From fan favorites like Murder House, Asylum, and Delicate, American Horror Story finds different pockets of people around the country and focuses on their experiences with grotesque entities and devilish personalities.
While prospective fans can enter the new season with or without watching the entire series, there are still symbols and characters that bind all stories together, making a much more engaging fictional universe to explore. Here are 10 amazing Easter eggs from the hit horror FX show, that you probably missed.
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10 The Drive-In Theater
One of the more recent examples, “Drive In” served as the third episode of American Horror Stories. Focusing on a couple’s sexual journey, things turn dark after a seemingly innocuous movie date slowly reveals itself to be a nightmare.
A Glimpse Into the Future
According to Reddit user “u/Cookie1569”, future episodes of the series like “Howl” and “Tapeworm” are alluded to during a scene where seemingly similar titles can be seen on a monitor. Given the infancy of the spin-off and Ryan Murphy’s tendency to tease his audience, this scene may very well have served as a peek into some of the themes and storylines explored in American Horror Stories.
9 The Sign of the Cross
The Sign of the Cross is one of the many Easter eggs in the series that references other works. First appearing in Asylum during the episode “Nor’easter”, the film was referenced by Sister Mary Eunice (Lily Rabe) as an option to help quell the patient’s anxiety during a winter storm. The film, and the fateful night, are referenced once again in Freakshow, highlighting another similarity between Elsa and Sister Jude aside from them sharing the same actress, Jessica Lange.
A Multi-Purposed Allusion
While this may appear as a coincidence by some, the appearance of the film as well as the characters associated with the film highlight the established tropes found in the series and how they inform the characters that appear in each story.
At the time, Freakshow confirmed to fans that the seasons were indeed connected and, while The Sign Of The Cross carries its own significance in Asylum, its inclusion in Freakshow is one of the many allusions that binds the entire series together.
8 Billie Dean Howard
In season one, audiences were introduced to psychic Billie Dean Howard (Sarah Paulson) by way of Addy (Jamie Brewer) and Constance (Jessica Lange). After she is invited into the Harmon household, she evaluates the family, while also leaving them with a terrifying warning of the future.
One of Many Familiar Faces
As fans continue to watch the series, Billie appears in Hotel as a confidante of the many spirits that roam Hotel Cortez. Furthermore, her prophecy is proven to be true as Apocalypse premieres.
With many beloved faces returning to prevent the end of the world, multiple factions become implicated in the looming threat of Armageddon after they learn that Michael (Cody Fern) is not only the Antichrist but also the son of Vivien Harmon (Connie Britton) and Tate (Evan Peters). Her persistent presence in the series makes for a truly gratifying chain of events to watch unfold.
7 Michael David Winery’s Freakshow Cabernet
When fans sat to watch “Winter of Our Discontent” from Cult, they were treated to a small Easter egg that tied back to one of the series’ most cherished seasons. When the violent cult leader Kai (Evan Peters) enters the home of Detective Samuels (Colton Haynes), he casually walks past a bottle of Michael David Winery’s Freakshow Cabernet. To any other person, this may seem like a simple prop. Nonetheless, fans quickly picked up on the allusion to Freakshow.
A Swift, Subtle Surprise
The subtlest Easter egg, Michael David Winery’s Freakshow Cabernet, has been considered by many to be a nod to the series’ fourth season. The association between the winery and the franchise has further fueled this train of thought. While it doesn’t clue anyone in on a secret mystery or a future development, the presence of the wine is a nice touch and a subtle reminder of the show’s continuity.
6 Campfire Gold Coffee
Campfire Gold Coffee first appears in Freakshow as viewers were invited to learn more about the ominous Elsa Mars. Getting a look into her short stint in entertainment, the swift scene is endearing in an otherwise frightening season. The same brand appears in Hotel when viewers get a glimpse of Elsa’s commercial broadcast on television.
A Brief Retreat Into the Past
As simple as it may seem, the inclusion of Campfire Gold as a brand is one of the many ways the creative minds behind American Horror Story excel at world-building. Not only does it offer audiences clues about the timeline of the series, it also tightens the connections between these seemingly distinct stories. Anyone with an appreciation for storytelling will surely admit that it was nice to see the small reference to a prior season.
5 The Grocery Store
Grocery stores may be one of the more overlooked settings in media. For instance, the grocery store in American Horror Story also serves as an interesting setting for mayhem while also calling back to earlier seasons; both in the sequence of events and how they are captured on camera.
Terror in the Confines of the Safe Place
In Double Feature, disgruntled writer Harry (Finn Wittrock) walks into a disturbing yet realistic encounter where he is approached and accosted by “Tuberculosis Karen” (Sarah Paulson). The connection between Harry and Ally, also played by Sarah Paulson, who also wanders into a mischievous yet terrifying grocery store experience in Cult, is glaringly similar and continues a long tradition in horror of turning mundane, safe places into the sites of discord and dread.
4 Lana Winters
Sarah Paulson has donned many faces for American Horror Story, but Lana Winters stands as one of the most recognizable characters. Introduced in Asylum as an investigative journalist, her life turns upside down once she begins investigating Briarcliff Manor. During her time there, she becomes exposed to the facility’s gruesome methods and insidious plans.
A Skilled Sleuth Adapted for Horror
Aside from her being one of many characters portrayed by Paulson with an inclination for fame and entertainment, Lana also makes a return in Roanoke, where she trades in her investigative journalism for a life under the limelight. Her talk show proves to be popular, and she even attempts to reach Ally, from Cult.
The mini Sarah Paulson Cinematic Universe is not only relieving but exciting as her sleuthing serves as a template for future characters like Sidney Aaron James (Cheyenne Jackson).
3 Pepper
Pepper (Naomi Grossman) is one of many characters who also serve as a connective tissue between Asylum and Freakshow. Introduced in the former season as a patient committed to Briarcliff Manor for alleged infanticide, viewers were shocked to see her return in the series’ fourth season, where a page from her backstory is shared, containing startling revelations.
A Glimpse Into the Show’s True Darkness
Much like Sister Mary Eunice (Lily Rabe) and Dr. Arden (James Cromwell), Pepper’s reappearance, attempts to illustrate the depravity of the characters in this universe. By unearthing the truth about her child’s death as well as a more in-depth examination of her treatment by characters like Fräulein Elsa (Jessica Lange) and Rita (Mare Winningham), Pepper slowly transforms from spectacle to a more nuanced survivor of dehumanization.
2 Twisty the Clown
The terrifying Twisty The Clown (John Carroll Lynch) first appears in Freak Show as a seemingly vicious killer. Despite his frightening appearance, many have come to appreciate Twisty’s story, both as a villain and as the person under the costume.
A Common Fear Subverted
Twisty’s portrayal reveals a far more complex demon than the one initially presented in the earlier episodes. With news of his rampage sending waves across the world, he soon becomes a media fixture, as seen in Cult. With a comic franchise of his own and a subsequent appearance, Twisty offers a nuanced look into the mind of a murderer, the slippery slope that comes with influencing younger generations, and the sensationalizing of violence prevalent in the media.
1 The Murder House
Of course, this examination ends where it all begins. The Murder House is one of the most iconic settings in the series and, quite frankly, modern horror television. The eerie mansion earns its reputation through a clever and refreshing use of the haunted house trope, sitting at the center of multiple gut-wrenching storylines.
The Essential Symbol of American Horror Story
Aside from the show’s premiere season, The Murder House contains many allusions and characters that appear in future episodes. From the Rubberperson, to the familial ties between Tate (Evan Ross), Violet (Taissa Farmiga), and Michael Langdon (Cody Fern), its appearance in American Horror Stories and a truly morbid yet revealing scene in Hotel, The Murder House still remains a fascinating Easter egg to propel the franchise further, serving as a foundation for many of the wicked tales told.
