted the experiences of a couple who moved to a haunted farmhouse in the former Roanoke Colony, while the back half followed the experiences of the "real" cast and crew as they attempted to film the series' sequel.
Although controversial among fans upon its original release due to its loopy format and slow-burning thrills, "Roanoke" seems to be the season that most benefits from revisits, according to Reddit users. As commenter Greedy-Owl-3554 put it in the thread's most-liked comment, "The documentary element sits better second time around."
Commenter taylorlaneee co-signed, writing, "i agree, i loved roanoke so much better my second time through."
Multiple other commenters also mentioned "Roanoke."
The second most popular pick, meanwhile, appears to be the infamously over-the-top fifth season, "Hotel." As described by user WDTHTDWA-B**CH, "It was hard to suspend disbelief for the second half while it was airing, but it was perfection for me the second time around!"