In July 2021, Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk introduced their newest horror sensation,American Horror Storiesto Hulu. The first season of the series consisted of 7 episodes and Murphy revealed that it would return for a second season. The series is a spin-off of Murphy and Falchuk’sAmerican Horror Storyseries, which has been on the air for over a decade.
Unlike the original program that typically followed one theme per season, for the most part,American Horror Storiestells a new story each episode. The varied content inspired mixed reviews and some found that the spin-off paled in comparison to the original series. Without the comparison toAmerican Horror Story, how do the individual episodes ofAmerican Horror Storiesrank among one another?
Updated July 12, 2025, by Brittany Utley:The second season of Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk’s American Horror Stories has recently wrapped, adding 8 new episodes and their stories to the spin-off series' collection. The second season of American Horror Stories has widely been considered a step up from the series' debut season, filled with original stories that appear to cement the spin-off as its own entity. With 8 new episodes, the only question that remains is how these new episodes compare to the initial 7 of the spin-off series' first season.
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“Game Over” (season 1, episode 7)
“Game Over” returns to the familiar setting of Murder House, but the familiar setting wasn’t enough to save the final episode ofAmerican Horror Storiesfrom the criticism it received. Its video game premise lent the episode to a number of fresh surprises, but it also led to some serious issues for the spin-off and its predecessor. Some found that “Game Over” diminished some of Murder House’s history.
“Game Over” reduces some infamous Murder House ghosts to video game characters that may or may not end up being fictional after all. Even the twists at the end of the episode aren’t enough to save it from the long-term issues it presented for the franchise.
“Rubber (Wo)man: Part Two” (season 1, episode 2)
The second episode ofAmerican Horror Storiesexpands on the events of its first. Its first part does end on a slightly ambiguous note but what happens in “Part Two” doesn’t add to the story of the Rubber Woman in a meaningful manner. It focuses onScarlett’s dark relationship with Ruby, the discovery of her fathers' deaths, and the trouble she faces after her actions in the first episode. Rather than expanding off of the events of “Part One,” this episode more accurately establishes the circumstances for “Game Over.” While the ending of “Part One” may have been a bit open-ended, it would’ve been a much stronger ending for the Rubber Woman and Murder House.
“The Naughty List” (season 1, episode 4)
“Drive” (season 2, episode 3)
“Drive” utilizes a formula similar toAmerican Horror Story: Hotel,which fills it with promise.“Drive” includes an urban legendalong with an instinctual fear that anyone would have about being trailed home in the middle of the night, which is used to create its atmosphere.
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In its frighteningly realistic scenario, “Drive” begins to lose that realism the further Marci fixates on engaging with the man who drove the car that night. This leads “Drive” to fall short in its delivery that its focal character is actually the serial killer in question. The motives for Marci’s killing don’t add to the episode, and ultimately make “Drive” feel lackluster.
“Drive In” (season 1, episode 3)
What makes “Drive In” a successful episode ofAmerican Horror Storiesis its use of a traditional slasher narrative. Set around the reemergence of the banned film,Rabbit Rabbit, it doesn’t take long to discover why itwas a banned film: anyone that watches the film begins to maim anyone sight. Kelley and Chad’s steamy distraction allows them to make it out of the drive-in alive, but not before they are forced to see the chaos the movie has caused.
The gruesome fates ofRabbit Rabbitviewers are what create the uneasiness of “Drive In.” Its bloodshed and stomach-churning gore are huge pluses for the episode. The ambiguous, chaotic ending turns “Drive In” into a significant episode, saving it from some of its duller moments.
“Lake” (season 2, episode 8)
Theseason 2 finale ofAmerican Horror Storiesdoesn’t end the season with the punch it needed. Much like its first season, the spin-off horror series ends with a story that tries to blend everyday horrors people encounter along with the supernatural undertones theAmerican Horror Storyfranchise has often utilized.
“Lake” begins with Finn observing her brother Jake’s death in Lake Prescott. It then switches its focus from Finn to her mother Erin, who takes charge to learn what happened to her son. Together, Erin and Finn make the unfortunate discovery that Jake’s death was a form of revenge. “Lake” layers its narrative to make its final twist effective, but the overall lack of connection to the characters themselves makes it difficult for the conclusion to be impactful.
“Rubber (Wo)man: Part One” (season 1, episode 1)
The story of the Rubber Woman is the only episode of the spin-off that receives multiple installments to tell its story. As the first episode ofAmerican Horror Stories, it does kick the series off with a bang. Scarlett’s discovery of the rubber suit fromMurder Houseleads to a dark change in her already grim character. After the betrayal she experiences at the hands of her crush, Scarlett lures Maya and her friends to the basement of Murder House, where she kills them.
The origin of the Rubber Woman is different from the side of the suit (or person in the suit) that waspreviously shown inMurder House. Once Scarlett puts on the suit, there seems to be some darker element at play for her, as she seems to become possessed by the suit itself. It’s an interesting addition to the history of Murder House and the suit, while also serving as a proper origin story for a new face.
“Facelift” (season 2, episode 6)
“Facelift” challengesAmerican Horror Storiesto build suspense not only through its atmosphere but the impending reveal of Virginia’s plastic surgery. “Facelift” frames Virginia’s meeting with Dr. Perle to imply that something is amiss, but having met Cassie, who has already undergone the procedure, there’s little evidence to knowingly distrust its authenticity.
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Naturally,“Facelift” does confirm the suspicion that arises,as the surgery turns out to have the opposite result that Virginia intended. “Facelift” also draws loosely on the theme ofAmerican Horror Story: Cult,though the two deal with the topic in two very extreme ways. “Facelift” is strongest in building the suspense around Virginia’s surgery and how it begins to take a toll on herself and her family, but also in its evaluation of vanity.
“Bloody Mary” (season 2, episode 5)
As the title suggests, “Bloody Mary” draws on the age-old tale of Bloody Mary. It begins with a group of young teens, each with their own desires, who call upon the infamous figure with hopes that she will be able to make their deepest desires come true. For most of them, the trade-off becomes too much to act on – initially. As"Bloody Mary" begins to explorethe “kill or be killed” concept, each of the teens is forced to evaluate how far they’re willing to go to get ahead.
“Bloody Mary” also ties in references to the Underground Railroad and African folklore to make this rendition of Bloody Mary stand out among the countless other times the story has been explored.
“Aura” (season 2, episode 2)
“Aura” presents itself in a manner that differs from the other episodes ofAmerican Horror Stories,and that difference serves the episode well. ItsBlack Mirror-like atmosphere is built around the Aura security device. Jaslyn’s traumatic past works with the Aura device to create the suspense and ambiguity that is pivotal to the episode.
Fixating on an object as opposed to a person fora majority of “Aura"is partly what makes it stand out among the other episodes ofAmerican Horror Stories. The returns of both Gabourey Sidibe and Max Greenfield do wonders for “Aura,” and the episode’s pace serves its narrative quite well.
