What does American Horror Story’s 10th season have in store?

From announcing new cast members to posting inconspicuous clues all over instagram, Ryan Murphy has begun publicizing season 10 of his extremely successful FX show, “American Horror Story”. Although it is not set to air until well into 2021, Murphy has not been shy about posting hints and clues as to what this season’s theme could be. 

 The 10th installment of the award-winning show comes two years after its previous season, “1984”. Every “American Horror Story” season since season five has aired in September, which leaves fans predicting that season 10 will air in the fall of next year.  Murphy dropped clues regarding the central tone of the season, hinting at a “weather-dependent” theme. The first hint Murphy dropped on his instagram was a photo of a mouth with fangs. In a following post, Murphy premiered the season’s promo poster, which was tagged with the location of Provincetown, Massachusetts. This was a major clue as to what the new episodes may hold. 

Fans have started to predict that the season will revolve around a sea-creature based horror story that takes place in Provincetown, Massachusetts. The show is known for recreating and alluding to historic myths, but what story could this season revolve around? I took it upon myself to do some investigating, which started with the blunt google search: “scary sea creatures in Provincetown.” Google did not disappoint, leading me right to a story about a famous New England Folklore. Specifically, a tale about the “Three Provincetown Sea Serpents” on the website newenglandfolklore.blogspot.com

The story takes place in 1949 and tells the tale of a sea creature that has particularly interesting teeth. In an excerpt written by The Provincetown Advocate, the creature’s most fascinating feature is described to be its head. “The open mouth disclosed four rows of teeth which glistened like polished ivory and were at least two feet long.” The author points out that the teeth are a focal point of the creature, which is an interesting continuity with what the majority of the “American Horror Story” clues have revolved around. 

Another widely accepted theory about season 10 is that it is themed around the famous “Murder of the Lady of the Dunes.” The theory was posted on Reddit.com, and comprised of possible explanations for the hints that have been shared. This story is about a woman whose body was found in a sand dune in 1974. The interesting part of the murder? Her teeth. The body could not be identified by any features other than her intricate dental work. 

Sources such as cheatsheet.com have pointed out that the case of “the Lady of the Dunes” is eerily similar to other famous mysteries that the show performed . “The Lady of the Dunes would actually work well with what ‘American Horror Story’ has done before. For one, a little girl stumbles upon the body of the Lady of the Dunes, like the child coming upon the Black Dahlia in Murder House, another real-life case. The Lady of the Dunes case also connects murder and Hollywood, two things the series has done in the past. And it’s something Ryan Murphy seems to really be interested in,” according to cheatsheet.com. 

AHS is known for its award winning cast, so it is no surprise that fans were left with high hopes after Murphy posted the cast trailer on instagram. The speculated cast for season 10 includes returning cast members such as Kathy Bates, Sarah Paulson, Evan Peters, Lily Rabe, Billie Lourd, and Finn Wittrock. 

However, there are also some new members that fans are excited to see join the cast. One big surprise was the casting of Macaulay Culkin. Fans were also quick to jump to conclusions when Murphy followed singer Lana Del Rey on instagram. Considering the aquatic theme and Del Rey’s vocal talents, followers thought this meant there could be a chance that mermaids would appear in season 10. 

What about the possibility of a crossover season? Season eight, “AHS apocalypse”, was a highly successful season that incorporated the mixing of two previous “American Horror Story” seasons. Season two, “Asylum”, also takes place in Massachusetts during the 20th century, and much of the cast is returning for season 10. PFHS Sophomore Maya Kassir would enjoy seeing a new crossover season, saying “I’d love to see a reunion of characters from other seasons in season 10. I loved how there would be free side characters that always played the same role that would show up in every other season.” The recurring AHS character, Pepper, is one role Kassir hopes will be incorporated into the new season with a more in-depth story arc.

The next 10 months are sure to be filled with many more clues and hints as we get closer to the season premiere. As of right now, the theories, cast, and clues have made fans excited to see what else is in store.